Roku Premiere 4K Media Streamer with Remote

For a 4k product, you sure don't get a "premiere" remote. No volume, no mute, no TV power, no headphone jack and no personalized shortcut buttons. And the remote has no pairing button, so it can't be paired to a lot of other Rokus. Moreover, on my remote, the direction buttons around the OK button usually require 2 or 3 presses before anything happens. I sure wish Roku didn't treat Canadians like 2nd class citizens. It's bad enough we don't have half of the channels available to American Roku watchers; what's really galling is Roku refuses to sell the Roku Ultra or the Roku Voice Remote to Canadians, both of which have the features all remotes should have.

I wish I'd gotten a Roku sooner. I've chosen not to get cable, but I wanted access to multiple streaming services in an easy-to-navigate fashion. I also have an older non-smart tv and without cable or a DVD player it was rendered useless. I've purchased a Roku unit for my main entertainment center and one for the older tv, and I wish I'd done it ages ago. It's easy to use, allows you to watch live Global TV news and the Roku channel for free (lots of great content), as well as access all your favourite paid streaming accounts (Netflix, Apple TV, Crave, Cineplex, Disney Channel, Global TV, and many many more). It's so good I felt compelled to come write this review.

I will admit that I primarily stream through Apple TVs, but for the spare bedrooms and Gym TV I decided to save a bundle and get this Roku. In some ways it's actually far easier to set up and navigate than an ATV and really delivers all you need. The ATVs have more connectivity options and are great for whole-house audio, screen-mirroring, etc. . . but at less than 1/4 the price, the Roku does a lot. Every app I want is available, it maintains connectivity and a big bonus, you can actually stream from your iTunes (and probably other) library on your phone so if you want to stream through a soundbar or whatever from your phone, it's easy-peasy.