The Best Streaming Devices Ranked
4. GOOGLE CHROMECAST
PRICE: $35
Plug Chromecast into the HDMI port on your TV and use your mobile device to open apps to access your favorite programs. Your phone basically becomes the remote control. If you don’t want to spend much—Chromecast is the cheapest device reviewed—but want to stream from the major services, Chromecast is your best bet. But Chromecast lacks important features like voice control, and using your smartphone to enter a movie name means using your its tiny keyboard. By the time you’re finished finding your entertainment, your Chromecast may already be a device you hate.
NUMBER OF CHANNELS: +1,000
STREAMING SERVICES: Hulu Plus, HBO Now, HBO Go, Netflix, YouTube
VOICE SEARCH: No
PROS:
Affordable price
Ideal for travelers who want to stream their own content to a hotel TV
CONS:
Lacks physical remote control
Not 4K compatible
3. AMAZON FIRE TV
PRICE: $100
The latest Amazon Fire TV includes 4K Ultra HD capability. Alexa, Amazon’s voice assistant, allows you to simply search for a movie by telling the remote the title you want to watch. Despite offering major players like Netflix, HBOGO, Showtime, and Hulu, Fire TV is built around what you can get out of Amazon. Even voice search is Amazon-centric. If you’re already in the Amazon Prime nexus and comfortable with it’s offerings it’s a good choice, but you won’t be able to stream every movie on all the platforms the way a more flexible option might.
NUMBER OF CHANNELS: 1,000+
STREAMING SERVICES : Amazon, Hulu, iTunes, Netflix, HBO Go, HBO Now, YouTube, Showtime
VOICE SEARCH: Yes
PROS:
4K high-definition programming
Over 800 games for gaming
CONS:
Heavily favors Prime subscribers
2. APPLE TV
PRICE: $149 (32GB); $199 (64GB)
The latest Apple TV heavily relies on Siri, its voice control on its remote. If you’re heavily invested in Apple hardware and iTunes, this is your best bet. There are downsides, though. Streaming services including Amazon Prime and Google Play are not supported on Apple TV. Also, Apple TV doesn’t support 4K, which is why it’s not on the top of our list.
NUMBER OF CHANNELS: 1,000+
STREAMING SERVICES: Hulu, iTunes, Netflix, HBO Go, HBO Now, YouTube, Showtime
VOICE SEARCH: Yes
PROS: Streams Apple Music Easy integration with Apple devices
CONS: Not 4K compatible Limiting if not in Apple universe
1. ROKU
PRICE: $130
The Roku 4—Apple TV’s main competitor—is equipped with a unique voice search that allows you to get content results by title, actor, and director. In addition, Roku comes with some cool features like a neat remote finder and headphone (included) capability. Roku also rivals Apple TV’s app selection. In addition to all the popular apps, there are literally hundreds of channels, both for free and for a fee, that cater to different languages and regions. Its ease of use and 4K capability makes the Roku soar above all the other devices, making it our top choice.
NUMBER OF CHANNELS: +2,500
STREAMING SERVICES: Amazon Instant Video, Hulu, Netflix, Showtime
VOICE SEARCH: Yes
PROS:
Doesn’t favor one content provider over others (unlike Amazon)
Has Amazon features (unlike Apple)
CONS:
No Google Play features