Roku Premiere and Premiere+ Review

Roku Home Screen

What is Roku Premiere and Roku Premiere Plus?

Roku continues to be the most popular streaming device brand, with over 53 million units sold. Some of its most popular product offerings include the Roku Ultra, Roku Streaming Stick Plus, and the Roku Premiere.

Released in 2016, the Roku Premiere is a small device you connect to your TV with a high-speed HDMI cable. It allows you to catch your favorite shows and movies in HD, 4K, or HDR. Along with ease of installation, it pairs with smart home ecosystems like the Apple HomeKit, Alexa, and Google Assistant. A newer model, the Roku Premiere Plus, was released in 2018 and lets you stream your favorite content in 4K and HDR. 

Our Roku Premiere review looks at the device’s pricing, how to install it, features, interface, and much more to help you determine if it is appropriate for you.

Roku Premiere

How much does the Roku Premiere cost?

The Roku Premiere is affordable at $34.99. With it, you receive the device, a high-speed HDMI cable, and a simple remote. You can buy it on Roku’s website, Amazon, and many retailers like Target or Best Buy.
Meanwhile, the Roku Premiere Plus costs $49.99. This device comes with the ability to plug your headphones into your enhanced remote control. You also had Dolby Audio and Dolby ATMOS through the HDMI connection, which are not available on the Roku Premiere.

Keep in mind that for $10 extra, you can get the more popular Roku Streaming Stick+ at $49.99. It’s more discreet and is accompanied by a voice-control remote. For all of the latest deals, we recommend that you first visit Roku’s website. Amazon provides frequent discounts for Roku products, so it’s also worth checking out. And if you’re already an Amazon Prime member, you can take advantage of free two-day shipping. 

Roku Premiere device features and design

The Roku Premiere is a small, portable device that allows you to tuck it away when connecting it to your TV. Its small size is also perfect when traveling on vacation and you want to watch your favorite streaming apps on the go.

The remote is as simple as they come. There are buttons for specific streaming apps like Netflix, Disney Plus, Sling TV, and Hulu, where one press will take you directly to the platform. There are also rewind, fast forward, pause, back, and a home button. And, you can toggle within Roku’s interface with the arrows. What you will find is the remote does not include the ability to plug in headphones. 

On the interface end, the Roku operating system is pretty simple to use. After connecting to the internet and activating your Roku account, you can find and connect to your favorite apps. There is also a My Feed section where you can add shows, movies, and more to watch later. You can change settings, buy or rent movies, and much more. 

Another unique benefit is the Feature Free tool found on the Roku channel. It allows you to access free content. Some of the networks offering free shows and movies include ABC, Tubi, The CW, and more. 

Best of all, once you install the device, you can control everything from your remote. Roku uses your home’s wireless internet to connect to your TV. Once connected, your remote control acts as a command center, allowing you to add channels, rent movies, and more with just the press of a button. The simplicity in design is perfect for those new to streaming services.

Father curled up on the sofa with his two daughters. They are watching a movie with popcorn.

Roku Premiere streaming quality and audio

With the high-speed HDMI cable, the Roku Premiere delivers beautiful picture quality. It can run in HD, 4K, or HDR depending on your TV’s capabilities. Roku included a 4K Spotlight channel where you can find and stream movies of the highest quality. 

On the audio end, you receive a rich DTS Digital Surround through the HDMI connection. It does not feature Dolby Audio nor Dolby Atmos like the Roku Premiere Plus has.

Our favorite apps available on Roku

Roku’s channel store includes almost all the streaming apps you could want. Hulu, Netflix, Disney+, Tubi, Peacock, Discovery+, Apple TV+, Spotify, HBO Max, and so many more. You can visit Roku’s channel store, then use the search feature to find the apps you want to use.

How do I install my Roku Premiere device?

Setting up the device is simple. You connect one end of the HDMI cable to the Roku device, and the other end goes in the HDMI port of your TV. Turn on your TV, go to the corresponding HDMI port on your TV’s input, then allow Roku to boot. 

Once it does, press the home button on your remote. Doing so allows you to access the settings. Scroll to the network section, then select wireless. From there, your device will find all the networks in the area. Once it finds yours, connect to it by entering your network ID and passcode. After verifying credentials, you can log into Roku or sign up for an account to use the system. 

From here, you can use the Roku interface to connect to your favorite streaming apps. Go to the channel store and enter your app name on the search feature. Once you find it, you can add it for easier access later.

To use the channels requiring subscriptions, launch it, then enter your account sign-in information. Once verified, it allows you to enjoy the app. As you will find, the simple design makes it easy to find your favorite apps on Roku.

The final cut 

If you want to experience your favorite apps on your TV, chances are Roku has a device for you. Roku Premiere comes in the form of a set-top-box. It’s not easily hidden from view like Roku Streaming Stick+, and you won’t get a remote with voice controls. But, when it comes to watching content in 4K, Roku Premiere is your most affordable option. 

Roku Premiere works great for cord-cutters. It lets you stream all your favorite on-demand apps like Netflix and Hulu. You could also use it to replace traditional TV, and stream cable-alternative services like fuboTV

Did any of Roku’s other devices pique your interest? If so, we recommend that you take a look at the Roku Express, Roku Streaming Stick Plus, and Roku Ultra

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