I was so thrilled by the Verge's review of Roku 3 that I decided to buy one for myself. Everything was pretty much what I expected. The Roku is a solid and light but weighted device and has not moved an inch since I've connected. Power consumption is minimal on standby mode but turning it on to start Netflix or Hulu Plus is super quick and responsive. Love the ability to change "themes" and put up great screensavers. Streaming quality is phenomenal in 1080p.
My only beef is the lack of decent channels. You have to really go out of your way to find something good. The games are subpar and the price/subscription for channels can be pricey but that doesn't have anything to do with Roku itself.
For some reason the official Roku Android app isn't picking up my R3 on the Wi-Fi. Yet, an unofficial remote map on the Play store has paired my smartphone with ease. The headphone option on the remote gives me a faint whining noise. I'd recommend using your headphones sparingly. The batteries drain super quick. You'll get about 3-4 hours before the remote dies and awkwardly unmutes your TV without hesitation.
All in all, best $100 spent on an alternative to Apple TV.
The Breakdown
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Design
9
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Software
8
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Content selection
8
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Performance
9
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Accessories, remote
9
Show the rest of this review and the breakdown
