Human Use Analysis

User Profile: The Roku family of devices boasts over 19 million active users. These users (generally young, but highly diverse) spend an average of about 50 hours per month streaming. They also combined to stream a whopping 10 billion hours of content in 2017.

Roku offerings include software for Smart TVs, the Roku Express, the Roku Ultra, and the Roku Streaming stick. The latter three offerings are targeted at customers who lack Smart TVs but choose to enjoy the freedom of cord-cutting. The Express and Ultra are essentially small computers which require a flat surface near the TV to lie. The streaming stick hangs off the TV, connected via HDMI cable. All three devices require a USB power cord, which is generally not a problem since they are collocated with a television.

Full Disclosure: I purchased my Roku to facilitate hours of low-maintenance entertainment for my two small children. When they are finally asleep I occasionally watch sports and my wife sometimes streams her shows on Hulu. In our single household, we have a wide diversity of streaming interests and the Roku is an ideal solution, as the following analysis will show.