If you are asking yourself this question it’s probably because you already have at least one Roku device in your home, but you have multiple TVs and you’re trying to understand if can connect a Roku to multiple TVs.
Do you need multiple Roku devices in your house?
The short answer is yes, but in reality, the answer is more complicated than that. Roku devices are designed to connect to a single TV, so if you have multiple TVs each one will need its own Roku device.
But the number of devices is also influenced by how many of those TVs are in use at the same time.
If multiple members of the family want to use the Roku streaming devices at the same time then you will need to get one for each TV that is in use.
Since a Roku stick is plugged into your TV using HDMI ports it’s not possible to connect it to multiple TVs at the same time.
The good news is that your Roku device is not dependent on your TV for saving settings or anything else, so you can easily unplug it and plug it into another TV and you can use it there straight away.
Do I need a Roku device in each room?
If you don’t have a TV in a certain room, or it’s a room where you will never watch Roku content then you will not need a Roku device there.
On the other hand, if you have more than one tv in the same room and you want to use Roku simultaneously on both smart TVs then you will need multiple Roku devices.
The good news is that the most basic Roku devices like the Roku streaming stick are fairly inexpensive, so buying multiple Roku devices will not be a big financial burden.
Moving Roku on multiple TVs
Moving one Roku device between TVs is a really simple process.
The only connection between the two devices is the HDMI cable, which can easily be unplugged from one device and plugged into the next.
As previously mentioned your Roku device is not saving anything on your TV, so when you move it you will still have all the settings and preferences set just like before the move.
This means all your apps and configurations will be the same, and the only thing you will need to do after the move is to make sure the device is connected to the internet and log in to your Roku account.
If your wireless connection is covering both locations you will probably just connect to the same network, so you will not need to make any huge configuration adjustments either.
If you have multiple TVs placed in the same room and you want to use the same Roku device on all of them it might be worth getting long HDMI cables or an HDMI extender so you don’t have to move the Roku device across the room.
You can then just unplug the HDMI cable from one TV and plug it into the other TV HDMI port, and it shouldn’t take you more than one minute to do it.
You can also use a third party device like an HDMI splitter to connect both TVs to the same Roku device, but both devices will stream the same content and you will not be able to stream different things without getting a second Roku device.
An HDMI splitter is useful when you want to watch the same content on multiple screens, for example in a bar or sports room where you want to stream the football game on multiple TVs simultaneously.
Do you need separate accounts for each Roku device?
You don’t need multiple Roku accounts if you have more than one Roku device.
When you set up a new Roku device you will have the option of creating a new account or connecting with an existing one.
If you already have a Roku account you will be able to use it on all your Roku devices without having to create multiple accounts for each device.
On the other hand, you can only connect to one Roku account on a Roku device, so if you have multiple accounts you cannot connect with all of them on the same Roku device at the same time.
You will have to sign out from one and connect to the other if you want to use more than one account on the same Roku streaming device.
Roku on multiple TVs limitations
If you’re considering getting more than one Roku streaming stick or multiple streaming devices you need to take into account some limitations you might encounter during your usage.
Internet Speed
While it’s true that you can have as many Roku devices as you want you will need to take into consideration your internet speed.
A standard Roku device needs a minimum 3.0 Mbps download speed, while an HD one needs at least 9.0 Mbps to function properly, so you need to make sure you have sufficient bandwidth when you’re trying to access video content on multiple devices at the same time.
Channel concurrent limit
While you can use the same Roku account on multiple televisions at the same time you need to be aware that some streaming services like Netflix or Disney+ have a limit on how many devices can be linked to the same account at the same time.
If you want to access these streaming services on multiple boxes in one house you need to make sure you’re under that concurrency limit, which is usually set to 4 devices.
If you need to go past that limit you will have higher subscription fees because you will need to pay more for more accounts.
Switch between Roku remotes
A Roku remote is only able to be paired with one Roku streaming stick at a time so you cannot control all your Roku devices with the same remote control.
This means you cannot take the remote from your bedroom tv and go use it in the living room and control two Roku boxes at the same time.
Since all the remotes look the same it’s probably best to have one in each room and never move them across the house, unless you want to label them.
Roku monthly cost
One of the questions everyone is asking when considering getting multiple Roku boxes in one house is if you need to pay a monthly fee or a tax to get your Roku activated. And the answer to that question is simple:
No, Roku does not charge a monthly subscription or equipment fee. You only need to pay the one-time purchase fee for a Roku device. However, you can pay monthly fees if you access premium content on apps like Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV, or HBO GO. Each of these services has its independent subscription costs.
Does it cost anything to create a Roku account?
No, creating a Roku account is free. All you need to do is go to the official Roku website and create the account by providing the required information.
After creating your account you can link as many Roku devices as you want to your account. This way you can sync your settings between multiple Roku devices if you have more than one.
Conclusion
In summary, you cannot use a single Roku box on multiple televisions at the same time, but you can easily move a single Roku device between smart TVs.
When you move a Roku the only configuration needed is to make sure the device is connected to the internet.
If you want to access the Roku platform from two TVs at the same time you can get other Roku boxes, as these are fairly cheap.
If you have a Roku TV you will not need to get a Roku streaming player connected to it as the Roku TV already has it built-in.
When you get a Roku for every room you need to make sure:
- your internet connection is fast enough to handle all the streaming content at the same time
- you don’t hit subscription concurrency limits on services like Netflix, Disney+ or HBO Max
- you cannot pair a single remote with different TVs