4 Best Streaming Devices That’ll Make You Wish You’d Tossed Your Cable Box Sooner

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Today’s streaming devices are more than just tools for watching movies and TV shows. They also double as powerful smart home hubs that bring access to virtual assistants from Amazon, Apple, and Google. Translation? These devices help you seamlessly find content, look up important information, and even control connected home appliances, all with the power of your very own voice commands.

Added bonus: Streaming devices can help upgrade an older TV, too. They're a more affordable alternative to buying a new TV if you're just looking for some smart capabilities and access to streaming services.

The Best Streaming Devices

• Best Overall: Google Chromecast with Google TV (4K)
  

• Best for Travelers: Roku Streaming Stick 4K
  

• Best for Smart Home Enthusiasts: Apple TV 4K (2022)

• Best Budget Buy: Amazon Fire TV Stick Lite

How We Chose

Extensive Evaluation Process

When determining what models were worth calling in for testing, we made sure to consider the platform, price, and cross-compatibility of streaming devices with commonly used smart home devices and smartphones.

The main streaming devices include Amazon’s Fire TV, Apple TV, Google TV (which was previously known as Android TV but confusingly enough is separate from Chromecast), and Roku. Each of them offers copious amounts of streaming apps to utilize but they differ in terms of user interface, personalized recommendations, and price.

Each recommended product in this guide is compact and easy to set up, and they all come with a remote control. All you need is a TV with an onboard HDMI port! We opted to test models that deliver HDR10 and support Dolby Vision content which enhances the image with brighter highlights, deeper blacks, and richer colors. Simply put, 1080p HD streamers such as the Chromecast with Google TV (HD), Amazon Fire TV Stick Lite, and Roku Express are inferior and are only worth buying if you are on a strict budget and aren’t using them with your primary TV.

We also relied on in-depth research and analysis of customer reviews and ratings to find the best-selling streaming devices that are dependable, receive consistent software updates, and are easy to use.

Comprehensive Testing Approach

After selecting eight streaming devices to test, we connected and fully tested each streaming stick or streaming box using the same Samsung Frame TV for consistency’s sake, but to ensure they work with a wide range of TV models, we also verified that they functioned properly on a Hisense, LG, Samsung, and Sony TV.

Not only did we watch TV shows and movies from streaming services such as Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Kanopy, MAX, Hulu, Netflix, and Shudder, we made note of how smooth each device’s user interface was, how quickly it launched apps, and how intuitive their remote controls were to use.

Usability Trumps Picture Quality and Processor Power

Although some streaming devices cater to gamers, since most people use these gadgets to stream video, we didn’t pay too much attention to how powerful each device’s processor is when selecting our favorite models. But, if the devices ever experienced hiccups from loading menus or experienced any annoying slowdowns, we marked a few points off.

We also quickly discovered during our tests that video quality is largely determined by the specific app being used, not the device. So, we didn’t whip out the pattern generator and colorimeters to measure picture performance since we can confidently say the video quality will primarily be influenced by your Wi-Fi setup and TV, not the streaming device itself.

Primarily, we focused on the overall experience of interacting with the streaming devices. We accessed factors like menu navigation, search features, voice controls, the usefulness of show and movie recommendations, and the presence of ads.

The bottom line is this: our goal is to recommend a streaming box that not only provides a great experience overall, but also to recommend something that provides great value and will last you several years to come.

What to Consider

4K UHD Vs. Full HD Resolution

When shopping for a streaming device, you need to consider several important features, starting with 4K Ultra HD streaming support. Now commonly available on all major streaming services, 4K content has four times as many pixels as Full HD video, resulting in a more detailed picture without costing significantly more.

Even If you don’t own a 4K TV or if picture quality isn't a top priority of yours, it’s still wise to invest in a streaming device that supports this feature, so you can extend the life of your streaming device and use it with your next TV.

App Selection

All of our streaming device recommendations give you access to major streaming services like Disney+, Hulu, MAX, and Netflix, but if you have a specific streaming service subscription, we recommend researching prior to making a purchase so you can be confident it’ll work for your device. For example, The Spectrum TV app, which lets Spectrum customers stream live TV or On Demand content, is available on Apple TV, Roku, and Chromecast, but not Google TV or Amazon Fire TV.

Ecosystem

If you’re invested in a specific tech ecosystem, we recommend selecting a streaming device that matches your existing setup. For instance, if you rely heavily on Alexa using an Amazon Echo smart speaker, you’ll likely enjoy being able to pause your Amazon Fire TV with your voice, so one of Amazon’s streaming devices is probably a wise choice for you. Or, if you have purchased several movies or TV shows and iTunes, an Apple TV would make more sense to purchase so all your existing content will more easily sync. And if you are an Android user, you likely would be able to get more use from a Google TV device.

Privacy

Consider privacy implications before selecting a streaming device. These devices can collect or sell data about your viewing habits and general location to advertisers. While personal identifying information (including your name and address) are not usually shared, your viewing habits or the names of apps you use may be collected. Fortunately, each device provides varying degrees of opt-out options. It’s advisable to review the privacy policies of the devices and apps if you’re concerned about your privacy.

These are the best streaming sticks, boxes, and devices for your setup.

Chromecast with Google TV Streaming Device

The name “Google Chromecast with Google TV” doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, but despite having a convoluted name, the Chromecast with Google TV is an outstanding, easy-to-use media streamer that has everything you’d want to consume content on your home television.

After obsessively analyzing every operating system from all the major streaming device manufacturers over the course of a month, I can confidently say the Google TV is the cleverest and least frustrating to use. It has useful category headers to display content from trending shows, or content you’re watching — saving you the time it’d take to open an app and endlessly scroll through dozens of Survivor seasons for instance.

In our era of movie streaming, landing on the perfect movie to watch can be overwhelming, too, but the Chromecast with Google TV shows Rotten Tomatoes ratings and all the different apps you can stream movies. It even allows you to search by genre.

The Chromecast’s remote is small but comfortable to hold, and I appreciate that it has controls for controlling my TV’s volume, power, and inputs for switching between my game consoles. Similarly to the Apple TV, the streaming device lets you easily “cast” content from your smartphone to your TV, but it costs significantly less.

Another plus is how effortlessly the Chromecast integrates with other Google products. If you have Nest security cameras, you can stream a live feed straight to the big screen, or use your TV as an oversized digital photo frame by syncing your image library with Google Photos.

Voice controls are simple and extremely convenient, as well. It was nice to ask the Google Assistant for the weather forecast, for instance, so I knew whether I needed to cover my patio furniture.

Overall, if you’re looking for a product that supports the latest 4K HDR video formats and audio protocols for the highest quality content achievable across streaming services, this option is hard to beat for the price. It’s portable, affordable, reliable, and easy to use — everything you’d want in a modern-day streaming device.

Streaming Stick 4K

If you travel a lot (or the person you're gifting a streaming device does), I recommend the Roku Streaming Stick 4K. The device — which is about the size of a pack of Wrigley’s gum — plugs straight into an open HDMI port on a TV and can draw power right from your TV’s USB port. Other streaming devices are power-hungry and require a separate power brick which takes up precious space and could easily be left behind.

According to our comprehensive analysis, Roku has the largest selection of streaming content compared to other platforms. During my tests, I found Roku’s interface to be not as modern-looking as competitors’ platforms like Apple and Google’s streamers, but overall, it was easy to navigate and customizable.

I liked being able to arrange my channels based on what streaming services I use most frequently and appreciated that Roku’s home screen wasn’t as ad-heavy as other interfaces. The streamers’ “Hotel and Dorm Connect” feature also made it a breeze to connect to Wi-Fi hotspots when I was traveling.

The streaming giant has partnerships with Xfinity and other cable providers, meaning you can use it in place of a cable or satellite box. However, our industry analysis found that Roku is behind the curve when it comes to adding apps (channels). For example, the HBO Max channel wasn’t available for download until nearly 7 months after the streaming service launched. This was the biggest reason we didn’t name it as our best overall pick.

The Roku Streaming Stick 4K supports HDR10 and HDR10+, which help provide a crisp and detailed picture with improved contrast, but the device lacks Dolby Atmos, which may be a downside to folks that have a dedicated home theater surround system. One aspect that sets it apart from the competition is a headphone jack built into its remote. Meaning you can watch TV or a movie without disturbing others around you.

Overall, the Roku Streaming Stick 4K is a budget-friendly streamer that doesn’t take up much room, has a clean and easy-to-use interface, and best of all, works with practically any TV — even the ones at hotels!

TV 4K Wi‑Fi Streaming Device

The Apple TV 4K is a premium streamer that supports the highest quality streaming standards including 4K HDR, Dolby Vision, and Dolby Atmos (the latter is for audio). It’s powered by Apple’s signature A15 Bionic which helps it juggle multiple streaming services or games at once that you can switch instantly between like you would on a tablet or your smartphone. Other streaming devices we tested had noticeable lag when you exit out of apps and open new ones, but the Apple TV was extremely zippy.

The product’s user interface is clean and simple to use, and interacting with the Apple TV is a bit like using an iPhone. However, rather than tapping on app icons to open them with your finger, you use a trackpad that’s on a remote.

Apple’s app and content selection is extraordinarily vast and even has exclusive services like Apple Arcade and Apple Fitness+ for gaming and exercising. The Apple TV mirrors content from an iPhone, iPad, or Mac using AirPlay. I particularly liked using this feature to “cast” concert videos from my iPhone that I recorded or streamed from YouTube.

The Apple TV also has an incredibly intuitive single sign-on feature that simplifies access to entertainment apps so you don't have to spend several minutes typing emails and passwords in.

With so much to love, you’re probably asking yourself why we didn’t name the Apple TV 4K as our best overall pick. Simply put, it boils down to price. The Chromecast with Google TV is around 3X cheaper than Apple’s streaming device and supports the same 4K HDR video formats and Dolby Atmos audio for the highest-quality possible from today’s streaming services. Google TV and Roku’s streaming devices also offer convenient voice commands and the useful “Cast” functionality for screen mirroring like the Apple TV.

We recommend the Apple TV primarily to the privacy-conscious since Apple does a respectable job at offering a bevy of built-in privacy features to limit or prevent the sharing of your data.

It’s also a good option for smart home enthusiasts since the Apple TV doubles as a powerful “HomeKit Hub,” allowing you to use it to control smart home products. It’s the first streaming device with “Thread” and “Matter” support which is new tech that makes it easier for smart home gear to integrate and communicate with each other.

Overall, there is a ton to love about the Apple TV, and even though it offers more power and double the storage space (up to 128GB) as competing options, it's priced twice as much as other respectable streamers.

Fire TV Stick Lite Streaming Device

I recommend the Fire TV Stick Lite to shoppers who want to try cutting the cord on their cable or satellite TV subscription for the first time. It’s also a good option for folks who want to add an affordable streaming device to a guest bedroom in their home, or just for people who want to add extra smarts to a high-definition television.

Compared to other streaming sticks, the device delivers Full HD streaming rather than 4K Ultra HD streaming. 4K TVs have 3,840 x 2,160 pixels, meaning they have four times as many pixels as 1080p HDTVs which display a more detailed image. On the plus side, the Fire TV Stick Lite supports high dynamic range content which makes on-screen content look more vibrant.

During my tests with the Fire TV Stick Lite, my biggest annoyance was that the remote lacked buttons for controlling my TV’s volume and power. You’ll have to fork over a couple extra bucks for the standard Fire TV Stick or Fire TV Stick 4K for this extra functionality.

Using the device was easy, though — we liked the addition of user profiles, which makes it easier to not lose track of previously watched TV episodes in circumstances when the family may not be able to watch shows at the same time.

If you’re someone who doesn’t care about support for specs like Dolby Atmos Audio and Dolby Vision (which this product lacks), the Fire TV Stick Lite will still get the job done and for less money than the competition. It packs a powerful voice assistant, has access to the major streaming platforms such as Apple TV, Hulu, and Netflix, and you can also use the voice functions to control compatible smart home devices all for a reasonable price of around $30.

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