

Which was great in some ways (you had access right from your TV), and crap in others. The TV manufactures realized that folks wanted easy access to their existing streaming subscriptions, so they started working with these companies to build their apps directly into their TVs. Unsurprisingly, that’s when “smart” TVs started to come about. The TV watching world underwent a dramatic shift from a foundation built on cable, to a foundation built on streaming apps. Not long after the success of Netflix, the Hulus, Amazon Primes and Disney Pluses of the world starting popping up, and the consumer’s access to great content expanded exponentially.

This model, of premium, streamable content really started to take off in the 2000s with companies like Netflix blazing the trail. You had to pay extra for access to this “premium” content but it was, in large part, drastically better than cable television. Then came premium channels like HBO, Showtime and Starz. It wasn’t all that long ago that your TV options were quite limited – you either had cable, or you didn’t. It provides you access to all the TV and movie apps out there and you can pick and choose which ones you want and then organize them accordingly.Īnd it’s incredibly easy to setup and to use.Īs a result, most smart TVs have tried to emulate Roku’s success but Roku continues to outshine them in almost every way… In a lot of ways you can think of it like an iPhone. It acts as home base for all your entertainment needs. Roku allows you to access free and paid TV shows and movies, all within a single interface. So, even if you already have a smart TV, you should still consider buying a Roku streaming device. While you don’t need Roku if you have a smart TV, when compared to a standard smart TV, Roku has: more content options, an easier menu to navigate and manage, a better remote, faster and smoother load times, more frequent updates, and less garbage or “throwaway” apps!

Well, the reality is that while your “smart” TV does come equipped with some video streaming, music, and game apps, it simply falls short when compared to a video streaming product like Roku. “My smart TV already has some apps built in like Netflix, Hulu, Pandora, etc., so why would I need Roku, or any other streaming product for that matter?”
