What’s the difference between the Streaming Stick 4K (3820R) and 4K+ (3821R)?

The Streaming Stick 4K and Streaming Stick 4K+ are two of the latest releases from Roku.

You can take a look at this comparison guide at Seeking Tech to see what the major differences are between these two 2021 streaming devices.

Quick Summary

Unlike the Roku Streaming Stick 4K, the Roku Streaming Stick 4K+ comes with a Roku Voice Remote Pro, which comes with a built-in rechargeable battery, lost remote finder feature, private listening through the use of the headphone jack and persona shortcut buttons.

So, if you are interested in using any of the Voice Remote Pro features, then we recommend getting the Roku Streaming Stick 4K+.

If you don’t mind missing out on any of the advantages of the Voice Remote Pro, then the Roku Streaming Stick 4K is the more affordable option.

Streaming Stick 4K (3820R) vs. Streaming Stick 4K+ (3821R) Comparison Chart

You can take a look at Seeking Tech’s comparison table for the Streaming Stick 4K and Streaming Stick 4K+ below.

What’s in the Box

Both products come with the streaming stick unit in addition to a power adapter and USB power cable with Wi-Fi receiver.

The Roku Streaming Stick 4K comes with a normal voice remote with two AAA batteries to power the remote. The Roku Streaming Stick 4K+ comes with the Roku Voice Remote Pro with a USB charging cable for the built-in battery of the remote.

You can check out the list of content included for both products below:

Roku Streaming Stick 4K:

• Roku Streaming Stick 4K streaming player
• Voice remote
• Two AAA batteries
• USB power cable with long-range Wi-Fi receiver
• Power adaptor

Roku Streaming Stick 4K+:

• Roku Streaming Stick 4K+ streaming player
• Roku Voice Remote Pro
• USB charging cable for remote
• USB power cable with long-range Wi-Fi receiver
• Power adaptor

Dimensions

These two Roku streaming devices are identical when it comes to size.

You can find the measurements below:

• Height: 3.7 in. (or 94.5 mm)
• Width: 0.8 in. (or 21.1 mm)
• Depth: 0.45 in. (or 11.5 mm)

Weight

Both of these sticks also weigh the same at 0.9 ounces (or 26 grams).

CPU

The Streaming Stick 4K and Streaming Stick 4K+ are both equipped with the ARM Cortex A55 CPU.

Accelerated Graphics API

For the GPU, these two devices use OpenGL ES 2.0.

RAM

1 GB of RAM is also included in both of these Roku devices.

Ports

When it comes to ports, these sticks come with HDMI 2.0b for video output as well as a USB for power and the long-range Wi-Fi receiver.

Wi-Fi Connection

As for connecting to the internet, the regular and plus versions of the Streaming Stick 4K utilize 802.11ac MIMO dual-band Wi-Fi.

Supported 4K TVs

For 4K televisions, both of these devices support up to 2160p at 60 frames per second with up-scaling from 720p to 4K and 1080p to 4K.

Supported HD TVs

You can also use both sticks on HDTVs at up to 1080p with up-scaling from 720p to 1080p.

Supported HDR Formats

The following HDR formats are supported by the Roku Streaming Stick 4K and Roku Streaming Stick 4K+:

• Dolby Vision
• HDR10
• HDR10+
• HLG

Audio Features

Both of these media sticks also support the following features:

• Digital stereo via HDMI
• DTS Digital Surround HDMI pass-through
• Dolby-encoded audio over HDMI pass-through
• Night mode
• Volume leveling

Remote Control Features

When compared to the normal voice remote of the Streaming Stick 4K, the Roku Voice Remote Pro of the Streaming Stick 4K+ adds a lost remote feature to help you find the remote if you can’t locate it.

The Voice Remote Pro also adds private listening through the headphone jack in addition to personal shortcut buttons.

You can check out a breakdown of the available remote control features below:

Roku Streaming Stick 4K:

• Pre-set channel shortcuts
• Voice controls
• Volume
• TV power

Roku Streaming Stick 4K+:

• Lost remote finder
• Personal shortcut buttons
• Pre-set channel shortcuts
• Private listening via headphone jack
• Voice controls
• Volume
• TV power

Roku Mobile App Features

These two sticks also supported by the free Roku Mobile App.

With this smartphone application, you will be able to do the following:

• Private listening for wired and/or wireless headphones
• Remote control
• Screencast photos and videos from phone to TV
• Voice control
• Voice search

Smart Device Compatibility

The Roku Streaming Stick 4K and Roku Streaming Stick 4K+ are also compatible with the following smart devices:

• Amazon Alexa
• Apple AirPlay
• Apple HomeKit
• Hey Google

Power Input

The two sticks in the comparison use the same power input at 5V – 1.5A.

Power Consumption during 4K Streaming

The power consumption is also the same during 4K streaming as you can expect less than 3.5W (typical).

Resources:

• https://www.roku.com/products/roku-streaming-stick-4k
• https://www.roku.com/products/roku-streaming-stick-4k-plus