Roku’s new $3 ad-free streaming undercuts Netflix—with a catch

Want ad-free streaming without paying through the nose for Netflix or HBO Max? Roku’s new budget streamer serves up a tempting selection of movies and TV shows for a lot less, provided you can deal with some caveats. 

Slated to launch today, Howdy costs just $3 a month for unlimited ad-free streaming, a price that undercuts Netflix’s cheapest—and ad-supported—plan by $5 a month. 

That low cost of admission gets you roughly 10,000 hours of streaming content, according to Roku, including such highlights as Max Max: Fury Road, Elvis, The Blind Side, Reservoir Dogs, Weeds, Southland, and Kids in the Hall. So far, Howdy’s content partners include Lionsgate, Warner Bros. Discovery, and FilmRise, with “select” Roku Original titles also in the mix. 

Roku is promising a “high-quality, ad-free experience” from Howdy, although it’s not exactly clear what to expect in terms of video or audio quality. My guess is that Howdy will serve up HD-quality (1080p) video with standard stereo and/or surround sound (meaning no Dolby Atmos), but I’ve reached out to Roku for more details. 

So, not too bad for $3 a month, but there is a catch: Aside from watching on a web browser, Howdy content must be streamed either on a Roku device (including a Roku streaming stick or a Roku TV) or the Roku mobile app for iOS or Android. That means if you’re hoping to binge-watch Howdy videos on an Apple TV, a Google TV streaming device, a Fire TV stick, or another non-Roku streaming player, you’re out of luck. 

The good news is that Roku streaming players are way cheap. For example, you can snag Roku’s latest HD streaming player (which we just reviewed) for just $19 on Amazon, while the 4K-capable Roku Streaming Stick Plus is going for just $30. 

While you can also streaming Howdy content on the Roku app for iOS and Android, it’s not clear if you can download titles for offline viewing. I doubt it, but I’ve sent that question to Roku. 

Howdy may be an ad-free streaming service, but if you watch it on a Roku TV or streaming player, you’ll have to contend with a user interface that is riddled with ads. (Amazon and Google streaming players have ad-stuffed interfaces, too.)

Earlier this year, Roku got dinged for experimenting with an auto-playing ad that appeared when users first turned on their Roku TVs or streaming devices. The ads had “Close” buttons that allowed you to skip to the home screen, but that didn’t stop Roku users from howling with indignation.  

Roku said the startup ad was just a “test,” and the intrusive ad placement soon disappeared.