cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 
Anonymous User
Not applicable

Smart box or Roku 4k stick+

I am aware of the benefits of a Roku over a Now TV box as regards all the extra channels/apps available on a Roku. What I'd really like to know, for sports viewing, would you guys recommend the Smart box or the new Roku Streaming Stick+?

One major factor would be getting the frame rate right to minimise/eliminate judder.

1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION
schnapps
Legend 5
Legend 5

Hi @Anonymous User

 

I own a Roku Stick Plus and a NowTV Smart Box and comparing devices will always be subjective.

 

Now if you are not interested in all the other benefits of the Roku Stick Plus and only interested in NowTV watching via a Sports Pass, then i would say save yourself money and buy a NowTV Smart Box if you want the added feature on inbuilt Freeview (TV aerial required) and the option to use an Ethernet connection on the box.

 

Alternatively look at the new NowTV Smart Stick if you are going to use WiFi and don't want Freeview, where the smart stick is coming out end of this month where both NowTV devices natively playback at a 50hz refresh rate.

 

The Roku Stick Plus does offer Auto Refresh Rate adjustment on the fly by going into it's Advanced menu settings, where on my Panasonic 4K TV there is temporary black screen when the Auto Frame Refresh Rate takes place which is normal.

 

Out of curisoity what NowTV Playback device are you using at the moment for watching NowTV via a Sports Pass ?

 

What bugs me on the NowTV sports streaming service is that the frame rate is 25 fps and playback looks unnatural to my eyes when the camera pans (doesn't matter if my TV motion processing is turned on or off) and i wish NowTV would up the frame rate to 50fps.

 

Lets hope when NowTV offer 1080p later this year, that 50fps will be part of the specification and it would be nice also if 5.1 surround sound was added as well. 

 

 

View solution in original post

47 REPLIES 47
Anonymous User
Not applicable

Hi @schnapps

 

I'd just like to publicly thank you for your assistance in this thread. I'm glad to say I'm enjoying the quality from the Smart box and your help has been invaluable in helping me reach my decision on which device to choose. Smiley Very Happy

schnapps
Legend 5
Legend 5

Hi @Anonymous User

 

Appreciate your kind words.

 

Glad you are happy with your purchase Smiley Happy

 

Suppose you was fortunate enough to compare both devices side by side where you and your misses could decide which of the two devices meets your viewing needs the best Smiley Happy

 

Anonymous User
Not applicable

Smiley LOL @schnapps

 

She who wears the trousers Smiley LOL

Anonymous User
Not applicable

Just a quick pointer but you can actually watch Itv+ via a Roku, just login and use via the Amazon channel for it. 

Anonymous User
Not applicable

@Anonymous Userwrote:

Just a quick pointer but you can actually watch Itv+ via a Roku, just login and use via the Amazon channel for it. 


I must tell the old lady. She now has my Roku 3 in the bedroom telly.

Anonymous User
Not applicable

@schnapps

 

The wife dragged me along to Argos today so I could carry a microwave for her. Anyways, while I was there I dropped the Roku Stick+ into our conversation, and lo and behold she says "why don't you get one?" Well, as you might already have gathered, I just lurve my gadgets Smiley LOL so now I have the stick in my tv with all my other lovely devices Smiley Wink My daughter says I'll soon need a new tv I've got that much attached to it but I didn't think I could push my luck that far Smiley LOL

 

I have the auto refresh rate 'on' but I'm wondering what you have, or had, your sticks display type (output) set at for optimal picture quality? Currently I have just left it at auto as I haven't had a lot of time to play around with it. 

I have a 4k Panasonic (2016 model) and the stick is in a hdmi 2.0 hdcp 2.2 socket.

schnapps
Legend 5
Legend 5

Hi @Anonymous User

 

Yeah, on the Roku Stick Plus i leave the Display on Auto detect and if you get the three green ticks on screen (4K at 60fps, 4K HDCP and 4K HDR) you are good to go.

 

When in the advanced display settings, leave the auto refresh rate adjust to enabled and HDR sub sampling to 4.2.2.

 

I been meaning to jump over to the Roku US Forum to see if any Roku Stick Plus owners have either reported or noticed that to my eyes the colours on the YouTube App videos look flat and dull with no depth when compared to my Panasonic 4K smart TV YouTube App and my nowtv smart box where the colours are definitely more saturated with more pop.

 

Also, i know what you mean by up grading the TV where my Panasonic 4K TV 2015 model is non HDR television and i am itching to buy an OLED TV, but still waiting for the £1000 price point magic figure in my mind before i will pull the trigger Smiley Happy

 

Like you, i also love my gadgets and reading rumours on the internet, that Google are going to introduce a 4K HDR Android TV OS8 streamer soon to compete with the likes of ATV, AFTV and Roku (where i always fancied trying out a Google Android TV to see how it preforms against the other OS platforms).

 

 

 

 

Anonymous User
Not applicable

Thanks @schnapps

 

I had to run the Roku through a hdmi switch, too many devices Smiley LOL which was why I wasn't getting 4k hdr showing. I've now changed the Roku to hdmi1 and swapped another device through the switch. All good now with 4k hdr material. Smiley Very Happy I also changed sub sampling to 4.2.2 so thanks for that.

 

I agree with you re your Youtube observations. To be honest I'd always felt the stick+, from my earlier testing, looked a bit 'duller' overall, but later I will have time to tinker with the settings for hdmi1 on my telly which will hopefully bring a change in that respect. Will be watching Wolves v Derby first.

 

Hang in there for your OLED TV. The reason I bought a 2016 Panny last year was also driven by price, after having read loads of reviews. I got the 'older' tv at a bargain price once the 2017 models were released.

 

We could be testing the rumoured Google streamer together if it materialises Smiley Very Happy

Anonymous User
Not applicable

Good morning @schnapps

I've a little question for you in a mo but first a little progress report. So I eventually got round to making some changes to the TV settings for hdmi1, the Roku input. I've now made not only Youtube look much better on the stick, but I've now got NowTV looking better, and performing better, on the Roku. It's now much better than the Smart box. The stick is now my go-to device for all NowTV streaming.

 

On to my question. Last night, for the first time since I introduced the stick into my setup, the Roku remote wouldn't 'wake' the stick. I did all the usual troubleshooting steps, going as far as removing all my devices, powering off the telly, then setting everything up again one by one. The stick still wouldn't respond to the remote. It was at this stage I noticed the light on the Smart box blinking every time I pressed a button on the remote, something which has never happened before as I've checked now and again to make sure there was no conflict between Roku remote and box. When I changed to the Smart box input sure enough the box was away from the Home screen confirming it had indeed been responding to the Roku remote commands. 

 

To end my long winded post Smiley LOL I've now simply unplugged the Smart box and am wondering if you, or anyone else, has ever experienced this behaviour before. I should add the NowTV remote, nor my Harmony remote, has any effect on the Roku stick+ so it's only a new clash developed between the stick remote and the smart box.

 

If you've read this far, well done for not nodding off Smiley LOL I'm intrigued as to what may be happening now, and why, especially as this issue has only materialised.

schnapps
Legend 5
Legend 5

Hi @Anonymous User

 

Glad you are happy now with all the Apps inc YouTube on your Roku Stick Plus, and it does help when the PQ on every App is looking good all on one device that saves the aggravation of swapping over devices to watch the best PQ Smiley Happy

 

I still can't get the YouTube App video footage colours to look rich and vivid, where if i increase the colour saturation or the overall colour in my Panasonic TV to compensate the flat dull looking YouTube videos it screws up the colours on the Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and NowTV App on the Roku Stick which i am extremely pleased with.

 

Not the end of the world, where i will watch any YouTube videos either on the inbuilt YouTube App on my Panasonic Smart TV or on the NowTV smart box (once the NowTV Tech Team sorts out the bug on the smart box YouTube App).

 

Never had any conflict issues between the Roku Stick Plus and my NowTV smart box when using either remote controller when running both devices side by side.

 

The only time that I have noticed the flashing purple light on the front of the smart box is when the box loses it HDMI signal for more than two minutes (i.e swapping HDMI inputs on my TV) when the box goes into it's deep sleep hibernation mode or if the box loses it's network connection.

 

Should the Roku Stick Plus not respond to it's remote controller key buttons commands in the future, then perhaps try re pairing the RC with the stick by following these instructions if you haven't done it already.

 

https://help.nowtv.com/article/how-to-pair-your-smart-remote

 

PS ~ How are you finding the HDR from the Roku Stick Plus on the YouTube App and Netflix / Amazon Apps ?