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It's even smaller than the Roku LT and its "stick" form factor means you can completely hide it behind your TV. There are undoubtedly some areas where the Chromecast wins. Google's Chromecast made a splash when it was introduced for $35, but most buyers will be better off spending the extra $15 for the Roku LT.
#The lunchbox 2013 720p 1080p#
However, if you're a videophile who won't be able to shake the notion that you're not getting the full 1080p experience, there's little reason not to spend an extra $10 for the 1080p-friendly Roku 1 to put those worries out of mind. The bottom line is the Roku LT's image quality looks excellent, and I'd say the vast majority of buyers wouldn't be able to tell there's anything "downgraded" about the experience. If I had to describe the differences, I'd say the Roku 3's image was ever-so-slightly sharper and the colors just a tad richer, but my overwhelming opinion was the two images looked nearly identical. I primarily used the excellent-looking "Sherlock" as my reference material, and the difference was subtle at best. I compared the Roku LT with the Roku 3, flipping between two similarly calibrated inputs on the Sharp PRO-60X5FD. But as annoying as that outdated spec may seem, the real-world difference is surprisingly minor.
#The lunchbox 2013 720p 720p#
If you're a techie, the Roku LT's 720p output may strike you as frustratingly backward it's rare to see any device sport anything less than 1080p these days. But if you're looking for a streamer in a secondary location, like a bedroom or basement, the Roku LT is a fantastic option and an unbeatable value. Yes, it's twice as much, but it's still relatively affordable and its improvements - especially its speed and the headphone-jack-toting remote - make it worth it for a device you're likely to use frequently. If you're buying a streaming box for your primary TV, I still recommend spending extra for the Roku 3. And the Roku LT's onscreen interface means you don't need a smartphone or tablet to control it.
![the lunchbox 2013 720p the lunchbox 2013 720p](https://imgshare.info/images/2019/09/06/5be2a8f8def28cd1395c83bf89124965.jpg)
It's only $15 more, but offers up much more content the Chromecast is still limited to Netflix, YouTube, Hulu Plus, Pandora, and Google's media apps. (And a Blockbuster button nobody but Blockbuster executives were asking for.)įor most buyers, the Roku LT is still a better value than the Chromecast. The LT doesn't have the neat remote with a headphone jack found on the Roku 2 and Roku 3, but its simple clicker is still a good one, with convenient direct access buttons for services like Netflix and Amazon Instant. The box's exterior changed this fall, keeping its quirky purple look, but matching the sleek design of Roku's other streamers. The Roku LT's video output is limited to 720p, but only the most picky viewers will notice much of a difference. There's still no YouTube app, although there are some decent workarounds.
![the lunchbox 2013 720p the lunchbox 2013 720p](https://i.imgur.com/CxRnFon.jpg)
You get the full Roku experience, now up to 1,000 channels, including Netflix, Amazon Instant, HBO Go, Hulu Plus, Pandora, MLB.TV, Amazon Cloud Player, and Vudu. The Roku LT hasn't changed much since its introduction in 2011 as Roku's online-only budget box. Before Google's $35 Chromecast, the Roku LT was the original impossibly priced streamer that seemed too good to be true, offering up tons of streaming content in a tiny box for just $50.