Roku Premiere and Roku Express are two of the most popular video streaming devices in the market. These devices are mostly used for streaming movies, live TV shows, music, and more. In addition, both devices can stream videos from Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, and YouTube, among other popular services.
Roku Premier has more features than Roku Express; hence, it is more expensive than the Express video streaming media player. Both media players support Android and Apple iOS Operating systems. The Roku Express is HD, while Roku Premiere is 4K and supports HDR.
Let’s break down the full differences between Roku Premiere and Express to give you the full picture!
Roku Premiere vs. Express: A Side-by-Side Comparison
| Roku Premiere | Roku Express | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | About $35 | From $18 to $30 |
| Expandable Storage? | Yes | No |
| Video Resolution | 4K (3840 x 2160p) | HD (720p and 1080p) |
| Dolby Support? | Premiere 3920 supports Dolby Atmos in almost all applications except Netflix | Only Roku Express 4K can play Dolby Atmos but not Express HD |
| Google Assistant? | Yes | Yes |
| Alexa Compatibility? | Yes | Yes |
| Remote Control | iOS and Android | iOS and Android |
| Amazon? | Yes | Yes |
| Apple Homekit? | Yes | Yes |
| Battery Type for Remote | As written inside the battery compartment | 1.5 volt, AAA, Alkaline |
Roku Premiere vs. Express: Must-Know Differences
Design
Both remote devices have a sleek and minimalist design. The main difference between the two is the size of the device. Roku Express is smaller than Premiere, which makes it more portable. Moreover, Roku Premiere and Express both have similar remote controls. Even against the Apple TV, Roku still remains impressive in its design.
Performance
Roku Premiere has a quad-core processor, which makes it faster than the Roku Express. This feature is required to live stream matches and leagues. With the Roku Premiere, even without 4K resolution, the device still loads videos quickly, and streaming is a smooth option. The Roku Premiere certainly wins the performance award.
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Connectivity
The Roku Express has a standard Wi-Fi connection, while Premiere supports dual-band Wi-Fi technology. This means that you will get better internet access with Roku Premiere compared to the Roku Express. However, both devices have various connection bandwidth limits.
Roku Express offers ports like Ethernet and HDMI, while Roku Premiere has additional ports like USB and Micro SD Card. With these ports, you can access services like streaming online radio, playing media from hard drives, and more. The Premiere is a better choice for those who require more connection options.
Voice Search
Roku Premiere and Roku Express both have voice search options. However, the voice search on the Roku Premiere is better and faster than the Express model. You just need to speak into the remote control, and you will get the result in no time.
Display Quality
Roku Premiere has a 4K resolution, so you will get sharper and clearer pictures. On the other hand, Roku Express comes with a 1080p display resolution. It is still good enough for most users but if you want better clarity, go for the Premiere model. Moreover, the Roku Premiere supports HDR 10 and Dolby Vision, while the Express does not.
Price Comparison
Price plays an important role. The Roku Premiere costs around $35 to $40, while the Roku Express costs around $18 to $30. So, it all comes down to your budget and usage requirements.
If you have a high budget, we will recommend you go for the Roku Premiere, as it offers more features and better display quality. However, if you have a low budget, then the Roku Express is a good option.
- Streaming in HD, 4K Ultra HD, or HDR
- Premium High Speed HDMI Cable included
- Roku Simple Remote included, no TV controls
- 1080p resolution
- Stream over 300 live TV channels plus Roku Originals
- No adapters needed
Quick Facts: Roku Premiere vs. Express
Roku Premiere
The Roku Premiere has the following facts that you must know before purchasing this streaming player:
- This device only works properly in France. Most or some of its features do not work at all outside France.
- The network this device works on is 802.11bgn single-band Wi-Fi.
- The Roku Premiere media player supports 4K, HD, and HDR streaming with a max resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels.
- Its distinguished features are its private listening with streaming to your TV and an extra remote with the free Roku mobile apps for Android and iOS.
- This device has intelligent remote controls, so you don’t have to go to the device repeatedly.
- Using Roku Premiere, you can access live shows, sports, news, and over 150,000 TV episodes and movies on thousands of free and paid channels, including Apple TV+, Disney+, YouTube, Netflix, ARTE, France 24, Happy Kids, Red Bull TV, and much more.
- It supports HDMI connectivity, making the installation easy.
- Youtube, Netflix, and Blockbuster are the internet services that Roku Premiere supports.
- It weighs about 0.6 pounds.
- The Roku Premiere streaming player is about 18 cm long, about 7.5 cm wide, and 14 cm high.
- Overall, it is a lightweight and portable video streaming device.
Roku Express
Before purchasing the Express streaming player, you must know these facts about it:
- Roku Express has an intelligent search function when streaming to your TV.
- The remote control of Roku Express is user-friendly.
- Roku Express also has free Roku Mobile Apps for Android and iOS.
- The maximum resolution it supports is HD (1920 x 1080 pixels).
- This streaming media player is compatible with Google Assistant, Alexa, Amazon, and Apple Homekit voice assistant support.
- It has only one port for HDMI connection.
- For networking, Roku Express uses wireless technology 802.11 b/g/n, and it does not have any wired connectivity support.
- Roku Express does not have any composite video outputs or digital audio outputs, nor does it have any media card compatibility.
- Roku Express has Apple Airplay 2 technical support.
Pros and Cons
- The maximum video resolution that Roku Express supports is only HD (1080p), while Roku Premiere supports 4K (3840 x 2160p) resolution. Roku premier has a distinguished feature of supporting HDRs when compared to Roku Express.
- The Roku Express media player is eco-friendly as compared to the Roku Premiere video streaming media player.
- Roku Premiere works properly in France, while Roku Express works in Germany.
Roku Premiere vs. Express: Which One is Better for You?
The Roku Premiere is much better than Roku Express in many ways, including its support for 4K video resolution that is 3840 x 2160 pixels. So, it will properly work with your 4K LED TV, even supporting HDRs. On the other hand, Roku Express is HD and will only play 720p and 1080p videos.
In terms of use and user interface, the Roku Premiere is a winner, but when it comes to being eco-friendly, Roku Express wins the game. Unfortunately, the Premiere is a bit more expensive than Express.
The similarities between the Premiere and Express are that both have auto software updates and private listening on mobile phones using wireless or wired headphones and the remote controls are very simple with shortcut buttons.
