Roku is one of the best things you can get for your multimedia experience. There are no second thoughts that with the wide variety of streaming devices and smart TVs, thanks to their collaboration with almost all the major Smart TV making brands, you get plenty of options. Roku presents you with a unique opportunity to have a wholesome experience across all your devices for your home and office. With that being said, any Roku device will not allow you to install any other OS such as android or iOS. Another drawback is that you will only have to choose from the list of applications that are available on the Roku store only.
This leaves out the options for you and you will only have to rely on what is provided by Roku. There are plenty of multimedia applications, streaming applications such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, and more including some cool games that you can download directly from the Roku store. However, if you are willing to browse the internet on Roku as well, things can get a bit tricky there. Roku does not have a native browser such as you get Chrome on Android and that is one of the biggest downsides to using Roku. If you want to browse the internet on Roku, there are a few options that you can get from the Roku store and those options would be:
Internet Browser For Roku:
Web Browser X
Don’t let the name fool you. This might sound like a full-fledge high-end web browser for you but it is not. The browser might let you do the routing web surfing but the interface on this one reminds you of some old Windows 98 style browsing if you have ever used it. Nevertheless, this is the best choice you have got if you want to download a browser from the Roku store and use it on your Roku device or Smart TV for internet browsing. It can load pages fairly, but nothing can be said about the credibility as the browser faces some difficulty in loading the complex pages.
The browser does not only lack the modern interface, but you also get the feeling like you are using some old school internet browser on a DSL line. Even the fonts on this browser are shockingly odd and old. However, the browser gets the job done and is alright if all you have to do is light surfing. There are some regional stores that might charge you some amount monthly for this browser, so you need to be mindful of that depending on what region you are trying to use the service in. Some considerable pros and cons about using Web Browser X on your Roku devices would be
Pros
- Gets the basic browsing done with no hassles at all.
- Is the only choice for you when it comes to Roku.
- Does not have any glitches, bugs, or errors that can cause you to have trouble while using the browser.
Cons
- Surprisingly old interface and fonts that are of no good.
- Lacks basic features that we are used to these days on modern browsers.
- Does not have any browser settings, history, or bookmarks options.
- Cannot be used to fill forms, enter data, or any kind of stuff.
- Does not load complex websites or dynamic web pages.
- Gets trouble with high-resolution images at times but works fine otherwise.
- You might need to pay for it if you are in a region where it is not available for free.
POPRISM Web Browser
There are only two Web Browsers in the Roku Store and POPRISM is the only choice you have got except Web Browser X. Don’t get too excited as things don’t get better here but even worse. This browser even lacks an interface and there is no option to see images at all on this browser. All you can do is read text on the web pages with the help of this browser.
It essentially lacks GUIs, CSS< JavaScript, and all the other compatibility. All you are going to see is lots and lots of unformatted text on your screen if you ever get unlucky enough to try POPRISM web browser to surf the internet on your TV screen.
It does not need to be stated that this browser is pretty much useless for you. You cannot open any modern site on this web browser. However, if you are looking to read something on Wikipedia or run a basic google search, this might do the trick for you when you don’t have any other options. Some notable Pros and Cons on this browser would be.
Pros
- It is free, so you have a choice if you don’t want to pay for Web Browser X.
- Can open text-based websites well.
Cons
- No GUI
- No support for CSS or JavaScript
- Cannot load images or any other form of data
- You cannot use it for any other purpose than reading.
- NO VIDEO STREAMING AT ALL.
Mirror Your Screen
The only viable way for you if you are a Roku user and you want to browse on the big screen is to mirror your screen from a device that supports web browsing to your Roku TV or streaming device. The process is fairly simple as Roku supports Screen mirroring compatibility with most major platforms including Android, iOS and Windows.
All you need to do is mirror the screen and your browser will be showing on the bigger screen. You will need to enable Screen Mirroring options from the Roku Settings menu and ensure that your device supports Screen Mirroring compatibility as well. Once you have set it up, all is good and you can start mirroring the screen. Another plus you are going to get this way is that you will be able to use your mobile, tablet, or your PC as a controller as well so you can scroll through and type more conveniently than you would have done on the Roku Remote eventually.