Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsSolid competent performer. Opened up a lot of new streaming options
Reviewed in the United States on November 11, 2019
Have Netflix and Prime. My Internet-aware TV was supported by less and less platforms. This Roku Ultra lets me watch YouTube, Crackle, Orbi, Pandora, and a dozen of other free streams, and dozens more I could pay for, if I wanted. Everything about the unit itself is great. The earphone jack *on the remote* is a great idea, and works well- it cuts off the audio at my receiver instantly, no delay. The volume setting then controls the earbuds, and restores the volume on my receiver when I unplug the buds; that's very nice. JBL earbuds included are just average, but provide decent sound. The speech recognition can't be used to control individual "apps" (stream providers) nor does it blanket substitute for typing, which I really wish it would. When you press the microphone button and speak, it performs a global search for a title, no matter what app (stream) you're using. It's like pressing the HOME icon button first. The speech recognition is very good, but I've managed to fool it at least once and get into a situation where I had no choice but to "type" (manually enter) the search string letter-by-letter. It seems to handle commands like "Find Galaxy Quest" and "Galaxy Quest" equally well, and the result is exactly the same. In other words, I don't think you need the verb, just the object. One other thing- you can't turn the unit off. It stays on in standby mode, displaying a screen saver if it's been idle. One screen saver choice is supposed display the time and weather forecast, if you give it a zip code, but that part doesn't work. It shows only the time. Other than these minor quibbles, it's an excellent buy.