topic Re: New TV Roku-ready or buy the Roku separately? in Electronics

New TV Roku-ready or buy the Roku separately?

Marybella — Sat, 28 Nov 2020 19:33:05 GMT

Hello knowledgable electronics frriends! Looking for advice regarding purchasing a new television. We stream through Spectrum and have a separate Roku box on this tv. We are planning to buy an additional new set in the next month or so. Trying to figure out if it's better to buy a set with Roku built into it or to get one without it and buy the Roku device separately. Any thoughts on which is the better option? Thank you!

Re: New TV Roku-ready or buy the Roku separately?

BN MI — Sat, 28 Nov 2020 19:48:01 GMT

Hi!! Check the TVs at Walmart.com with the Roku built in. We purchased one what an amazing price. Trying to get another one, but they are out of Stock. Happy Shopping!

Re: New TV Roku-ready or buy the Roku separately?

ValuSkr — Sat, 28 Nov 2020 21:01:01 GMT

I don't think it much matters. But, if I was in the market, I'd ask one of the techies at Best Buy. With a separate Roku device, you're free to use it on other TVs. And If it malfunctions, you don't have to get rid of the whole TV.

Re: New TV Roku-ready or buy the Roku separately?

jackthebear — Sat, 28 Nov 2020 21:03:55 GMT

i would look at other specs for the TV first, a roku device is cheap so adding one to a better TV at the end of the day is not a big deal to me

I would go a better quality picture + sound + size then add my streaming devices all within my budget

Re: New TV Roku-ready or buy the Roku separately?

okaywitheasypay — Sun, 29 Nov 2020 16:36:08 GMT

ITA with @BN MI about the pricing at Wal-mart. We bought our first roku TV there about a year ago . I think a 40 ". I have loved it !

I have also had and still do have the separate rokus on other tvs . They last a long time in my experience and you can switch them onto other tvs if that is a plus for you. I love how easy roku products are to set up !

good luck

Re: New TV Roku-ready or buy the Roku separately?

hckynut — Sun, 29 Nov 2020 17:19:29 GMT

@Marybella

I personally prefer buying peripherals for most of my audio/video set ups. Combine them and if 1 function quits? Could lose the whole set up. Not so with peripherals, plus most are portable, thus can be used on more than 1 device and/or location. Generally even cheaper in the long run.

hckynut(john)

Re: New TV Roku-ready or buy the Roku separately?

SilleeMee — Sun, 29 Nov 2020 23:22:24 GMT

Both the Roku TVs and the Roku devices are fairly inexpensive nowadays. I bought a Roku TV just for the convenience of it plus it was on less thing I'd have to connect. If you need a new TV, you might as well get one with the Roku built into it. There's really not a big difference in price from one that doesn't have it.

Re: New TV Roku-ready or buy the Roku separately?

Marybella — Sun, 29 Nov 2020 23:40:39 GMT

Thanks everyone. Looks like six of one- half dozen of another. Guess I'll see first if there is a good quality tv with Roku built into it for a decent price and if not, just buy another Roku box.

Re: New TV Roku-ready or buy the Roku separately?

SilleeMee — Mon, 30 Nov 2020 00:50:29 GMT

@Marybella

This might help...

On Roku dot com there is a list of the brands which offer Roku. Just google:

What brands of smart TVs offer Roku TV™?

I own a TCL w/Roku. It's a top-rated TV and the most popular brand sold overseas.

Re: New TV Roku-ready or buy the Roku separately?

glb613 — Mon, 30 Nov 2020 11:26:28 GMT

@Marybella wrote:
Thanks everyone. Looks like six of one- half dozen of another. Guess I'll see first if there is a good quality tv with Roku built into it for a decent price and if not, just buy another Roku box.

Personally, I would never buy a TV because of the apps included or because Roku, Netflix, or Amazon is built in. The quality of the picture and sound is far more important. Most smart TVs will allow you to add apps or a device if needed. I recently bought a 32 inch Samsung for a new bedroom. I was able to add all of the apps I use except one. Since it's bluetooth enabled, I can mirror my phone and watch the app that way.

Re: New TV Roku-ready or buy the Roku separately?

Nuttmeg — Mon, 30 Nov 2020 13:23:31 GMT

@Marybella wrote:
Thanks everyone. Looks like six of one- half dozen of another. Guess I'll see first if there is a good quality tv with Roku built qinto it for a decent price and if not, just buy another Roku box.

@Marybella

You should be able to find a quality Sony or Samsung on Amazon. These two brands have a consist build quality and there are Cyber Monday deals.

Look for picture and sound quality. A TV needs 3-4 HDMI connector. A USB port or two.

Check the remote. Is it voice one or not?

You can buy new HDMI cable when you buy the TV for a few bucks.

Amazon has rating videos for most sets and many customer reviews.

You may to look for a TV at Crutchfields.com.

Happy shopping

Re: New TV Roku-ready or buy the Roku separately?

gardenman — Mon, 30 Nov 2020 14:54:42 GMT

You can't really go too far wrong with TVs these days. By and large picture quality is very good regardless of brand. If what you're watching is interesting, you tend not to notice subtle differences in picture quality, you get involved in what you're watching. I barely pay attention to brands these days when it comes to TVs. I read the consumer reviews weed out the obviously misleading ones. The "I bought this TV five years ago and it's horrible!" Uh, no. There's no five-year-old TV still on the market. The one that the reviewer bought five years ago may have been bad, but this one is almost certainly different and could be excellent. Trust the "verified buyer" reviews more than the generic reviews. A lot of people have grudges against companies and look to punish them with bad reviews.

When it comes to getting a Roku built-in or not, if you can find one you like at your price point with the Roku built-in, why not grab it? It's one less thing you have to worry about. There really is almost no price difference these days.

Re: New TV Roku-ready or buy the Roku separately?

hckynut — Mon, 30 Nov 2020 15:34:36 GMT

@gardenman

To me you are assuming your eyes and ears are the same as mine. From what you said here about picture quality? Sorry, subtle differences in picture quality? C'mon now man!

Have no idea how many brands you have looked at, but for me it is many. Let me at the picture controls and there are huge differences in picture quality.

To say "if you are watching something interesting, you tend not to notice". I presume that is what you think, it is the opposite of what I think.

I have said here many times: "You can have a great movie. For me if it lacks very good sound? I ain't watching it. Has nothing to do with content and interest, but everything to do with Audio and Video quality".

Your post is obviously your opinion, it however is not even close to mine when it comes to picture/content and sound!

hckynut

Re: New TV Roku-ready or buy the Roku separately?

Marybella — Mon, 30 Nov 2020 15:58:02 GMT

@glb613 wrote:
@Marybella wrote:
Thanks everyone. Looks like six of one- half dozen of another. Guess I'll see first if there is a good quality tv with Roku built into it for a decent price and if not, just buy another Roku box.
Personally, I would never buy a TV because of the apps included or because Roku, Netflix, or Amazon is built in. The quality of the picture and sound is far more important. Most smart TVs will allow you to add apps or a device if needed. I recently bought a 32 inch Samsung for a new bedroom. I was able to add all of the apps I use except one. Since it's bluetooth enabled, I can mirror my phone and watch the app that way.

Yes, and I said I would first make sure it was good quality before purchasing one with Roku already in it. Our first set has a Roku box and I was just curious to see opinions on whether there were good quality sets with Roku on the market. Thanks for your reply! Good advice!

Re: New TV Roku-ready or buy the Roku separately?

gardenman — Tue, 01 Dec 2020 05:39:46 GMT

John, my view is based on my personal experience. I've bought high-end HDTV's and low-end HDTV's and frankly, even side by side, when properly adjusted, there's not that much of a difference. For a modern HDTV to be designated as an HDTV, 4K, or higher, it has to meet certain basic qualifications in terms of resolution, and picture quality. Two 4K sets adjusted properly, one high-end and one low-end will give you very similar picture quality. My primary HDTV these days is an Element 55" Fire TV. Not a great brand name, but the picture quality is outstanding. The blacks are a true black, the colors are accurate, there's no fringing, distortion, or other issues. It's just a very good picture at a very good price.

Even the professional evaluators give many of the lower end products like the TCL line, good reviews these days. The NY Daily News recently (November 2020) reviewed the top smart TVs and gave two Samsungs high grades, one Sony, one LG, and one TCL. The 55" TCL retails for $349.99 (and includes a built-in Roku) while the Samsungs were $799, $1,299, the Sony was $1499 and the LG was $1899.

You could put all five of those TV's side by side, have them all properly calibrated and you'd find very little difference in picture quality from set to set. Bring in ten people and you'd probably get multiple opinions on which is the best. There really isn't that much of a difference these days. And that's not just my view. Lots of people agree. Even professional reviewers are often taken aback at how good the quality of the low-end sets are these days. They may not have as nice a remote control, or as full a feature set, but in terms of picture quality, you don't have to pay a lot to get a lot these days.

Re: New TV Roku-ready or buy the Roku separately?

SilleeMee — Mon, 30 Nov 2020 16:09:16 GMT

With 16K TVs up on the horizon, it won't be long until 8K goes mainstream and 4K becomes dirt-cheapand eventually by the wayside. So, imo, just buy the TV you want at a reasonable price b/c it will, in no time, become yesterday's tech.

Re: New TV Roku-ready or buy the Roku separately?

topcat10 — Mon, 21 Dec 2020 16:23:49 GMT

I have three TCL Roku TVs and love them....all were bought this year, very inexpensive from either Walmart or Sams (I have been reading reviews that the tv lifespan is 3-4 yrs, so I will deal with replacing them at that time) - but in the meantime they work for me and I am enjoying them (I also have my old firesticks on those tvs because there are apps that are not available thru Roku).