Tech Gift Ideas: TV Streaming Sticks
If you’re looking for a stocking stuffer for the Comcast-hating cord cutter in your life, look no further than the fresh crop of TV streaming sticks.
No larger than your average USB thumb drive, streaming sticks like the Amazon Fire TV, Roku Stick, and Google’s Chromecast connect to your home Wi-Fi network and plug into your television’s HDMI port. Once configured, they let your TV-addicted loved ones stream their favorite shows, apps, and movies on the boob tube, using a variety of both free and paid Internet services.
Each of these streaming sticks is priced south of $50, less expensive than streaming boxes like the Roku 3 or Apple TV. For that price, you’re going to sacrifice some power and, occasionally, a remote control. But each of the sticks we’re about to offer gets the job done, at the very least bringing Netflix and YouTube to your television.
The question is: Which one of these sticks should find its way into your favorite person’s stocking this year?
Roku Streaming Stick (HDMI version): $49
Roku is synonymous with media streaming boxes, thanks to the company’s set-top boxes. The most expensive Roku box, the Roku 3, costs $100. So it’s the Roku Streaming Stick that is perhaps the most compelling low-cost gift idea for TV and movie fanatics.
The Roku Stick gets the same 1,500-plus apps available for the Roku 3 set-top box with the same interface, at half the price. And like the Roku 3, the Roku Stick gets a traditional remote with customizable shortcut buttons for your favorite apps.
You can also cast video from apps like Netflix and YouTube from your smartphone or tablet directly to the Roku Stick and onto your TV. And if you lose the included remote control, you can also use your smartphone as a remote for the Stick, using the Roku app.
There are some drawbacks to the Roku Stick, though. Because its guts are packed into such a small body, the Roku Stick isn’t as powerful as its set-top box sibling the Roku 3. As a result, some apps might take longer to open. The Stick also uses a separate USB cable for power, so there might be some additional cord clutter behind your boob tube.
Still, for just under $50 you get one of the best media streaming devices around.
Buy it for: The TV and movie junkie who wants every streaming service and a simple-to-use device.
Amazon Fire TV Stick: $39
Like the Roku Stick, Amazon’s Fire TV Stick, which is available for preorder, is a scaled-down version of its set-top cousin, the Fire TV, but at a fraction of the price. The Fire TV Stick plugs into the back of your TV via its HDMI port. As with the Roku Stick, though, it also needs an outside power source, so you’ll have to have a free power outlet nearby.
On the plus side, the Fire TV Stick gives you access to all the same great features as the Fire TV (Gary Busey’s teeth not included). So your favorite person will be able to stream Leprechaun on Netflix, watch Bob’s Burgers on Hulu Plus, and catch up on episodes of The Americans through Amazon Prime.
There are also a good number of casual games available for the Fire TV Stick, including Tetris and Flappy Bird.
So what’s the downside to the Fire TV Stick? Well, unlike the Fire TV box, the Stick’s remote doesn’t support voice search. So you can’t do things like name an actor and have the Fire TV Stick pull up all the movies he’s been in that you can watch. Instead, you have to either buy the remote separately or download the Fire’s smartphone app.
Oh, and like the Fire TV, the Fire TV Stick doesn’t have access to HBO GO. So if you’re shopping for a Game of Thrones fan, you might want to think twice about Amazon’s stick.
Buy it for: The Amazon Prime member who wants quick access to her Prime movies, Netflix, and Hulu, and doesn’t mind missing out on HBO GO.
Google Chromecast: $35
The least expensive of the bunch, Google’s Chromecast, is also the oldest streaming stick in this group. As with the Roku Stick and Fire TV Stick, Chromecast connects to your TV via an HDMI port and uses an available USB port for power.
There are, however, some major differences between Google’s offering and its competitors. First off, Chromecast doesn’t have a traditional home screen from which you can choose apps or videos to watch.
Instead, Chromecast relies on you to download compatible apps to your smartphone or tablet. You then open what you want to play in that app and press the Cast button at the top of the app to send your video from your device to Chromecast and your TV.
So, for example, you might download the Netflix app to your iPhone, and then find your movie there. Once the movie starts, the Cast icon will appear. You press it, and the movie switches from your phone to the television. And, yes, you can use your phone for other things while the movie plays on the TV set.
On the plus side, you’re not limited to just using the smartphone or tablet, as you can also cast things from your Chrome browser for Windows or Mac, or from your Chromebook.
Here’s the thing, though. Chromecast doesn’t come with a remote, but instead relies on your connected smartphone or tablet, which can be a bummer when you go to skip the next episode of Mad Men and instead see a notification from the boss on your phone.
That being said, the Chromecast’s price can’t be beat, and its flexibility is impressive.
Buy it for: The Google and Android fanatic who also wants to be able to view websites, and video from websites, on his television.
Email Daniel at dhowley@yahoo-inc.com; follow him on Twitter at @DanielHowley or on Google+ here.
