4 things I wish everyone knew before upgrading their Roku

• Is the TV an HD TV?
• Is the TV a 4K TV?
• Is your TV’s audio poor?
• Is the Wi-Fi in your home poor?

I’m not somebody who is frequently looking to change my tech if I don’t have to. I’ve written many times here about wanting to use things until they pretty much die. It’s why I still love my retro gaming setup and still use my Kindle Fire 7. Don’t get me wrong: I do upgrade every once in a while. I love my AirPods Pro 2, which even now are outdated but work incredibly well.

Sometimes, your hand is forced when a device breaks or the manufacturer stops providing software updates for it. You might be able to find a way to repurpose it, but chances are more likely that you’re going to have to replace it. When your battery starts to go on your phone, you have to consider either getting a new battery or a new phone. Seeing which one is a more cost-effective choice can be the deciding factor.

I’ve been looking into getting a new Roku for the TV in my office. I have an older Samsung TV and I currently use a Roku Streaming Stick that I’ve had for about 10 years now to make it a smart TV. As I’m looking into a new Roku, I realized it might not be only the Roku that I need to consider changing. Here are some of the technical specs I’m considering when it comes to a new Roku or, maybe, a new TV.

Is the TV an HD TV?

This can sway your decision

You should first start by looking at your TV. What are its specs? What resolution does it have? How are the visuals and audio? These are all important things to consider. Even if you have a smart TV, or even a Roku TV, you can still use a streaming device to go along with it. It’s just as valuable to use a streaming device with a smart TV.

Arguably the biggest thing for you to consider is the resolution of the TV. If you have an HD TV, you have good visuals. If you have a 4K or 8K TV, you’ll have even better visuals, especially when the content matches it. For anyone with an HD TV, such as the one that I have, the Roku Streaming Stick 2025 is probably the best bet. That’s because it’s compatible with pretty much every HD TV out there, as it plugs into the HDMI port. It provides great HD resolution, but would be wasted on a 4K TV. It won’t meet the moment for 4K content as it doesn’t have the capability to match it. If you’re trying to use a new Roku device on your HD TV, opting for this Roku is the right move.

Is the TV a 4K TV?

You have more options

Whether you’re looking at a 4K TV that’s got OLED, QLED, miniLED or another type of technology, you’ve got a nice setup. These TVs up the ante for how crisp your visuals look. Many streaming services offer 4K content that you’re able to take advantage of when you have a TV that matches. If you typically use a Roku to gain access to Netflix, Apple TV+, and other streaming services, you need a TV that can show off that 4K content available on those platforms.

A Roku Ultra, Roku Streaming Stick Plus or Roku Premiere are three solid options if you want to watch 4K content from your Roku on your 4K TV. Not all content is going to be available in 4K. But the shows and movies that are available will look great on your Roku. If you don’t have a 4K TV and you want one of these devices, that’s fine. But you won’t be getting the most out of them. You can opt for a Roku Streaming Stick 4K, which is the most budget-friendly option, and you can use it on an HD TV as well as a 4K TV if you eventually upgrade the TV.

Is your TV’s audio poor?

You can upgrade the TV’s audio with your Roku

While the Streambar is a good soundbar, it can still be coupled with other external speakers to give your room a real boost.

TV speakers are inherently not that great. While some TVs may boast that their audio is top-notch, the truth of the matter is that it’s hard for them to actually compete with external audio equipment. One of the most important things to consider when you’re buying a new TV or just learning more about your current one is where the sound is coming from. What kind of speaker setup does the TV have internally and what direction do the speakers face? This is going to help you not only understand how to set up your seating, but potentially where to move the TV in the room to boost the acoustics.

If you don’t want to go the route of moving your furniture and TV around and just want to help boost your TV’s audio, you can opt for the Roku Streambar SE. This is a soundbar and streaming device in one. It offers built-in 4K and HDR streaming, so it’ll work with just about any TV and upgrade it. The speakers are meant to boost dialogue, knowing you’re obviously using this for streaming content. It can help you solve two problems at once when you’re looking to change your TV’s audio and visual setups.

Is the Wi-Fi in your home poor?

Do this before you upgrade your Wi-Fi system

It’s important to not just consider what the TV looks like when deciding on a Roku. It’s important to think about where in the house the TV is. Maybe you want it in the basement or in a room upstairs. Those areas may be far away from the router in your home. You need a Wi-Fi connection to run your Roku, so you want to make sure that you have a good enough one to enjoy your content without buffering.

The Roku Streaming Stick 4K has a long-range Wi-Fi receiver, so it can pick up signals from farther than some of the other Roku devices. This is immensely helpful for those more remote TVs in your home. If you don’t want to put an extender in your home or completely switch to a mesh Wi-Fi system to cover up dead spots in the Wi-Fi coverage, this Roku would make perfect sense.