Is The Roku 3 Streaming Media Player Worth The Money?

After moving to Florida, I decided to cut the cord, ditch cable, and use antennas or stream my TV. To make this even easier, I won a Roku 3 Streaming Media Player. Since I've been using the Roku 3 for several months now, I wanted to share with you my experience and review of it.

((I am not a financial expert. All information is based on my own personal experience and research. This information is not meant to be financial advice and is just for educational purposes. While I did not purchase this device, all opinions reflected here are my own. This post includes some affiliate links. Should you click an affiliate link and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.)

What is the Roku 3?

A small set-top box used for streaming TV, movies, and music. You can find Roku devices at Walmart, Amazon, and Target.

What I like about the Roku 3

• The streaming is pretty quick, so it's like watching regular TV
• Easy and quick to set up
• Can connect to the internet using wireless or Ethernet
• Hundreds of apps are available for streaming TV, music, movies, and even games (which I haven't tried)
• The remote is compact and has buttons to quickly access apps like Hulu and Netflix
• I can connect this to any TV at home or take it with me when I travel

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What I don't like about the Roku 3

• If you have to enter any information, like passwords for the apps, it can take forever using the remote 
• Have to pay for the better streaming services 
• The device will sometimes get hung and need to be restarted 
• Sometimes apps stop working for no apparent reason 
• It will sometimes restart on its own

Final Verdict

I would not recommend buying the Roku 3 Streaming Media Player, mostly because of the price and spotty performance. After two and a half years, the device died. It just stopped working. I tried changing the power source and the HDMI cord, but to no avail. I contacted Roku customer service they basically said I would have to buy a new device. Roku doesn't offer any type of production plan or warranty.

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The device itself costs about $100, and you have to pay for the better streaming services, which aren't always reliable. Also, I would experience issues with the device where the device would get hung and have to be restarted, or it would randomly restart on its own.

Because of my experience with the Roku device, I'm not sure if I'll replace my dead Roku with another one. If I do, I'll be buying one of the sticks because they're cheaper. Or I'll buy an Apple TV because people I've talked to say it's a much superior product and has a better warranty.

How do you watch your TV? 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this item free through a reward app. Outside of that, I have not received any compensation for writing this post. Nor do I have any material connection to the brands, products, or services that are mentioned. All opinions are my own.