I have a Roku 2. It works great. I like the format much better that my FireStick. The Streaming Stick has an annoying problem. Every time I start it up, I get a purple screen and a "DHCP Unauthorized" warning. I can hear the program but can't see it. Roku's website recommends checking the USB connection and power cord. All connections are good. If I unplug and plug in the power to the Stick, it works. It's just annoying to do this every day. Until they fix this problem, I recommend not buying this product.
We got the Roku for Christmas as a gift and we absolutely love it. We had been using apps (Hulu, Netflix) on the Xbox for several years in place of cable. That's fine too, but the Roku is so small and easy to bring from room to room if we want to and has so many apps available. Of course a lot of the apps cost money but it's still much less than cable. Plus it was very easy to set up and easy for everyone to use. Even my 2 year old has figured out the basics.
Let me say I love do really like the functionality and versatility of the stick. However, every time I switch TV inputs away from/back to the stick, I get the purple screen of death saying "HDCP Unauthorized. Content Disabled". Unplugging the USB power and plugging it back in solves the problem, but I don't want to do that every time. Sometimes I want to control everything from my couch without having to get up. (I am American.) I would like to get one for my mother who doesn't have any streaming content because she doesn't understand it, however I will not do so until they solve this problem. It would be a hard sell to a lady who resists new technology.
I have had a Roku for about 5 years. I just recently bought a Roku stick for another TV in my house. Roku products are always functional and reliable. Very user friendly. The only issue I sometimes have, is that there is a few second delay between pressing buttons on the remote and the Roku reacting. Other than that, I am very happy.