I’ve slowly become a big fan of my Roku television over the past year. I originally bought my TV because it was the most affordable one available, not because of its smart capabilities. Up until starting my Roku journey properly, I was mostly a fan of using my Xbox Series X for all of my content needs, but then I discovered some useful tricks to utilize every feature of my Roku, and it became much more valuable to me as a consumer.
Recently, I’ve tried to use other smart TV products, and while they’re definitely convenient and more reliable than I would have expected, there’s just something missing. Maybe it’s that I found Roku before any of them, so my point of view is slightly biased because of that. But there’s something I personally noticed that sets Roku apart from the others, and it’s a simple design choice that does it for me.
Other smart devices are too complicated to navigate
Seriously, it’s just too much
Maybe I am just turning into an old man here, but I recently tried my hand at a Chromecast and found navigating it not only cumbersome but also needlessly complicated. I liked the way the applications were laid out, but something about the recommendations sections that followed didn’t really add to the visual appeal of the device.
It also showed me the “continue watching” sections of all profiles for a specific streaming service, which just made it all look like a convoluted mess. My roommate and I were watching the same series at the same time, but the Chromecast couldn’t keep up. But honestly, I liked the Chromecast more than Apple TV, at least. That was truly a chore to use.
Check Out These 5 Alternative Ways I Use My Roku Streaming Device
Who knew my Roku could do that?
I’m a big fan of the shows that Apple TV+ is producing. They are definitely the modern home of prestige TV, even over places like HBO. The Apple TV device, on the other hand, did not impress me during my test runs. I had trouble getting it to remember where I was leaving off on movies and shows. I also found that navigating and watching anything on Apple TV+ was somehow even worse than it is on my Roku device. Constant error messages and a distinct feeling that it was not optimized properly at all. Obviously, this could just be a one-off, but it did not make a great first impression. The only positive is that it was extremely fast to navigate and switch between apps, way faster than either Roku or Chromecast.
Easier to use, too
I won’t pretend that Roku is perfect by any means. It does tend to freeze up on me more than it probably should, and it requires the clearing of its cache frequently to run smoothly. Yet, I keep going back to it. I like the way applications are laid out on the main menu, how easy it is to switch between inputs, and its recommendations actually make sense. Ad placements aren’t annoying like they are on other smart TV devices.
It’s just a very friendly user interface, even when its other faults frustrate you. Sure, Chromecast might look more sleek and be more customizable, but that matters less to me than reliability and ease-of-use. Roku has both of those in spades. You turn the television on, and you know exactly what kind of experience you’re going to get. Plus, I’ve found that the applications just work better on Roku. I’ve rarely gotten any error messages while watching my favorite shows. It just doesn’t happen.
I could just be biased here
It’s definitely possible
I’ll admit that I don’t have too much experience with using an Amazon Fire TV, but what little experience I do have didn’t leave much of a lasting impression. I did find that it malfunctioned a lot less than Chromecast and Apple TV, even if it does lack the speed of the latter. Regardless, this could all just be personal bias rearing its all-too-common head.
Roku was my first smart TV device, and I came to love its UI. Switching to something else felt similar to suddenly rooting for a different sports team after years of loyalty. I’m loath to say one way or another, but Roku still feels like talking to an old friend. That’s just not the experience I got with any of the other devices I tried to use, and that’s completely fine. I would absolutely understand why someone would not like Roku or its lack of customization compared to other options. For me and my old man brain, I just need something sturdy.
I’m still learning to get the most out of my Roku device
As I mentioned before, I’m still relatively new to smart televisions. Maybe my opinion will shift as I come to understand Roku’s limitations, and I’ll want more for myself and my streaming habits. For now, though, I feel like I’m still just scratching the surface of what I can do with this particular device. The beginning of that journey included discovering Roku tips that I absolutely wish I had known about sooner, and those have been a lifesaver. What I find out next is anyone’s guess, but it’s a journey I’m happy to be on.
