What is Roku Box and how does it work?

The Roku box is a fast and easy way to connect your TV to the internet and make it into a smart TV. You can plug the Roku box into any standard TV, and it will function as a smart TV.

Roku also has its streaming service,, which has lots of great movies and shows, like the Roku originals, “Zoe’s Extraordinary Christmas,” “Wireless and Murder Unboxed.”

Their streaming service also provides Netflix, Hulu, Amazon prime video and HBO Max, etc.

Their streaming service called the “Roku channel” doesn’t require a membership and comes pre-installed with the Roku box. It also has many free TV shows and movies to watch.

Once you plug the Roku box into your TV, your TV will have an interface with which you can interact and play your desired movies or shows.

Many people prefer the Roku Box over other products because it is fast and sleek.

They have many different devices that can offer their services.

The traditional Roku box is just a tiny and slick-looking box that allows any standard TV to connect to the internet and begin streaming with Roku.

They also have a range of Roku TVs. These are TVs that have the Roku streaming system built into them. All of their devices allow for 4K streaming.

The Roku Box stands out amongst all other TV streaming devices because it has its ecosystem and streaming service instead of just copying the Android TV format.

Roku Box price?

The cheapest traditional Roku Box, called the “Roku Express,” comes in for $29.99.

The Roku Express is also said to be the energy king of Roku because it uses energy sparingly and thus decreases greenhouse emissions.

This Roku player is ENERGY STAR® certified to save you money and help protect the environment,” in Roku’s own words.

Other products in their range are even cheaper or are more expensive for those wanting luxurious streaming devices. For those who are willing to pay extra for the sake of simplicity, there is also the “Roku Streaming Stick.”

Roku claims that the “Streaming Stick” is the fastest device they have ever created and has a super-fast setup.

The steaming stick hides behind your TV because it is just a USB stick that plugs into the back of your TV. This is also great for people who have a TV setup that doesn’t have a desk below it.

It used to be $49.99 but, it is $39.99 until New year’s Eve.

“Streaming Stick 4K is a tiny triumph and one of the best and most user-friendly streaming sticks you can buy.” – Android Authority.

“Streaming Stick 4K Dolby Vision support, stronger Wi-Fi, and portable design will make it the best player to buy.” – TechHive.

How to use Roku Box?

Since most people buy either the Roku Express or the Roku streaming stick, we will cover setting up these devices on your TV. Most Roku devices are similar to setup.

How to set up Roku Express?

  • First, you will need to put batteries into your remote. The remote that comes with the Roku devices do not include batteries.
  • In the box, there will be an HDMI cable. 
  • Connect one end of the HDMI cable to your Roku Express and the other end to your TV.
  • If your TV does not have an HDMI input, you can also use the composite input, AKA those colored audio jack-looking thingies.
  • Once you have connected your Roku Express to your TV, you will now need to power the Roku Express. There are two ways to do this, you can first plug the micro USB into the Roku Express and then plug the other end into your TV, or you can plug the other end into an adapter and then plug it into a wall outlet.
  • Once you have done this, your Roku Express will come to life, but it will not show anything on the screen yet. To get it to show, you will need to grab your TV’s remote and click on a button labeled something like “Sources” or “Menu.”
  • When you click one of these buttons, you will be shown a page on which all of the inputs are available on your TV.
  • Select the input that you used to plug in your Roku Express. And you have done it! Your Roku Express is now set up, and you will need to grab your Roku remote to get through the quick setup that only asks you your language.
  • But to do anything meaningful with this, like streaming or watching movies, you will also need to connect your Roku Express to the internet.
  • Your Roku Express will ask you to choose your Wi-Fi connection during the setup. Choose your wireless connection and then type in the password, then click OK. And now you can watch TV shows and movies on your Roku Express. See, that wasn’t that bad or long!  

An even shorter setup time is possible with the Roku Streaming Stick. All you will need to do is plug in the Roku streaming stick into your TV and then go through the setup guide. That was even quicker!  

What to watch?

There are many shows and movies you can watch on Roku’s streaming service for free.

Their own streaming service called the Roku channel is almost entirely free. There are also other free channels available which you can add just by visiting channelstore.roku.com.

Try these channels

Crackle – “Stream free Hollywood movies, TV series, and originals on your favorite devices. Wait, free? Yes, free, always and forever. Watch premium TV shows and movies from an entire library of new and iconic hits. All on-demand, without a subscription.

Set up a free account to see fewer ads and pick up where you left off on any device.

Filter genres like comedy, drama, action, thriller, and fandom find fresh hits and all-time classics. Fill your ‘Watch Later’ list with all your favorite titles.” – Crackle Team.

Plex – Free movies & TV – “Plex is your home for free movies & TV, giving you access to 200+ Live TV Channels and 50,000+ on-demand titles from around the world, all from one beautiful app. No other free streaming service delivers more content to more countries, without a subscription.

  • Thousands of FREE movies and TV shows from Oscar™ award-winning movies to cult classics, anime, documentaries, family-friendly shows, and much more worldwide.
  • Live TV: Enjoy 200+ channels of free live programming—instantly. From some of the biggest names in TV, including Lionsgate, AMC, A+E, to Spanish-language channels, radically diverse LGBTQ+ content, game shows, news, sports, kids’ shows, and international content, there’s something for the whole family.
  • Watch Together: Effortlessly watch Plex with friends and family across the globe. No counting down to press play at the same time. Start and stop simultaneously.
  • All your media: Stream your video content music, movies, shows, even DVR-ed TV to any device using one beautiful, simple interface. Plex adds rich descriptions, artwork, and other related information.” – Plex.

Also read:

Truth Social for Roku

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About the author

Sanjay Singh

Sanjay Singh is a skilled journalist known for his expertise in news writing and technical articles. With a background in Communication and Technology, Sanjay excels in simplifying complex tech topics for his readers. His passion for truth shines through in his engaging and informative writing style, making him a respected voice in journalism.

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