So, in this article, we’ll be comparing the five most popular streaming devices — Chromecast, Fire Stick, Roku, Android TV, and Apple TV, and help you find the best fit for your living room. Though, instead of getting into jargon like specs and pricing, I’ll be talking from my personal experiences with these streaming devices. So, let’s begin
Streaming Devices Compared
1. Chromecast ($35)
Chromecast was the first streaming device that I used. You can cast from Netflix, Hulu and YouTube videos from your smartphone to your TV. And once the video gets cast, it works directly with the router. So even if you turn off the smartphone, Chromecast will automatically fetch the next video. The biggest selling point though is it’s screen mirroring feature. If you’re looking to cast from 3rd party video apps to your television (like Terrarium TV), or if you want to mirror your smartphone screen to your television, Chromecast does it best. When it comes streaming though, it’s not the best, I mean, sure, I can stream apps like YouTube and Netflix flawlessly, but since Chromecast use your smartphone as a remote (it doesn’t have a dedicated remote like other streaming apps) it makes it hard to jump 10 secs forward or backward on a video. And not just that. I often felt the need for a dedicated remote and UI, especially when I share my TV. That way when I’m done, I can just leave the remote for the next person.
Also, since Chromecast comes with the hard-coded DNS server, it’s not easy to bypass geo-restrictions on Chromecast. Meaning, say if you live in Canada and wants to watch Netflix US on Chromecast, by changing your DNS, well you can’t do that. Read: 5 Ways iPhone/Android Can Cast Screen to TV Without Chromecast
2. Roku Stick ($29)
So, the lack of a remote and geo-restrictions on Chromecast led me to Roku. But this all comes with a cost. When you first set up your Roku Stick, you’ll need to enter your credit card details. You can still bypass this step but if you do that, you won’t be able to stream geo-restricted content on Roku.
3. Fire Stick ($40)
I mean, like Roku, it not only has an intuitive remote but also a well thought out UI. For instance, you can scroll 10 sec forward and backward, something that was a nightmare on chromecast. Another cool thing is, the Fire Stick displays actors’ names and IMDB rating every time you pause the playback. And in case you don’t have a Fire Stick remote with you, there is Fire TV remote app available for both Android and iOS.
The screen mirror isn’t as good as Chromecast, but unlike Chromecast, which doesn’t support prime videos, you can at least play YouTube using a Firefox browser. Setting up Fire stick for the first time is a pain though. If your office or hotel’s WiFi requires username and password to use the internet, you can’t connect Fire Stick to it.
4. Android TV box
But as they say, unless you try a better product, you don’t know what you’re missing out on. And that’s when I got my hands on Android TV box.
A remote and a UI, like on the Fire Stick – CHECK High-end gaming capability – CHECK Sideloading any android apk – CHECK
Well, the possibilities seemed endless. But in reality, Android TV box is a great plan with bad execution. Before we come to that, first let’s be clear on what an Android TV box is,
In general, my complaint is with the overall Android TV box ecosystem. Since Google showed little interest, the entire platform is half-baked. So you’ll have all the apps and games but they don’t work great on TVs as they are designed for smartphones. For example, if I’m playing a car racing game on TV, I would want my remote to work as a motion controller. But it doesn’t.
5. Apple TV ($149)
And finally, Apple TV is there is fill that gap. In fact, it not only got the streaming right, like the Firestick, but also, thanks to the tvOS, all the apps and games are specifically built to work on the bigger screen. Simply put, like Chromecast, it can cast the iPhone screen flawlessly. Sorry Android users. However, the touch remote and streaming interface is far better than Fire Sticks. But where it really outperforms any streaming device is apps. The apple app store has tons of apps that are handcrafted for Apple TV interface. For example, with the VLC app can play any kind of format, you can access your cloud storage, and best of all games.
Unlike the Android TV remote, the touch remote on Apple TV automatically adapts to whichever game you’re playing. For instance, if I play Asphalt or Tennis, the remote becomes a motion controller. However, like all Apple products, Apple TV also comes with restrictions, for example, there is no easy way to mirror Android or Windows screen to Apple TV neither does it come with a dedicated web browser. But overall, if you are invested in Apple ecosystem, Apple TV makes a lot of sense. Also Read: How to Record Apple TV Output Screen Without Any Cables
So, which one should you buy?
Chromecast is a good option only when you want to cast from 3rd party apps, they only work with chromecast and so is screen mirror. No one does it better than Chromecast. Firestick on the overall a much better choice when it comes to streaming experiences, the remote and UI makes it easy to enjoy the content. Android TV is a promising tech that hasn’t matured well. The streaming works fine. Though the ability to run use your TV as a web browser, run high-end games and sideload the Android app on a bigger screen might be tempting t, but the apps are not polished. I would prefer spending money on firestick over android tv box. But, If money is no issue, go for apple tv, it’s the best streaming device I’veusede. I will highly recommend it. It packs some high-end games. But to takes little full advantage, you will have to invest in apple ecosystem. It’s my personal fav. Just like any Apple product, once you try apple tv, you can’t go back. That’s all for now, let me know what are you going to buy in the comments below.
