I got the Roku stick about 2 months ago and have used it a lot. I originally got the R stick as a very portable device to take from place to place. I thought the R stick got its power from the TV but it does need to be plugged into an outlet or a USB port and that was a disappointment for me. On the up side I discovered that my cell phone charger works and since I keep an extra one in my backpack that works out. The biggest issue I have is Netflixs app acts up and can be a huge pain. Programs don't show up so I'll have to log out then back in to get it to show up. I'm not sure if its a NF problem or a Roku problem. Bottom line is its a great portable device but I prefer my Roku 2 XD