One of the best TV streaming devices I've tested isn't made by Apple or Google

ZDNET's key takeaways

• The Roku Ultra is a streaming device available for $100.
• The Roku Ultra is the perfect streaming device for anyone who doesn't want to commit to team iOS with an Apple TV 4K or team Android with a Google TV Streamer.
• There are few drawbacks to getting a Roku Ultra, but loyal Roku customers may miss the headphone jack on the remote, though you can use Headphone Mode with the Roku mobile app.

Although I'm an iPhone user with an Apple TV 4K, I love using different streaming devices -- I never feel committed to a single brand. Different brands offer different features, and adding a new device to an older TV can make it feel like a brand-new television. This happened with my Fire TV when I added a Roku Ultra.

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I have a habit of getting deeply discounted Fire TVs during Prime Day. I got a 50-inch 4-Series Fire TV during Prime Day 2022 and a 43-inch Omni Series Fire TV during Prime Day 2023. The 4-Series television looks great, but its FireOS platform has begun to slow down significantly even though the model came out only three years ago – I guess it's the price you pay for an inexpensive TV.

This could be a storage issue, but I've tried deleting apps I don't need, and the cache on apps I do, and nothing makes a significant difference. The TV only has 2GB of RAM, so it could also be unable to keep up with all the apps I run on it.

This set is the main character in my family's TV room and gets many streaming hours courtesy of my kids. This room is adjacent to their playroom, so it's like a one-stop shop where they play, draw, read, and watch TV. It's also where we have family movie nights.

When I began testing the new Roku Ultra, I ditched the built-in FireOS and added the new streaming device to the TV. The Roku Ultra made the 4-Series Fire TV perform better than when it was first purchased, and it also looks better than ever, likely thanks to the extra memory on the device. 

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Testing the Roku Ultra has made it one of my favorite streaming devices, and it's all due to a single underrated benefit among smart devices: simplicity. 

Maria Diaz/ZDNET

The Roku Ultra is an unassuming device with a simple operating system that is easy to learn and navigate, even for those who aren't tech-savvy. It doesn't bombard you with ads and suggested content when you turn on your TV and lets you dive right into navigating its intuitive, app-based platform. 

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The Roku platform has ads, but they're banner ads rather than obnoxious content that plays automatically when the TV is idle on the home screen (looking at you, FireOS). The Roku Ultra is also compatible with Wi-Fi 6, though not with Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi 7, as other streaming players are. 

Faithful to simplicity, the Roku Ultra doesn't feature extra bells and whistles; instead, it keeps all the technology within the device and remote control. The Roku Ultra looks similar to previous versions, if a bit larger, but the new remote is an absolute winner. 

Maria Diaz/ZDNET

Aside from being 30% faster than other Roku streaming devices, the new Roku Ultra comes with the latest Roku Voice Remote Pro. This is easily the best remote control among streaming devices, packed with all the features you'll need: backlit buttons, a customizable shortcut button, a rechargeable battery with a USB-C port, and a voice-controlled remote finder feature.

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Since my kids seem to always be in the TV room watching our Fire TV, the remote control is often lost. It's been squished into the reclining mechanisms on one of the chairs, resulting in a cracked Alexa Voice Remote that, thankfully, still works. Now I only have to say, "Hey Roku, find my remote" when I can't see it. 

Among streaming players, Roku also features the most free channels; Roku Channel offers more than 400 live channels. If live TV is something you've been missing since cutting the cord, I'd definitely recommend Roku's subscription-free live TV system. 

ZDNET's buying advice

Maria Diaz/ZDNET

The Roku Ultra is perfect for anyone looking for a fast, reliable streaming device that is easy to use with almost any smartphone. Unlike the Apple TV 4K and the Google TV Streamer, direct competitors catering to specific audiences, the Roku Ultra supports both Apple AirPlay and screen mirroring from Android, so you can cast your media to your TV regardless of the operating system on your phone. 

I'd recommend the Roku Ultra streaming device to anyone looking for a fast, intuitive device who doesn't want to marry a single mobile operating system.

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Though Fire TV devices also support screen mirroring from iOS and Android, the FireOS platform is more cluttered than the Roku system, with a lot of suggested content on the home screen and more ads. I also find that Fire TV devices are more prone to slowing with age, seemingly bogged down by updates and memory issues.