Roku is quietly giving freely a free HDMI accent

What I actually like about streaming sticks is not only their affordability, but additionally how simple they’re to arrange. Particularly, with Amazon’s Fireplace TV Sticks and Roku’s Streaming Sticks, all you need to do is plug the stick into your TV’s HDMI port, join it to energy, and comply with the easy on-screen directions to set it up. Then, growth, inside minutes of unboxing, you might be streaming.

That mentioned, there may be one small distinction within the setup between an Amazon Fireplace TV Stick and a Roku Streaming Stick — and whereas it will not matter to everybody, it is nonetheless price mentioning. Amazon features a free HDMI extender within the field with all of its Fireplace TV Sticks, whereas Roku does not.

When you’re not accustomed to what an HDMI extender does, it is a quick cable that sits between your streaming stick and your TV’s HDMI port. The extender plugs into your TV’s HDMI port, with the streaming stick connecting to the opposite finish, making a little bit of house between your TV and the system. So in case your TV’s HDMI port is awkward to achieve or too near different ports to plug the stick in immediately, the additional room the extender creates makes the stick simpler to entry — and in some circumstances, it could possibly even enhance its efficiency thanks to raised airflow.

Nevertheless, whereas Roku does not embrace a free HDMI extender within the field if you purchase one in every of its streaming sticks — just like the Roku Streaming Stick or Roku Streaming Stick Plus — that does not imply you’ll be able to’t nonetheless get one without cost. As a substitute of together with it with each system, Roku presents HDMI extenders at no further price to customers who want them (by way of Cord Cutter News). All you need to do is request one, and Roku will mail it out to you freed from cost.

get a free HDMI extender from Roku

You simply have to fill out a brief on-line kind

Fortunately, making use of for a free HDMI extender from Roku is straightforward and requires solely filling out a short online form. It is price noting that you’ll want to personal a Roku Streaming Keep on with qualify for the free HDMI extender. With that in thoughts, earlier than you get began with the shape, you will have to seek out your Roku’s serial quantity. There are a couple of methods to seek out it.

The best manner is to test the again of your Roku Streaming Stick, the place the serial quantity is normally labeled “SN:” (as seen within the picture above).

Alternatively, in case you use the Roku cellular app, you’ll be able to go to the Gadgets web page, faucet the three dots subsequent to your streaming stick, and choose View System Information to seek out the serial quantity. Or, yow will discover it immediately in your TV by going to the Roku residence display and choosing Settings > System > About. From there, you will see the serial quantity listed under the mannequin identify.

Now that you’ve got your serial quantity, head to https://my.roku.com/hdmi. Then, merely fill out the shape on Roku’s web site that asks in your delivery particulars and your system’s serial quantity, and Roku will mail you an HDMI extender freed from cost.

Roku’s strategy is totally different from Amazon’s

For higher or worse

Roku’s strategy to HDMI extenders is noticeably totally different from Amazon’s. The upside for Roku is that it cuts prices and is extra environmentally pleasant by not together with an HDMI extender within the field of all its streaming sticks. The draw back, after all, is that if somebody does find yourself needing one, they’re now caught ready for it to be mailed to them.

To be honest to Roku, its newest streaming sticks are fairly slim, so most individuals probably will not run into points the place it does not match and would wish an HDMI extender within the first place. That mentioned, as somebody who usually makes use of a Fire TV Stick 4K Max, I take advantage of the free HDMI extender that got here with it just because it makes the system simpler to achieve, so I can see how it will be helpful if Roku included it within the field, because it provides folks the choice whether or not they wish to use it or not.

All in all, if in case you have a Roku Streaming Stick and need an HDMI extender, Roku makes it pretty simple to request one and have it shipped to you without cost. Although it’s admittedly much less handy than Amazon’s strategy, the place an HDMI extender merely comes within the field with each Fireplace TV Stick. When you already know you will want an HDMI extender, you is likely to be higher off with a Fireplace TV Stick than a Roku. However in case you do not care about having one — or know you will not want it — then this actually is not an enormous deal to request one without cost as a substitute of getting it within the field.