Bought it last night, installing later today, looking forward to it. Owned the ROKU "puck" for the last 4-5 years. Most of all I have been looking for bigger sound. Liked you Marshall video but they all fall out of my budget and they really don't provide enough value. The fact that I can also bluetooth from my phone or laptop to this system and also give me another 5 years out of my already old school 55" Plasma makes me very happy. thanks for the great review,
I just came for a review of the Roku Stream bar and I legit thought I was listening to a CBS, NBC, or Dateline news broadcast 😄. Ma'am, your voice was made to be a news anchor, and to me, that's a good thing. It was a great review, but your voice made it so easy to listen to. Great job! 👍🏼
I have had a Streambar for over a month now and I am very impressed by it. I needed a replacement for another roku device which was needed in the kitchen ;) So I thought why not go for the Streambar. Roku have also got a great app and I often tend to listen to the streambar via my headphones when the Mrs is asleep which is a nice feature. However as a soundbar it is also very good. Nice clear sound and I will try that voice clarity feature that you mentioned in your review. I managed to get it with £30 off so for £100 was well worth the price. It is nice and compact, but for the size it can get nice and loud and would suit most size rooms. Just checked on Amazon and is currently going for £117. I would say def worth it for that price. But if you can get it cheaper then even better ;)
I bought it a few weeks ago, but when I connect my phone to it and play music 🎶 it is just quiet. But when connected to my LG TV via HDMI the sound is there.
My new Sony has a smart Google os. So I get most apps like Roku, however, I'm still looking to get this soundbar for a few reasons. One, I like the simple remote usage on Roku vs my Sony. Second, I like better sound than what comes from the TV. Lastly, most important, my Sony while watching SlingTv, the streaming power is just weak, it buffers and died once in a while. So having a dedicated stream system will help with the speed and buffering performances I need.
When you connect the streambar with the Roku TV you effectively have two roku streamers, or the streambar detects that and only functions as a sound bar?
Yes, you effectively have two Roku streamers. But since you can choose whether or not to use the stream bar as a streaming TV device, you can continue to use your Roku TV as normal, and the stream bar will function only as a Sound Bar.
If you don't want to see the streambar home screen, don't use it's remote, stay with Roku tv remote. If you like the wifi remote the streambar comes with you can purchase them separately and it will pair with any roku tv.
Outstanding review !!! Well done !.. Can not agree with you more regarding Private Listening as a great feature. I believe Roku has a remote unit that has a port available to plug headphones BUT it is not available as an accessory. Curious... what does the POWER button of the Streambar's remote control power up ? How about the volume up/down/mute of the remote ? Is the ROKU Streambar 'always on' like its streaming devices ? I have a Roku stick and a very old SONY LCD TV with no HDMI-CEC nor ARC, so its power button turns on the TV and volume controls/mute also controls the TV's volume. This works great but I would definitely enjoy better sound of the Streambar. Thanks !
The power button will re-enable the sound bar, but it can also turn on your television set if you have it set up. It is generally always on, but it seems like it’s sort of wakes up when you hit the power button
@@ErinLawrenceTV I read up some more.. Sure looks like things are significantly simpler if the TV has HDMI-CEC capabilities built in to power on the TV upon pressing POWER button / waking up the Streambar. Thanks again for the wonderful / exhaustive review !
I am surprised you did not cover the usb port. The roku website states it can play video, photo and music files. Does anyone know which video file formats it can play?
Is the bass response as poor or almost nonexistent with this particular Roku soundbar as some reviewers claim it to be? Please inform. I'm on the fence between purchasing this version or the larger Streambar Pro. Help! Thanks! ♐
You know, I don’t think it’s bad for what this sound bar is, and for its size. But if you want rumbling, room booming bass this is not the device. Depends how much bass you prefer.
Can anyone help??? I only want to use this as a soundbar not for streaming. I have Direct TV satellite but no wifi in the house and I can't get the soundbar to output the sound from the TV from Direct TV. Help me please
Hi Erin, I am a UK viewer of your video, which is very interesting and helpful. I am waiting for a Samsung 32" 1080p smart TV, and I am expecting the sound to be poor. Would this ROKU sound bar a solution to this, and would it interfere or clash with the smart functions on the TV? Many thanks. Terry Davis
I have this streambar and am wondering if I can connect/use a Bluetooth wireless subwoofer kit with it. Will that work or will it only work with the Roku subwoofer? Thanks for the video.
Nice review! Question: Did you test the feature that automatically lowers the volume of commercials? Does that only work when streaming, or does it work with a TV antenna connected and watching over-the-air television? Thanks.
Can you explain how to use it for a Samsung tv? and how it’s connecting to Bluetooth. I bought it but I can’t use probably I will return it please explain
Thanks for the review. Have you tried using this streambar with Fire TV or Chromecast w/ Google TV? Do they work well? Also with a TV with CEC, are you able to control the volume with the Fire TV remote or Google TV remote? Looking to get one to use it with my Fire TV. Seems like as long as the TV has CEC feature, it should work just fine. Would be great to know whether they could work.
I bought my stream-bar on 9/12/21 from Walmart for $129.00 + $10.64 tax equaling $139.64…as of this writing (10/30/21) the audio portion has turned to crap. It sounds like I’m listening to broken speakers, crackling noises, and, distortion. I’ve changed the settings so many times I feel I’m gonna wear out the remote. I’ve tried, unsuccessfully I might add, to find out on RUclips, Google, and, Bing how to fix this problem. The ONLY information I ‘did’ get was to use a different HDMI cord from the tv to the Roku Stream-bar…they said the problem is “the HDMI cord that comes with the unit is not good enough”. Well, I did just that and the problem is still here. There is no phone number to contact Roku, as, I was just as unsuccessful in finding out ‘that’ as well. So, besides being pissed off I now have a $140 paper weight. SMH.
Not sure how the Bluetooth connection works. I have paired my phone to Roku streambar; however, it Isn't playing my phone audio. People living outside US, UK can't install roku remote on phone. Sound quality no complaints. Connectivity very poor. In fact, below par.
Hi! Great video, but I just have a question. Can this stream bar be used without the streaming capabilities? I’d like to hook gaming systems to my TV and was wondering if this sound bar would work still?
If connected to the tv properly using either hdmi-arc or if you don't have one on the tv use combination of regular hdmi and optical cable. If using the arc don't use the optical cable at the same time. Hdmi-arc allows the video and audio from the streambar to the tv at the same time sending the audio from devices connected to the tv to the streambar.
I bought mine today but it’s giving me issues. I tried streaming HBO and Disney but no video will play. After a few minutes it goes to a black screen after the logo shows. Any one has this issue?
GOOD AFTERNOON, I WANT TO ASK YOU, BECAUSE I CAN NOT CONNECT ROKU WIRELESS SPEAKERS THAT I BUY IN AMAZON MEXICO TO MY ROKU STREAMBAR, COULD YOU HELP ME SOLVE MY PROBLEM AND ENJOY MY ROKU WIRELESS SPEAKERS, GREETINGS FROM GUADALAJARA, MEXICO.
Does this have a sound only option? Some of us still watch cable TV now and again. FYI, I already know the answer to this but I feel like it should be stated for those who may not understand.
Depending on who your cable provider is, the major ones (e.g. Spectrum in my case) have APPS available for Roku devices that provides same channels as a cable box. So that's all I use now.
Great in depth detailed review 🇨🇦 sub 👍 ?:question can it work as a sound bar for computer independently?+ without using the built-in streaming service?
Hi Erin, Yet another succinct and informative review; Thank You! I already have an old Roku Express connected to my "ignorant" Samsung TV. Would the Streambar be a good way to upgrade it? Also: will the channels I have on the Roku Express readily transfer to the Streambar?
As long as the TV has an HDMI port, yes it would! As for transferring your channels, I think if you login with the same Roku account, you would be able to keep them. I can’t remember if he would have to re-add them or not
Have the Streambar accurately connected to my non-Roku smart tv, and it works well with the tv apps ( we have no cable service ). However, when I use it with my Fire Stick located in HDMI 3 ( 1 is where the ARC is located and Streambar is plugged into that spot), I get NO SOUND at all. I have tried using both the Streambar and Fire Stick remote, but neither gives me sound in this situation.
Hey! Thanks for asking. We are on a bit of a holding pattern with it right now, mainly due to the weather. I’d say it’s about 85% done. We are definitely overdue for a Van update, so maybe I will try to get one of those out before the holidays.
@@ErinLawrenceTV Slow and glitchy, random downloads of apps after pausing and pressing playback after it's gone to screen saver. Had to turn off bass boost completely after it developed loud unbearable rice krispies. Volume leveling extremely over aggressive also had to disable that as well. All in all only the upscaling and speech clarity working as advertised
One of the first review videos that have actually provided audio samples! Nice job!
Picked one up yesterday, and your review is spot on! Very happy with the purchase.
Bought it last night, installing later today, looking forward to it. Owned the ROKU "puck" for the last 4-5 years.
Most of all I have been looking for bigger sound. Liked you Marshall video but they all fall out of my budget and they really don't provide enough value. The fact that I can also bluetooth from my phone or laptop to this system and also give me another 5 years out of my already old school 55" Plasma makes me very happy. thanks for the great review,
I just came for a review of the Roku Stream bar and I legit thought I was listening to a CBS, NBC, or Dateline news broadcast 😄. Ma'am, your voice was made to be a news anchor, and to me, that's a good thing. It was a great review, but your voice made it so easy to listen to. Great job! 👍🏼
Thanks so much, and thanks for watching!
I got mine yesterday and so far I love it. Boy it makes the tv more clear and easy to hear and understand. The price wasn't too bad either.
That's great!
A great review - even if it was 2 years ago! I am thinking of buying one and this review has tipped the scales! thanks for sharing.
Thanks for the kind words! Glad it's helpful.
Bought one yesterday on your recommendation, amazing price for the streambar, fantastic sound
Excellent feedback! Thanks so much for posting it.
I have had a Streambar for over a month now and I am very impressed by it. I needed a replacement for another roku device which was needed in the kitchen ;) So I thought why not go for the Streambar. Roku have also got a great app and I often tend to listen to the streambar via my headphones when the Mrs is asleep which is a nice feature.
However as a soundbar it is also very good. Nice clear sound and I will try that voice clarity feature that you mentioned in your review. I managed to get it with £30 off so for £100 was well worth the price. It is nice and compact, but for the size it can get nice and loud and would suit most size rooms.
Just checked on Amazon and is currently going for £117. I would say def worth it for that price. But if you can get it cheaper then even better ;)
If you want the Roku part as well as sound, the connection has to be HDMI (ARC-capable TV connector) or (HDMI + digital audio).
Great review! To the point with no annoying background music. Thank you, subscribed.
Awesome, thank you for subscribing!
Got this soundbar for $99 at Walmart, definitely pleased, decided to pick up the sunwoofer as well.
That's awesome!
Wow, this would be perfect for my older TV, would give me smart TV, good luck !love roku!
That’s an awesome Roku speaker! I think I will buy it one day. Thanks for sharing Erin!! Have an awesome day my friend!! 👍🏻👍🏻👏🏻👏🏻
It was shocking how powerful it is.
@@ErinLawrenceTV I know. It’s awesome someone made it better!
I found your review helpful. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you! So glad it was helpful!
Thank you your video helped a lot I just purchased the sound bar yesterday it works great
Great to hear!
We have two and they are fantastic!
It felt like we finally a winner in tech review who is sharing just the right and info in brief. !
And it felt like I was watching the news. :)
I appreciate that, thank you!
Excellent review!
Thanks for watching!
Excellent review of this sound bar.
Thank you!
Great review. I appreciate the example of the sound quality.
I bought it a few weeks ago, but when I connect my phone to it and play music 🎶 it is just quiet. But when connected to my LG TV via HDMI the sound is there.
Very nice and helpful review. Thanks.
Thanks for watching!
My new Sony has a smart Google os. So I get most apps like Roku, however, I'm still looking to get this soundbar for a few reasons. One, I like the simple remote usage on Roku vs my Sony. Second, I like better sound than what comes from the TV. Lastly, most important, my Sony while watching SlingTv, the streaming power is just weak, it buffers and died once in a while. So having a dedicated stream system will help with the speed and buffering performances I need.
Very nice review 👍
Thank you 👍
This isn't the first streaming \ sound bar device. I brought my folks a FireTv Anker nebula sound bar a long time ago. And it's so cool!
When you connect the streambar with the Roku TV you effectively have two roku streamers, or the streambar detects that and only functions as a sound bar?
Yes, you effectively have two Roku streamers. But since you can choose whether or not to use the stream bar as a streaming TV device, you can continue to use your Roku TV as normal, and the stream bar will function only as a Sound Bar.
If you don't want to see the streambar home screen, don't use it's remote, stay with Roku tv remote. If you like the wifi remote the streambar comes with you can purchase them separately and it will pair with any roku tv.
Outstanding review !!! Well done !.. Can not agree with you more regarding Private Listening as a great feature. I believe Roku has a remote unit that has a port available to plug headphones BUT it is not available as an accessory. Curious... what does the POWER button of the Streambar's remote control power up ? How about the volume up/down/mute of the remote ? Is the ROKU Streambar 'always on' like its streaming devices ? I have a Roku stick and a very old SONY LCD TV with no HDMI-CEC nor ARC, so its power button turns on the TV and volume controls/mute also controls the TV's volume. This works great but I would definitely enjoy better sound of the Streambar. Thanks !
The power button will re-enable the sound bar, but it can also turn on your television set if you have it set up. It is generally always on, but it seems like it’s sort of wakes up when you hit the power button
@@ErinLawrenceTV I read up some more.. Sure looks like things are significantly simpler if the TV has HDMI-CEC capabilities built in to power on the TV upon pressing POWER button / waking up the Streambar. Thanks again for the wonderful / exhaustive review !
I am surprised you did not cover the usb port. The roku website states it can play video, photo and music files. Does anyone know which video file formats it can play?
If i were to hook this up to a non smart tv can i browse the internet with it? Sorry i didnt catch if you said it was bluetooth or not?Thankyou!
does the smart bar work with a roku tv , the remote keeps trying to cancel each other out
Yes and that’s what I tried it with. Weird!
Do you know is going to work with Roku new subwoofer?
Would you mind measuring the footprint of the streambar, please? Would it sit safely on a 10'' shelf?
Is the bass response as poor or almost nonexistent with this particular Roku soundbar as some reviewers claim it to be? Please inform. I'm on the fence between purchasing this version or the larger Streambar Pro. Help! Thanks! ♐
You know, I don’t think it’s bad for what this sound bar is, and for its size. But if you want rumbling, room booming bass this is not the device. Depends how much bass you prefer.
Ms. Lawrence: Many thanks for replying to my question... I really wasn't expecting a response from you. I'm pleasantly surprised! Again, thank you! 🙏♐
Excellent...great write up.. Thank you.. Stay healthy
No sleep timer on the soundbar
I have been having constant issues with my Roku stream bar. It disconnects from the remote. I have to unplug it and plug it back in. CONSTANTLY!
Can anyone help??? I only want to use this as a soundbar not for streaming. I have Direct TV satellite but no wifi in the house and I can't get the soundbar to output the sound from the TV from Direct TV. Help me please
Can you roue your digital tv through the speaker too?
I am planning to buy this today.. Black Friday...
I did have a question with using the stream for to the TV. Will it change the picture quality using the stream bar of the Roku tv?
Hi Erin, I am a UK viewer of your video, which is very interesting and helpful. I am waiting for a Samsung 32" 1080p smart TV, and I am expecting the sound to be poor. Would this ROKU sound bar a solution to this, and would it interfere or clash with the smart functions on the TV? Many thanks. Terry Davis
Hi Terry. I think the soundbar would be a good choice and shouldn’t interfere with any of the smart functions.
@@ErinLawrenceTV Hi Erin, many thanks for your re-assuring reply. The TV arrived yesterday, and I found the sound output quite acceptable.
Thanks for this! Can you search the internet and watch youtube etc using this Roku Soundbar?
I have this streambar and am wondering if I can connect/use a Bluetooth wireless subwoofer kit with it. Will that work or will it only work with the Roku subwoofer? Thanks for the video.
Hi, it sends audio to the tv by HDMI? Can you listen your tv and the sound bar at the same time?
And it plays videos from the usb?
when you were filming the preview of the audio what volume level was it set too?
Do you know why the this roku soundbar blue light turn on by it self
U didn't LINK up the video of how to use HEADPHONES with this device 😕
Ahhhhhh. Oops: ruclips.net/video/6rqs5hXfdF8/видео.html
Nice review! Question: Did you test the feature that automatically lowers the volume of commercials? Does that only work when streaming, or does it work with a TV antenna connected and watching over-the-air television? Thanks.
😂😂Literally saw your comment on another video, this is the question I have also!!! Why can't you get an answer! Lmao
Can you explain how to use it for a Samsung tv? and how it’s connecting to Bluetooth. I bought it but I can’t use probably I will return it please explain
Erin did you connect your old tv with an optical fibre cable
Hello, can you use the streambar to play music from my phone? Thank u
Yes you can!
Can I connect only the audio part ? because I already have one of those smart tv so I just need the sound part for my bedroom . Thank you :-)
Thanks for the review. Have you tried using this streambar with Fire TV or Chromecast w/ Google TV? Do they work well? Also with a TV with CEC, are you able to control the volume with the Fire TV remote or Google TV remote?
Looking to get one to use it with my Fire TV. Seems like as long as the TV has CEC feature, it should work just fine. Would be great to know whether they could work.
CEC is the only way the roku streambar controls your tv power and volume, and so in turn the tv remote will control the streambar volume.
I got a question does it connect automatically when you have the soundbar?
I bought my stream-bar on 9/12/21 from Walmart for $129.00 + $10.64 tax equaling $139.64…as of this writing (10/30/21) the audio portion has turned to crap. It sounds like I’m listening to broken speakers, crackling noises, and, distortion. I’ve changed the settings so many times I feel I’m gonna wear out the remote. I’ve tried, unsuccessfully I might add, to find out on RUclips, Google, and, Bing how to fix this problem. The ONLY information I ‘did’ get was to use a different HDMI cord from the tv to the Roku Stream-bar…they said the problem is “the HDMI cord that comes with the unit is not good enough”. Well, I did just that and the problem is still here. There is no phone number to contact Roku, as, I was just as unsuccessful in finding out ‘that’ as well. So, besides being pissed off I now have a $140 paper weight. SMH.
Will this play sound from my other HDMI outputs, e.g Xbox ?
how do you find the bass on this device, is it decent?
It was pretty good. Not comparable to using a full subwoofer obviously, but I wasn’t disappointed, given its size.
Thanks Erin. 👍
Thanks, this video really helped
Not sure how the Bluetooth connection works. I have paired my phone to Roku streambar; however, it Isn't playing my phone audio. People living outside US, UK can't install roku remote on phone.
Sound quality no complaints. Connectivity very poor. In fact, below par.
Hi! Great video, but I just have a question. Can this stream bar be used without the streaming capabilities? I’d like to hook gaming systems to my TV and was wondering if this sound bar would work still?
Excellent question, and yes it can. You don’t need to use the streaming capabilities if you don’t want to.
If connected to the tv properly using either hdmi-arc or if you don't have one on the tv use combination of regular hdmi and optical cable. If using the arc don't use the optical cable at the same time. Hdmi-arc allows the video and audio from the streambar to the tv at the same time sending the audio from devices connected to the tv to the streambar.
I may have missed it, but does this need a separate power connection!
Thanks.
I bought mine today but it’s giving me issues. I tried streaming HBO and Disney but no video will play. After a few minutes it goes to a black screen after the logo shows. Any one has this issue?
GOOD AFTERNOON, I WANT TO ASK YOU, BECAUSE I CAN NOT CONNECT ROKU WIRELESS SPEAKERS THAT I BUY IN AMAZON MEXICO TO MY ROKU STREAMBAR, COULD YOU HELP ME SOLVE MY PROBLEM AND ENJOY MY ROKU WIRELESS SPEAKERS, GREETINGS FROM GUADALAJARA, MEXICO.
Hola Guadalajara! This one might be a bit beyond any help I can offer from afar. Have you reached out to Roku for support? If so what did they say?
So size dosent matter at all the most importance is performance and price
Erin does this soundbar have aux?
Oh gosh. It’s been so long I forget.
@@ErinLawrenceTVNo worries 🤗
Just ordered one ...
Thank you 😊
Does the Roku stream bar offer Apple Air play in Canada?
I believe it’s supposed to arrive this winter sometime
Does this have a sound only option? Some of us still watch cable TV now and again. FYI, I already know the answer to this but I feel like it should be stated for those who may not understand.
Depending on who your cable provider is, the major ones (e.g. Spectrum in my case) have APPS available for Roku devices that provides same channels as a cable box. So that's all I use now.
Do you mean will it work as a speaker for music? Or can you opt not to use the streaming capabilities?
@@ErinLawrenceTV yes, I mean will it work as audio out for cable TV or for a bluray player?
Great in depth detailed review 🇨🇦 sub 👍 ?:question can it work as a sound bar for computer independently?+ without using the built-in streaming service?
Hi Erin, Yet another succinct and informative review; Thank You! I already have an old Roku Express connected to my "ignorant" Samsung TV. Would the Streambar be a good way to upgrade it? Also: will the channels I have on the Roku Express readily transfer to the Streambar?
As long as the TV has an HDMI port, yes it would! As for transferring your channels, I think if you login with the same Roku account, you would be able to keep them. I can’t remember if he would have to re-add them or not
@@ErinLawrenceTV Hi Erin, thank you for the information. I appreciate it!
One Roku account places all my channel apps on nine Roku devices
Have the Streambar accurately connected to my non-Roku smart tv, and it works well with the tv apps ( we have no cable service ). However, when I use it with my Fire Stick located in HDMI 3 ( 1 is where the ARC is located and Streambar is plugged into that spot), I get NO SOUND at all. I have tried using both the Streambar and Fire Stick remote, but neither gives me sound in this situation.
Odd! Maybe someone else here has seen the same thing and can offer some help...
Nice 👍🏼
How's the campervan coming along? Can't wait to see where you guys go... with all the gadgets!
Hey! Thanks for asking. We are on a bit of a holding pattern with it right now, mainly due to the weather. I’d say it’s about 85% done. We are definitely overdue for a Van update, so maybe I will try to get one of those out before the holidays.
Anything like this has NO bottom end simple as!!!!!!! Ya need a sub THE END..
I’m assuming this is last year’s Roku sound bar. But, if you listed or said the model number, my confusion would’ve been solved.
As far as I am aware, there is only one model and one generation. 🧐
You know that Spiel just means Game?
Mines not recognizing my email address 😡
I'm here only for you and some info...
Good thing! That’s all that’s on the menu! 😂🤣
Please dum the tech down
Thanks for watching!
I bought this 2 days ago. Good streamer terrible soundbar.
Can you elaborate ?
I’d love to hear more… What don’t you like about the Sound Bar portion?
😃💓💓💓💓💋💋💋💋💋💋💋💋🤗
Hey girl, got one and it's a total piece of crap!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Whaaaaaa?! Go on and tell us more...
@@ErinLawrenceTV Slow and glitchy, random downloads of apps after pausing and pressing playback after it's gone to screen saver. Had to turn off bass boost completely after it developed loud unbearable rice krispies. Volume leveling extremely over aggressive also had to disable that as well. All in all only the upscaling and speech clarity working as advertised
Sound leveling doesn't work on antenna! Ads should make that clear. Yeah, its a streambar,but, some of us watch broadcast also.