The best streaming devices allow you to sit back and enjoy the high-def content you love to binge. But is it worth buying a standalone device if you own a smart TV? It sure can be if your TV’s smart platform is out-of-date or a pain to navigate.
A new, dedicated streaming device can imbue your TV with apps and features your television may lack on its own. And if you have smart home appliances, some streaming devices can act as a hub and work with your setup.
The best value out of Roku’s ever-growing lineup of streaming devices will suit shoppers wanting to experience 4K HDR content with the convenience of hands-free operation while not caring about being tethered to any one of the three major smart ecosystems out there.
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For most people, the Roku Streaming 4K+ is the best streaming device — especially for those who consider themselves platform agnostic. However, if you’re an Apple/Amazon/Google devotee you’ll still find plenty of value here since this Roku streaming device plays nice with those platforms’ respective voice assistants. (It’s also compatible with Apple HomeKit.)
Setup was quick and largely uneventful thanks to a recent Roku OS update that enables users to enter their credentials by speaking into the Roku Voice Remote Pro — the only Roku streaming device to include its top-tier voice remote, otherwise valued at $30. Upon setup, we were able to access and login to our favorite streaming services with no trouble at all.
The Apple TV 4K is a sound choice for deeply-invested Apple enthusiasts, from iOS devices to Apple HomeKit-compatible products. Non-iOS users should beware that the Apple TV 4K’s charm will be lost on them.
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Brief Review:
For those who are fully immersed in the iOS ecosystem, the Apple TV 4K is the best streaming media player. When paired with an iPhone or iPad the Apple TV 4K feels like a natural extension of those devices — which bodes well if you’d prefer your mobile device as a remote control. Plus, it supports Apple HomeKit and can serve as a hub for compatible smart home devices.
Setting up the Apple TV 4K is quick and smooth…provided you have an iPhone or iPad. The process is more time-consuming and cumbersome if you’re a non-iOS user, although we had no issues when using our MacBook Air during setup. For as much as you pay for this device, however, there’s no HDMI cable provided so make sure you have a spare on hand if you want to watch content straight away.
For Prime users seeking a new Amazon streaming device, the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max is the online giant’s best streaming device yet, with blazing fast performance plus a serviceable Amazon Alexa voice remote.
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Brief Review:
For Prime users seeking a new Amazon streaming device for 4K content, we recommend the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max. This upgrade from the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K features a faster 1.8GHz processor for much smoother scrolling through your streaming library. And unlike its predecessor, the Fire TV Stick 4K Max is future-proof with the addition of Wi-Fi 6 support. Meanwhile, it’ll play nice with other Alexa-enabled devices as a smart home hub.
Coming from a second-generation Fire TV Stick — hey, it still works well on our small bedroom TV! — we can attest to how zippy the 4K Max is. That’s in spite of the plethora of ads that plagued the screen, an apparent constant across Fire TV devices. However, we were quite impressed with how responsive Amazon Alexa was in following our commands, from raising the volume to selecting a new Prime Video Original for us to watch.
Geared toward gamers, the NVIDIA Shield TV dazzles with AI-powered 4K upscaling and access to the extensive GeForce NOW gaming library. It’s worth the splurge for cutting-edge streaming quality and the overall punchy performance of Android TV.
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Brief Review:
The NVIDIA Shield TV will appeal to Android TV aficionados who want something more substantial than a Chromecast dongle. It feels more like a mini gaming console than a straight-up media streaming device, albeit with a noticeably smaller footprint than its pricier counterpart, the Shield TV PRO. It’s outfitted with a NVIDIA Tegra X1+ processor, 8GB of internal storage, and support for the GeForce NOW cloud gaming platform.
But how well does it stream shows and movies? The NVIDIA TV Shield boasts AI-powered 4K upscaling through Dolby Vision or HDR10. Working in tandem with our Samsung The Frame TV, we were quite satisfied with the fluidity and crispness of our content. We were even able to catch up on some of our favorite UHD Apple TV+ shows, which until recently was not a possibility on this NVIDIA streaming device.
Setting up the NVIDIA Shield TV was near flawless with our Android phone, although we imagine the process won’t be terribly inconvenient if you have an iOS device. We did notice our Shield TV disconnect from our TV during a software update, but it was brief. Adding and accessing our favorite streaming services took no time at all, but Android TV OS itself was prone to a few minor hiccups when it came to swapping apps.
Chromecast With Google TV is a respectable upgrade from its previous iteration, featuring Dolby Vision/HDR10 support, a dedicated Google TV interface, and a voice-enabled remote control — all at one of the lowest prices out there for a 4K HDR streaming device.
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On the flip side versus the premium NVIDIA Shield is the smaller and more affordable Chromecast With Google TV — which, unlike its predecessor, now comes with a voice remote. For those who like the Android TV experience, the Chromecast With Google TV is the best streaming player you can buy if you’re on a tighter budget. It syncs perfectly with other Google products, including its Nest smart home devices..
If you have a mobile device with the Google Home app, setup will be a breeze. Everything can be done right on your phone or tablet. The number of apps you elect to install at setup will determine how long or short the process will be, but rest assured that you won’t have to block out a half-hour of your day to accomplish this. It comes with a USB power adapter, which can either be plugged into a wall or television (if it’s capable of powering the Chromecast at all).
Google TV OS runs on top of a version of Android TV. This Google-flavored UI is rather easy on the eyes, although it was prone to some occasional lag when we went from one app to another. However, Google Assistant hands-free control is a joy to use as it’s quick to respond to various commands and queries.
For the meager price you’d pay, the streaming quality is solid. Chromecast with Google TV supports Dolby Vision and HDR10/10+ — the latter of which we got to experience on our Samsung The Frame TV. Browse Google TV for hundreds of thousands of shows and movies, but if you can't find what you’re looking for natively (and don’t mind a slight loss in quality), you can cast content from your computer or phone to the Chromecast.
If your smart TV platform supports the apps you like and provides a positive viewing experience, then a streaming device isn’t necessary. On the flip side, a smart TV with an outdated OS or a generally miserable UX can be easily upgraded by adding a streaming stick or set top box. Also, many streaming devices integrate with other smart home tech, which is a plus for anyone who wants to curate a vast, uniform smart ecosystem.
Roku has the most free channels out of any major streaming platform. The Roku Channel Store has over 3,000 channels, majority of which can be installed at no cost. There’s also a wide variety of ad-supported shows and movies plus access to live television.
All of the streaming devices on this list are capable of streaming live television. Each of them is compatible with Hulu Live TV, YouTube TV, and other live TV platforms. Roku and Amazon also include access to their own hub of live broadcasts with their respective devices.
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