Roku is the best-selling streaming player in the United States. Roku TVs are now the third most popular smart TV sold in the United States. Many cord cutters wonder if they should buy a Roku player like the Roku Ultra or a Roku TV. With this post we hope we can help you pick between a Roku player and a Roku TV.
What is a Roku player?
A Roku player is a streaming device that connects to existing TVs to access services like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon. A Roku player works a lot like a smart phone because it allows you to add apps to your Roku and stream content just like you would on a phone or tablet but on your TV.
Roku players take any TV and turn it into a smart TV.
What is a Roku TV?
A Roku TV is, in short, a TV with built-in Roku. Roku TVs work like any smart TV on the market but come with built-in Roku. You will find all the same features of a Roku player in a Roku TV plus a few additional features like the ability to directly connect your antenna to your Roku TV and have access to free guide data to know what is coming up next on the station you are watching with your antenna.
Should you buy a Roku player or Roku TV?
There really is no wrong answer here. My suggestion is if you already have a great TV that you are happy with and want a Roku, get a Roku Player like the Roku Ultra. This will give you access to a huge collection of streaming services at a far lower price than buying a Roku Tv.
If you need a new TV, invest in a Roku TV. Roku has a great history of supporting their Roku TVs for years—much longer than the typical smart TVs. A mid priced or better Roku TV like the TCL 5-series or the TCL 6-series Roku TVs are just as powerful as a Roku Ultra.
Now there is one reason to buy a Roku TV even if you already have a working TV. Roku TVs allow you to have everything in a single place. No need to scroll through inputs to access anything. You also get the ability to pause live TV through your antenna for up to 90 minutes if you connect a USB storage device. Now, this is not a DVR but it is a great tool.
Overall if you don’t mind using the inputs on your TV to switch between your Roku and your antenna then save the money and get a Roku player, but if you need a new TV the Roku TV is a great option.
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