If you are a lover of series and movies, you should make sure you have the best options at home to enjoy your favorite content. With these streaming devices, you can achieve it.
Many of the best televisions on the market have fairly competent user interfaces, but they still come with limitations. Maybe your favorite applications are not supported or your favorite streaming service is not integrated. The solution?
Independent streaming devices. These handy devices enhance even the smartest TVs, allowing users to access many streaming services and view content streamed from their phone, tablet, or laptop. A good streaming device can also help extend the life of television, especially if it has good image quality.
You may already be familiar with many of the brands behind these devices – Roku, Amazon’s Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, and Google’s Chromecast – but choosing the right one isn’t always easy. Which one works for most cases? Which is the best for your particular needs? What does each add to the viewing experience? And what is the best streaming device for the money?
To answer these questions, we reviewed and selected the best streaming devices that stood out from the rest.
The 6 best streaming device options to have at home
Do you want to escape the cable company or abandon the terrible interface built into Smart TVs? If yes, then a reliable streaming device is a wonderful thing.
Roku, Apple, Google, and Amazon already brought several options that may be right for you, but figuring out which platform to choose can be a hassle. To help you, we’ve selected the best 4K HDR-ready TV streaming devices. Whether it’s streaming the latest Star Wars movie or your favorite YouTuber, we’ve separated each of our favorites into what they do best.
Roku Streaming Stick Plus
Streaming Stick Plus is the best Roku for most people. It has excellent Wi-Fi reception and connects directly to an HDMI port on your television. Like other Roku products, the apps aren’t always beautifully designed, but they’re here (Netflix, Amazon, HBO, all of them), and the main interface lets you search for shows across all of your subscriptions at once. For a more streamlined look, you can even add or remove the apps you don’t need on your home page.
The Roku Premiere is a cheap streaming device in the Roku family, but it’s bigger. It’s a good option if the ports on the back of your TV or soundbar are too thin or awkward to fit a Streaming Stick, and it also offers 4K and HDR.
We should note that it also has a special version that comes with a headphone jack for the remote control. If you have family members or roommates who complain about noise, this is a worthwhile option.
Roku connects to all the major streaming services.
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Fire TV Stick 4K streaming devices
The latest Fire TV Stick 4K is an improved version of the Amazon Fire TV family. The Alexa-enabled remote works well too. However, the menus are very much geared towards displaying Amazon Prime video content and buying / renting videos from the Amazon store. Applications for competitors like Netflix and Hulu are included but relegated to a single row of the interface. Thanks to a truce in the dispute between Google and Amazon, YouTube is finally available, but Vudu remains absent.
The new Fire TV 2019 HD only ($ 40) is fine if you don’t have plans to upgrade your TV to a UHD model. We’re not very interested in the Fire TV Cube either, its hands-free voice features don’t work very well.
Fire TV connects to all the major streaming services, but not Vudu.
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Apple TV 4K HD Streaming Devices
If you have an iPhone, and already buy movies and shows from Apple’s library (or subscribed to Apple TV Plus), an Apple TV may be worth the extra money. It has all the major streaming apps, including Amazon Video, and the interface is sleeker and easier to use than a Roku. (Opt for the 64GB version to avoid running out of space.) The downside is the remote control. It’s a bit clumsy; some users have trouble finding their touchpad in the dark, and others have reported that it can be slow if you’re too far away.
And if you have an iPhone or iPad, you can get the Apple TV experience there. Apple now has a Roku app too! Apple sells a cheaper Apple TV model, HD only, but it’s outdated, slow, and not worth what you pay for. Apps like HBO are starting to stop supporting older models. Go for the 4K version, or buy a Roku.
Apple TV connects to all the major streaming services.
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Roku Ultra Streaming Media Player
This is another of the best streaming devices on the market. The platform may not have the prettiest on-screen menus, but it is very simple and gives you access to almost all the content you can stream.
In terms of features, the Roku Ultra is almost identical to the Roku stick, but it packs some extra memory and a faster processor that makes it better for streaming live TV. Like the other one, it supports 4K HDR (though not Dolby Vision), but it also has an Ethernet port, a MicroSD slot, and a USB port. One key feature is that it includes a headphone jack on the controller. You can plug in the included headphones and watch late-night TV without disturbing your roommates.
Roku connects to all the major streaming services.
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Roku smart soundbar
We truly believe that everyone needs a soundbar to enhance their TV viewing experience, and Roku makes our favorite smart soundbar. It’s just a standard soundbar, but it has a built-in Roku. We can call it a complete entertainment system for its combination of a speaker system, apps, and a streaming device. However, this device performs better on TVs with an ARC HDMI port over standard HDMI ports.
Since it doesn’t have a subwoofer (which adds bass), it’s best for smaller rooms, but you can get a wireless subwoofer to pair with it for another $ 180.
Below, we’ve paired the standard Roku soundbar and the cheaper version from Walmart, which has some weird markings on it. It’s only slightly weaker than the standard model, but it should still sound a lot better than your TV.
Roku connects to all the major streaming services.
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NVIDIA SHIELD Streaming Devices
Nvidia Shield TV is a powerhouse. With resolutions of up to 4K, HDR support, and up to 500GB, it is among the most powerful set-top boxes available. With a Tegra X1 processor, it’s sure to handle your casual Netflix, HBO Go, Hulu, and media needs like a champ. The Android device is undoubtedly gaming-centric, with features like a standard gamepad and the ability to stream games from your PC.
However, the Nvidia Shield TV is not cheap. That’s not a bad deal when you consider that it only costs $ 20 more than the Apple TV, and it has much better hardware. It’s multi-functional and can run Plex, making it the best Android TV box currently available. The best Android TV box for all budgets. The best Android TV box for all budgets. Looking for the best Android TV box on the planet? We’ve rounded up the best Android boxes to meet budget, mid-range, and high-end needs!
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That’s all for now, friends. These are some of the best streaming devices. Do you have any of these products? Let us know. Thank you.