I stole this from roku.com - I have a Streaming Stick 4k and am very happy with it.
Praise
Home Entertainment
Roku Streaming Stick 4K with Voice Remote and Private Listening
Streaming Devices
The Roku Streaming Stick 4K (ASIN B09BKCDXB9) delivers 4K Dolby Vision HDR, neutral cross-service search, and private listening via headphone jack for around $69 CAD on Amazon.ca — the most affordable 4K streaming upgrade available.
6 mentions · 5 threadslast mention Jul 20265.2/ 10
ClearPick Score
Buyer Beware
Score informed by 6 owner mentions across 5 Reddit threads · see every quote ↓
2 positive0 mixed4 negative
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Streaming Devices
Roku Streaming Stick 4K with Voice Remote and Private Listening
~$69 CAD est. on Amazon.ca
View on Amazon.ca →Opens Amazon.ca · Affiliate link✅ Ships to Canada
✅ Prime eligible (most orders)
✅ 30-day Amazon returns
✅ No extra cost to you
Every mention, sourced
Real comments from Reddit, linked to the original thread. Nothing paraphrased.
Love my Roku. I have a TV with it as the built-in OS, as well as a couple Roku 4k Ultra. I had a couple Apple TV. and a Roku.. it was all mixed platform and decided to standardize to just the Roku. Its ability to run any other app like news, YouTube, apps that are 'channels' like to your local news just made it a no brainer. I can watch my Plex, or put on Disney+ for the grandbaby all in the same UI, same remote, etc. And I use the earbud socket on the remote every night.
Praise
f*** roku. >Roku entered into a definitive agreement to be sold to the **Fox Corporation** in a cash-and-stock deal valued at approximately $22 billion.
Mention
AppleTV is unbeatable for F1TV. Wouldn't even consider anything else. 4K HDR works in multiview now as well. For Plex you might need infuse as your player. $13 a year or something.
Comparison
This morning I discovered that my Roku Streaming Stick 4K has suddenly lost the ability to pass audio via Dolby Digital or Dolby Atmos. I first thought it was a Netflix problem because all programs and movies that are supposed to be in Atmos just showed Spatial Audio. But then I checked HBO/Max and Apple TV and when I play content that shows it should be in Atmos, I cannot get anything other than PCM from them, as reported by my soundbar. I checked the Audio settings in the Roku and under Digital Output Format it shows that the available formats detected via HDMI are Dolby Atmos - DD+, DTS-HD Master Audio, but no matter what program I pull up, my soundbar just shows PCM 2.0. So I thought maybe it's my soundbar or my TV. But when I use the TV's native apps and also a Firestick, I get Atmos without any issues.
Complaint
As the title states, I have a Denon AVR-x2800H and am using a Roku 4k streaming stick (HDMI from AVR to TV is AudioQuest PEARL 2m it works mostly fine, but watching it sometimes, it will blink to a black/grey screen and throw up for maybe half a second the HDCP error blink back to black/grey then go back to the content.
Complaint
✅ What Works
- Owners who standardize their whole home around Roku like having one consistent remote and UI across devices
- Broad app/channel support cited as a reason to pick Roku over competitors
- Considered a solid budget streaming option by at least one long-time user
⚠️ Worth Knowing
- Dolby Atmos/Digital audio passthrough reportedly stopped working entirely for at least one owner with no clear fix
- Recurring HDCP handshake errors reported, causing the screen to blink black mid-playback
- F1 TV app performance called clearly worse than on Apple TV
- Pending Fox Corporation acquisition is a stated concern for some owners about the platform's future
ClearPick Verdict
Owner sentiment is unanimous-negative here — 4 of 6 mentions negative, 2 positive, no mixed. The complaints are mostly technical reliability issues rather than a single dominant theme: one owner reports losing all Dolby Atmos/Digital passthrough overnight with no clear fix, another describes recurring HDCP handshake errors that blink the screen black mid-playback, and a third says the F1 TV app performs noticeably worse than on Apple TV, to the point of recommending Apple TV instead for that specific use case. There's also frustration tied to Roku's pending acquisition by Fox Corporation, which some owners see as a red flag for the platform's future. The positive mentions are more general — owners who've standardized their whole home around Roku for its universal app support are happy with the simplicity. Reasonable budget pick if you mainly stream mainstream apps and don't push HDMI/audio passthrough hard; if you rely on Dolby Atmos passthrough, F1 TV, or want assurance about the platform's post-acquisition future, weigh the negative reports carefully first.
