Roku SE Review: Pros & Cons and Final Verdict

The world of audio-visual entertainment has come a long way in recent years, with streaming services and apps seeing a huge surge in popularity and completely changing the way we enjoy movies, shows, and other media in the comfort of our own homes.

In the past, entertainment enthusiasts would have to keep up with rotating TV schedules or buy DVD and Blu-ray discs to enjoy their favorite shows and films whenever they liked, but these days, digital media devices allow us to load up a range of apps and streaming services at the touch of a button.

With a digital media player hooked up to your TV, you can enjoy endless hours of HD entertainment with ease, accessing dozens of different platforms and apps like Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV, ESPN, ABC, and more.

Leading the way in this domain is Roku. Founded by Anthony Wood in 2002 and launching its first digital media device in 2008, Roku has grown into one of the most trusted manufacturers of streaming media players, partnering with big brands like Netflix and even launching its own streaming channel too, as well as providing multiple generations of devices over the years.

One of the company’s most popular digital media devices is the Roku SE. Simple, seamless, and affordable, it serves as one of the best beginner-friendly introductions to the world of digital media streaming, offering easy set-up in a matter of minutes and convenient connectivity with many apps and channels like Hulu, HGTV, HBO Now, the Roku Channel, and Showtime.

The Roku SE is an affordable option for people who’d like to have their own personal Streaming Device. The unit is very easy to set up without the need for any fancy features or unnecessary add-ons.

Is this the right streaming media player for you? Well, our in-depth Roku SE review will help you find out. We’ll look at this device from every angle, covering all of its features and functionalities to give you a complete, unbiased overview of all it has to offer.

How We Started 

We understand that people may have different priorities and factors to think about when shopping for a device like a streaming media player. Some people may focus purely on performance, for example, wanting to find a device that can offer the best streaming quality and the widest range of compatible apps and channels.

Others may focus on other factors too, such as the design of the device, wanting to find something that fits in with their home’s aesthetic, or they might be more interested in the connectivity options, the durability, and the ease-of-use of the device. Some people might even focus purely on the price and try to find the best value buy for their needs.

Since everyone has different priorities, we wanted to make sure that this review helps the widest possible audience. That’s why we took the time to examine the Roku SE streaming device from a wide range of viewpoints, looking at several different factors and aspects of this device in order to provide a detailed and descriptive look at everything it can offer.

In the review below, you’ll find information on every aspect of the Roku SE, including its overall design and style, its connectivity ports, how easy it is to set up and use, how the remote control works and feels, what kinds of content you can watch, what sort of quality and resolution you can get out of this device, its price tag, and more.

We’ve really put the Roku SE to the test, looking not just at how it works, but examining all of its pros, cons, features, and functions. Below, you’ll find the answers to all the questions you could possibly have about this particular streaming device.

Overview

Before we take a closer look at individual aspects of the Roku SE media streaming device, such as its design and remote control, we’ll first take a general overview of what this product is, why it exists, who it’s aimed at, and what it has to offer.

Anyone familiar with media streaming devices and digital media boxes should be familiar with Roku. This brand has been one of the pioneers of the media streaming scene, working in conjunction with the likes of Netflix to help people access streaming platforms more simply and conveniently on their TVs.

Roku produces a range of media streaming sticks, boxes, and other devices you can connect to your TV at home to access all of the different streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, and HBO Go. These devices can vary in design and complexity quite a lot, but they all aim to do the same basic thing – allow the user to stream movies, shows, sports, news, and more.

The Roku SE sees Roku going back to its roots. It’s a very simple device, inspired by the original Roku 1 first generation streaming device, ready to plug and play through a simple HDMI connection with your TV and powered up with Roku’s leading OS, letting you access tens of thousands of channels, apps, and services.

It also features a micro USB port for connecting the power cable, letting you power it up with ease just like so many other modern USB devices, as well as featuring 802.11a/b/g/n connectivity, 1920 x 1080 full HD resolution, and a simple to use remote control for changing channels, browsing menus, and so on. 

Design

One of the first aspects for us to take into account with the Roku SE is its design. Of course, the aesthetics of media streaming  devices don’t have any real bearing on their functionality and usefulness; however, these days, people can be quite selective about which devices they choose and many companies have responded by making their streamers as sophisticated as possible.

Roku has played around with all kinds of design ideas over the years, from flat black boxes with sharp edges and quite dull designs to simple TV sticks and more sleek, rounded, modern devices too. The Roku SE falls into the latter category and is most definitely among the more attractive and aesthetically pleasing products Roku has released in recent years.

The device is highly compact, measuring up at 3.7″ in width, 3.7″ in depth, and 1.2″ in height, and weighing in at about 3.5 oz in total. In short, this device isn’t going to weigh down your shelves or entertainment units in any way, and can be neatly positioned in front of, beside, or even behind your TV, as you prefer.

It’s so small that you can place it almost anywhere, fitting it into little spare corners or nooks of your entertainment unit without any issues, and that’s certainly a plus point for the device in general, helping to make it more comfortable and practical for the user.

In terms of general aesthetics, the Roku SE streaming media player is a simple curved box, looking quite like a modern Wi-Fi router or something similar, with a white outer coating decorated with the Roku brand name and a black front planel with white LEDs showing when the device is powered up and connected or in standby mode. 

On the back, you’ll find a white panel with the HDMI port clearly labeled, plus the micro USB port, and a reset button you can press if needed to reset the device. The whole device is covered in this simple white plastic, allowing it to blend in nicely with contemporary homes and not stand out or interfere with a room’s aesthetic in any serious way.

Remote Control

Another key factor to think about when looking at the overall quality and usefulness of any media streaming device is its remote control. Most of these devices come with classic TV-style remotes that will allow the user to comfortably and wireless control the device, changing channels, browsing menus, adjusting settings, and so on.

Some remote controls can be far better designed than others and much easier to use too, so it’s always important to pay close attention to this part of the package. Ideally, you want to find a media streaming device with a well-designed and nicely laid-out remote control for easy, accessible control and beginner-friendly functionality.

So, we’ve seen that the actual box of the Roku SE is well-designed and practical, but what about the remote control? Well, fortunately, the remote control with the Roku SE is also quite impressive and very straightforward, with easy-to-read, well-mapped buttons that are comfortable to press.

The remote itself feels nice in the hand and is small enough to not take up too much space but big enough to not easily be lost or misplaced. In short, it’s just the right size, and all of the buttons are clear to see and easy to use too. 

You’ll find a power button at the top, for instance, along with a home button and a back button for navigating menus. There are four directional arrows and an OK button to help you get around and select channels via the Roku interface to, along with play, pause, fast forward, rewind, options, and instant replay buttons too.

There are also  some channel shortcut buttons at the base of the remote control which can be used for quickly accessing your favorite streaming services. So, if you’re a seasoned Netflix user, for example, you can just hit the Netflix button to head straight for the Netflix app, rather than having to browse through the menus to find this service.

Overall, the remote is really nicely designed and so simple to use. We’re glad to see that Roku took the time to add in all of the key buttons, including those ever-useful channel shortcuts, without over-complicating things or pushing the design too far with too many extras and add-on functions. Even a total beginner can pick up this remote and find their way around without any worries.

Set Up

Another key feature to think about when looking at media streaming devices like the Roku SE and others is how easy they are to set up and how the set up process works in general. Having tested and reviewed a lot of different media streaming boxes, sticks, and devices, we know that many of them can often have totally different set up steps.

Some can be much easier to set up than others, requiring just one or two quick connections and a couple of button presses on the remote, while others can be far more complex and complicated, involving multiple steps and synchronization processes to get up and running on your home’s Wi-Fi network.

So how does the Roku SE stand up to scrutiny in this particular department? Well, we’re happy to report that this media streaming device is one of the easiest to set up we’ve ever seen. Roku has developed a reputation for making its devices really easy to start using, even for those with no experience whatsoever, and the SE is a shining example of that.

In the box, you’ll find all you need to get up and running, including the device itself, the remote control, the relevant cables, and some AA batteries too. The first step for set-up is inserting those AA batteries into your remote control to power it up and be able to navigate the menus later on.

Next, you’ll need to hook up the Roku SE streaming player itself, but this is really easy. You can connect the device to your TV using the high speed HDMI cable included in the package and the HDMI port on the back of the unit, and then connect it to a power source with the included USB power cable. It’s just like charging a phone or plugging in any other kind of modern USB-powered device.

Once all the cables are connected and everything is ready to go, the device will turn on and you’ll be able to use your remote control to hook it up to the internet via your Wi-Fi router. That’s it! From there, you’ll be able to start streaming right away, using your remote control to navigate the menus and access the different Roku streaming channels and services.

Overall, the set-up process for the Roku SE is amazingly easy, just like so many other Roku streaming devices, and you shouldn’t have any problems whatsoever getting it up and running. There are simple instructions included on the box too, or you can always ask a professional from your chosen retailer for advice or assistance if needed, but you probably won’t need it.

Ease of Use 

As well as being easy to set up and connect, the best media streaming devices also need to be easy to use, and this is another key aspects we have to consider when evaluating what kind of product the Roku SE really is and whether or not it’s worthy of your time, money, and attention.

Some media streaming boxes and sticks can be really easy to use, offering simple, sleek interfaces and convenient menus that let you get to the channels and apps you want to access in seconds, adjusting settings with ease and controlling the whole system without any issues.

Then, there are other boxes that can be far more difficult and challenging to use, with obtuse interfaces, complicated menus, laggy interfaces, and other issues that prevent or hamper the user as they try to get around and load up their favorite services and content.

How does the Roku SE fare? Well, we’re happy to report that this device is really simple to use for the most part. In fact, even though Roku is known for its simplicity across the full range of media streaming devices, the SE stands out as one of the easiest models to use of them all.

With the Roku SE, set up is simple and everything gets even easier from there. The system is up to date with recent Roku OS technology, letting you get around from menu to menu with ease, access your favorite apps in seconds, change channels on the fly, and more. 

As stated above, the remote control helps with this a great deal as it’s so simple and easy to use, with clear buttons and no complex or confusing commands that might intimidate inexperienced users. So, for both beginners and advanced streaming enthusiasts alike, the Roku SE is a breeze to get to grips with.

Streaming Functionality 

Of course, one of the best ways to test the quality of any media streaming device is to look at how it actually functions in action while streaming movies, shows, and other forms of content and programming. Again, we can often see a lot of disparity here.

Some devices struggle to perform their primary functions, suffering glitches and failures while loading certain apps or channels or failing to deliver truly HD content on your TV screen, while others are far more impressive when it comes to general performance.

Roku is one of the industry leaders for media streaming devices, so we naturally have high expectations whenever we test out a Roku branded media streaming device like the Roku SE, expecting peerless performance and high quality content streaming in every situation.

Once again, the Roku does not disappoint. It allows you to stream free TV, live news, sports, movies, music, and much more, connecting with thousands of different channels and streaming platforms like Netflix, HBO, Starz, the Roku Channel, ESPN, Apple TV, Spotify, and more.

Every channel we tested worked flawlessly, without any interruptions or difficulties loading any of the apps or selecting the content we wanted to watch. The only downside is that the Roku SE outputs a maximum resolution of 1920 x 1080, so for those who crave 4K viewing, it might not be the best device for the job.

Price 

Along with all of the other important factors listed above like the remote control, design, ease of use, and streaming performance, we also have to consider the price tag of media streaming devices like the Roku SE.

Since this market has developed a lot in recent years, there are many different streaming options out there with a wide range of price tags, ranging from simple and affordable options that are great for beginners to much more advanced and expensive offerings with enhanced features and functionality.

The Roku SE falls into the affordable, beginner-friendly category. It’s one of the cheapest media streaming devices you can choose right now, available at a very fair price, and as time goes by, we can expect the price to drop even lower.

Value

Price is always important, but you also have to think about the value for money you get when choosing a product like the Roku SE. If you’re not going to get much use out of it or won’t benefit from its advantages, it might not be the best value option for you. If, however, you plan to use it every day and need a device just like this, it could be the best value buy of the year.

In general, we’d say that the Roku SE offers terrific value for money. It’s well-designed, highly durable, long-lasting, and it performs well to suit its purpose, letting users stream endless hours of content with just a few simple button presses and really streamlining the entire process of media streaming for your home.

Who Should Get This?

So who should you take the plunge and get a Roku SE for themselves? Well, the first market for this device is beginners and families who are looking for a simple and straightforward introduction to the world of media streaming.

The Roku SE is so easy to set up and use, without any fancy features or unnecessary add-ons, so it’s a great starting point for people who don’t have too much experience with these kinds of devices, and it works well as a gift for someone in your life who you’d like to introduce to streaming too.

It’s also a fine choice for streaming enthusiasts, able to cope with your demands and exceed your expectations with its solid user interface and countless channels of exciting content.

Our View 

Ultimately, we can end our Roku SE review on a positive note, and this product has thoroughly impressed us through its design, ease of use, functionality, and value rating too. There are no major flaws with the Roku SE whatsoever, allowing it to stand out as one of the top streaming devices for sale today.