The world of streaming devices has experienced an incredible revolution over the last few years, with the most notable being the increased popularity of Roku products. These devices offer seamless streaming of your favorite shows, movies, and content across a wide range of streaming services, including Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, and many more. Roku has added two new products to its stable of devices, the Roku Streambar and the Roku Streambar Pro, which provide advanced features to make your streaming experience even better. But which one should you buy? In this article, we will compare both devices to help you make the right decision.

Design

The Roku Streambar and the Roku Streambar Pro look almost identical in terms of design. Both have a sleek rectangular shape, and they are compact enough to fit in your entertainment setup without taking up too much space. The Streambar measures 14 x 4.2 x 2.4 inches, while the Streambar Pro is only slightly bigger, measuring 14 x 4.2 x 2.7 inches. They both come with a power cable, HDMI cable, and an IR remote control.

Features

Both units come equipped with a powerful processor that allows you to navigate the Roku OS quickly, stream smoothly, and enjoy crisp and clear pictures. However, the Roku Streambar Pro comes with a few additional features that make it slightly better than the Roku Streambar.

The Roku Streambar Pro has advanced features such as a speech clarity mode that clarifies and enhances dialogue while minimizing loud sound effects, which ensure you don’t miss out on important words in your favorite shows. It also comes with a virtual surround sound setting which delivers a 3D sound experience, making it feel like you’re in a movie theater.

The Roku Streambar, on the other hand, only has basic sound features that offer lower sound quality and doesn’t come with a virtual surround sound option.

Streaming Services

Both the Roku Streambar and the Roku Streambar Pro come with access to more than 500,000 movies and TV shows from popular streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Hulu. You can also find music streaming services such as Pandora, Spotify, and SiriusXM. The Roku Streambar Pro comes with an additional service, Apple Airplay 2, that allows iPhone, iPad, or Mac users to stream their content directly to the device.

Price

Price is always an essential factor when it comes to purchasing a new device. The Roku Streambar costs $129.99, while the Roku Streambar Pro costs $179.99. The Roku Streambar Pro is the more expensive variant due to its advanced features, which are not available in the Roku Streambar.

Conclusion

When choosing between the Roku Streambar and the Roku Streambar Pro, consider your budget, streaming needs, and desire for advanced features. If you want virtual surround sound and speech clarity settings, you should opt for the Roku Streambar Pro. However, if you’re on a budget and don’t need advanced features, the Roku Streambar is a better choice. Whichever one you choose, you’ll enjoy a great streaming experience with high-quality sound and access to over 500,000 movies and TV shows.