| Customer Reviews Collected from roku.com |
Roku - 3 Streaming Player - Black
Average Customer Rating:
4.5
Rating breakdown 25,979 reviews
5 Stars
16,895
4 Stars
6,203
3 Stars
1,513
2 Stars
668
1 Star
700
93%of customers recommend this product.
(
23,564 out of
25,460)
Customer Reviews for Roku - 3 Streaming Player - Black
Customer Rating
5
The USB adapter is great but I will love to see
on October 11, 2013
Posted by: jorge
from 33437
Gender:Male
The USB adapter is great but I will love to see this device with a small external antenna to help the Roku's WIFI reception in the opposite side of the house and in our terrace. I like this Roku software menu better than other companies.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting roku.com
Customer Rating
5
The Future of TV
on March 19, 2014
Posted by: Cam5FC
from Columbus, Ohio
Gender:Male
It's been a month since we cut the cord on the cable. We've almost totally supplemented all of our normal TV viewings via Netflix, Hulu, Amazon and so on. The adjustment to streaming was super simple with the massive amount of channels available on the Roku. The movie and tv search function is fantastic and wonderfully inclusive of all the channels that we've downloaded.
Between us and the kids, we're easily making the investment worth it's while!
We cut the cable, folks... upgraded our internet speed and are now saving almost $70 per month - an annual $840 dollars saved for other financial needs. Even despite the savings, we have absolutely no intentions in going back to cable!
Simple to use and lots to stream!
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting roku.com
Customer Rating
5
What a wonderful piece of technology
on December 12, 2013
Posted by: DanMc51
from Morgantown, WV, United States
Gender:Male
I have an older LG surround sound system that has NetFlix, Pandora, Youtube, etc built in but the manufacturer never updated the apps. The built in apps became almost unusable over time and watching a movie on Netflix was painful at times not to mention I couldn't get Hulu or other streaming apps installed. A friend had one of the earlier Rokus provided by DishNet and I was impressed with how easy it is to use.
What a great piece of technology! The unit installed quickly with an HDMI cable to my TV, it found my wireless router with no problems, I signed into my Netflix and Hulu accounts and was watching movies and TV shows in no time. The interface is very intuitive and easy to use. Adding channels is a breeze (although some aren't worth the effort, but that's not Roku's fault).
The content you need is there: Hulu, Netflix, Vudu, Pandora, Blockbuster and more are being added. There are some specialty channels, like old movies, news,sports, and religious organizations. There are some apps that work with your cable/satellite provider that allow you to stream channels that you get through your provider. But, you won't get channels for which you are not subscribed.
Although I don't use the built in headphones much, they work quite well, but I would recommend getting a higher quality of headphones/ear buds as the ones that come with the unit aren't the best sounding, but they work just fine. I can see where this feature could be very useful when watching shows late at night and the roommates/family are sleeping. I could also see where you could use this to stream music to another sound source like a stereo system or a set of computer speakers located elsewhere in the house.
I also don't do much gaming, but tried the free Angry Birds app and almost got addicted. The remote works as a pointer much like a Wii remote. I can see the Roku becoming a good game console as well as a streaming device.
The remote is well made and operates through the wireless router; you don't have to aim it at the device. This means the remote works consistently and doesn't care about objects that may be obstructing the view of the Roku. It also means you can tuck the Roku away so it isn't seen if you wish. The controls are minimal and easy to use: Home, Back, Arrows, OK/ENTER, play/pause, forward/reverse and A/B buttons for gaming (not sure as I haven't used them yet). There is no volume button, you have to use your TV/surround sound remote for volume changes.
What is not so well known is that you can add private channels that are not listed in the Roku Channel Store (just google private Roku channels). You have to create a Roku account on-line to add them and then "update the software" on the Roku to see the channels. (http://support.roku.com/entries/22119022-How-do-I-add-a-private-or-beta-channel-to-my-Roku-player-)
There are a few minor items that I think could be improved upon. The remote is smaller than a TV remote, fits in the hand very well and is comfortable, but the rounded back allows is to roll around on the coffee table a bit (I know, that's pretty picky). If the back were flatter, this would not happen. Having the OK/ENTER button below the directional arrow keys, when the standard on other remotes seems to have it located in the center, is a bit confusing, but I got used to it. I just have to remember which remote control I'm holding. Having the ability to change the volume with the remote would be very nice so that one doesn't have to keep reaching for the TV/surround sound remote. If the unit could also receive infrared remote input, then universal remotes could be used eliminating the the need for the Roku remote, but then you might lose some functionality.
In summary, I love this little device. It is the best streaming device I have seen. Since that is what is does, it does it better than built in apps from TV and game console manufacturers. Well worth the money to add it to your video system.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting roku.com
Customer Rating
5
Huge improvement over older models!
on June 11, 2013
Posted by: Mrmike
from Palm Springs, CA
This is by far the biggest improvement for Roku. Loads programming very quickly and I have not experienced any interrupted streams. Overall, this is very fast little puck. Kudos, guys and gals.
Pros: Attractive Design, Simple Controls, Improved Audio/Video, Fast Setup
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting roku.com
Customer Rating
1
Was great, now I want to chuck it
on July 26, 2013
Posted by: Timofitz
from Darien ct
Verified Purchase:No
Inexplicably I got hchd data not authorized on Netflix. So I did a factory reset and now can't get past the language selection dialogue box without it freezing. It is terrible
Pros: It Worked
Cons: Then It Didn't
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Written by a customer while visiting roku.com
Customer Rating
4
An entertainment workhorse
on August 23, 2013
Posted by: Mike
from Somerville, MA
Verified Purchase:No
I bought the Roku 3 to replace an original Roku that had served me well for years but had become too sluggish for everyday use. The Roku 3 was simple to set up and is extremely easy to use. And of course, it's fast. I love the updated interface and the global search functionality. I'm not sure how well the gaming aspect works though my kids love playing Angry Birds. I'd definitely recommend the Roku 3 to anybody looking at entertainment alternatives to cable.
Pros: Improved Audio/Video, Attractive Design, Fast Setup, Simple Controls
Cons: App Selection
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting roku.com
Customer Rating
4
The Headphone Jack Is Worth It
on March 11, 2013
Posted by: Agoraphobic No Escape
from Sunnyvale, CA
I was given the new Roku for review and love it. I mostly use it for Netflix, Pandora, and Amazon, but with more channels being added, I can see myself using it for a lot more. It's intuitive to set up and use. The newest key feature that I was gaga over was the built-in headphone jack into the remote. This is great especially if you're one to watch loud action movies late at night or live in an apartment with thin-walls. It also operates off of a wireless signal and not IR so you do not have to aim the remote directly at the Roku box, which is great if your arms are too tired. The remote is not without its flaws. For the only thing able to operate the Roku unit, it feels pretty cheap. Although I haven't, I feel like I'm going to break it in my hands. The remotes underside is curved and glossy which feels like a lack of grippage and seems prone to slipping out of my hands. And the 'ENTER' button is oddly placed below the directional pad which makes for reaching for it with your thumb a bit counterintuitive since the previous remotes had the 'ENTER' placed in the center of pad. Lastly, typing on the Roku is a bit daunting. Selecting a character, one by one, with the remote slipping around and my thumb awkwardly hitting the 'ENTER' button is a small nuisance, but a nuisance nonetheless.
Pros: Compact, Headphone Jack, Built in Wi-Fi, Easy to set up, Easy to use, High quality picture, Great value, Reliability
Cons: Remote Control Design, Want more video choices, Typing
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting roku.com
Customer Rating
5
Best of Show
on March 11, 2013
Posted by: Ross V.
from Menlo Park, CA
Verified Purchase:No
My family has been adding Roku players since the original model came out. They have all worked well from day one, so I wasn't sure it would be worth the hassle to upgrade, especially in one of our older rooms where the TV is high-def but had an older external sound system and a component-video setup using RCA-type jacks (the Roku 3 needs an HDMI cable, which BTW you need to provide). Through many frustrating experiences I've learned you can hit a snag installing even the best-designed electronics, and approach upgrades with caution. I'll skip timeline here to say that this was a great upgrade. Besides an even sleeker, smaller design, I could immediately see that the Roku 3 has a number of very worthwhile improvements: downloads are faster on both wired and wireless connections (we have both); picture quality is superb; playback/pause/rewind control is even more responsive, too. The new remote control is great. The first Roku cracked the code on how a remote should look and work: simple, intuitive controls, and a great shape for the hand. The new remote is larger, but that's justified by the content channels, including gaming, that Roku continues to develop. Also, before getting the Roku 3 I'd been unsuccessfully trying to get a better bedside headphone set-up. I have RF and IR wireless remote headphones, but prefer to use a lightweight Sony (MDR-W08) model. I was plugging it into a bluetooth transmitter/receiver kludge, which was a pain. The Roku 3 headphone jack is perfect - great sound, convenient volume controls, and the TV automatically mutes. This review is about the Roku 3, not Roku's large and increasing channel lineup (some of these channels are quite a trip down the rabbit hole). But one ending note about my Roku 3 experience: Customer Support. Never needed it before with Roku, which says a lot. However, we recently added cable service, to get a faster download speed than our maxed-out DSL service. When installing the Roku 3, it seemed to be linking fine to my local network and the internet, but then would stop and show an error message. We haven't yet disconnected the DSL yet, so I switched the internet connection to DSL and the Roku 3 installed without a hitch, indicating it probably wasn't the Roku that was at fault. The next links to check were the router and the cable modem, and I was dreading contacting support for either, since they're notorious for finger-pointing at one another. So I took a chance and connected for an on-line chat with Roku support. To my delight, it was quick, professional and (most important) knowledgeable. They suggested a change in my router's DNS server setting (which was set by default to the cable company's server) and all was well. I was very, very impressed.
Pros: Easy to use, Great value, Compact, Built in Wi-Fi, Video selection, Headphone Jack In Remote, High quality picture, Easy to set up, Reliability
Cons: Need fast internet service
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting roku.com