amp
Gear
05.20.2020 09:00 AM
The Best TV Streaming Devices for Cord
Cutters
We've tested dozens of streaming devices for watching stuff on 4K or HD TVs. These are
our favorites.
Whether you want to escape the cable company or to abandon the terrible interface that's
built into your smart TV, a reliable streaming device is a wonderful thing.
Roku, Apple, Google, and Amazon all make options that might be right for you, but
figuring out which platform to go with can be a pain. To help, we've gathered the best 4K
HDR-ready TV streaming devices together for a battle royale—all streaming boxes,
sticks, and cubes. Whether you're hoping to stream the latest Star Wars movie or your
favorite YouTuber, we've separated each of our favorites by what they do best.
Be sure to check out all our guides, especially for picking the best Roku, as well as the
best TVs, best soundbars, and best smart speakers we've seen.
Updated for May 2020: We've updated this guide for 2020, changing pricing and buying
info. We also added the Roku Smart Soundbar, cut the Nvidia Shield, and added a section
comparing the four major streaming platforms.
If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
Photograph: Roku
Best Overall
Roku Streaming Stick Plus
The Streaming Stick Plus is the best Roku for most people (read our Roku guide
to learn more). It has excellent Wi-Fi reception and plugs right into an HDMI port
on your TV. Like other Roku products, the apps aren't always beautifully
designed, but they are here (Netflix, Amazon, HBO, all of them), and the main
interface lets you search for shows across all of your subscriptions at once. You
can even add or delete the apps you don't need on your homepage, for a more
streamlined look.
The Roku Premiere ($30) is a cheaper alternative in the Roku family, but it is
larger. It's a good choice if the ports on the back of your TV or soundbar are too
skinny or awkward to fit a Streaming Stick, and it also offers 4K and HDR.
We should note that Best Buy has a special version of the stick that comes with a
headphone jack and earbuds for the remote. If you have family or roommates who
complain about noise, it's a worthwhile option.
Roku connects to all major streaming services.
$50 at Walmart
$50 at Amazon
$60 at Best Buy (Headphone Edition)
$50 at Kohls
Photograph: Amazon
For Amazon Lovers
Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K
Amazon has really sped up and improved the latest Fire TV Stick 4K. The Alexa-
enabled remote works well, too. However, the menus are heavily geared toward
showing Amazon Prime video content and buying/renting videos from Amazon's
store. Apps for competitors like Netflix and Hulu are included but relegated to a
single row of the interface. YouTube is finally available thanks to a thaw in the
Google/Amazon feud, but Vudu remains absent.
The new 2019 HD-only Fire TV ($40) is OK if you have no plans to upgrade your
TV. We also don't mind the Fire TV Cube (6/10, WIRED Review), but its hands-
free voice features don't work very well. If you want it anyway, buy it when it
gets down to $80-$90 on sale.
Fire TV connects to all major streaming services, but not Vudu.
$50 at Amazon
Photograph: Apple
For Apple Purists
Apple TV 4K (5th Gen.)
If you own an iPhone, already buy movies and shows from Apple's library (or
subscribe to Apple TV Plus), an Apple TV may be worth the extra cash. It has
every major streaming app, including Amazon Video, and the interface is slicker
and easier to use than a Roku. (Opt for the 64 GB version so you don't run out of
space.) The downside is the remote control. It's a bit wonky; some users have
trouble finding its touchpad in the dark, and others have reported that it can be
laggy if it's too far away. And if you own an iPhone or iPad, you can pretty much
get the Apple TV experience there. Apple now has a Roku app, too!
Apple sells a cheaper, HD-only Apple TV model, but it's outdated, weaker, and
pricey for what you get. Apps like HBO are beginning to drop support for older
models. Spring for the 4K version, or just buy a Roku.
Apple TV connects to all major streaming services.
$169 at Walmart
$179 at Apple
$179 at Amazon
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Photograph: Roku
For Live TV (and Late-Night) Streamers
Roku Ultra
By now you may have realized that we're big Roku fans. The platform may not
have the prettiest onscreen menus, but it's dead simple and gives you access to
almost all of the content you could possibly stream.
Feature-wise, the Roku Ultra is almost identical to the Roku stick, but it boasts
some extra memory and a faster processor that makes it better at streaming live
TV. Like the stick, 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 the
headphone jack in the controller. You can plug in the included earbuds and watch
TV late at night without disturbing your roommates.
Roku connects to all major streaming services.
$80 at Amazon
$80 at Walmart
$80 at Best Buy
Photograph: Google
For Phone Streamers
Google Chromecast Ultra
Google's Chromecast changed the game for streaming when it launched in 2013.
Instead of using a remote, it lets you cast (wirelessly toss videos) from streaming
apps on your phone. You launch the video on your phone, tap a button, and then
the video plays on your television instead. Chromecast can also mirror the
Chrome browser tabs on your computer, displaying them on your TV, which is a
perk for watching browser-based streams. The downside: At some point, you'll
wish you had an actual remote—and once in a while everything will get wonky
with a video.
Unlike earlier generations, which didn't offer the best video quality, the
Chromecast Ultra is actually a very capable streaming device. It supports 4K
resolution, HDR codecs like Dolby Vision, and is the best device we've found for
streaming YouTube videos on a big screen. If you don't plan to buy a 4K TV, you
can buy a cheaper Chromecast 3 ($35), but the Ultra is faster, has an Ethernet port
if your Wi-Fi is shaky, and is more future-proof.
These apps work with Chromecast.
$69 at Amazon
$69 at Walmart
$70 at Best Buy
Photograph: Roku
If You Don't Own a Soundbar …
Roku Smart Soundbar
We think everyone needs a soundbar to step up their TV-watching experience,
and Roku makes our favorite smart soundbar (7/10, WIRED Review). It's just a
standard soundbar, but it has Roku built right in. WIRED reviewer Boone
Ashworth called it an an entertainment turducken for its combination of speaker
system, apps, and streaming device, but found that it works better on TVs with an
HDMI ARC port over standard HDMI ports.
Because 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 if you want
to up your audio again.
Below we've linked to the standard Roku soundbar and the cheaper Walmart
version, which has some strange .Onn branding. It's just a bit weaker than the
standard model but should still sound much better than your TV.
Roku connects to all major streaming services.
$150 at Amazon
$150 at Best Buy
$129 at Walmart (Cheaper .Onn Version)
Illustration: Getty Images
Why You Need a Streaming Device
Your Built-In TV Apps Are Awful
If you just bought a "Smart TV," you may be wondering: Why pay extra for a
streaming stick or box?
TV makers are far better at manufacturing beautiful screens than they are at
building good software. So unless that TV was a Roku TV, you should consider
an external streaming device. Chances are high that your TV's house-made apps
are slow, poorly designed, and out of date—and that's if it has the apps you want
at all. The streaming apps for Roku, Android TV, Fire TV, and Apple TV are
typically the best you'll find, and if they're broken they get fixed very quickly.
LG, Samsung, Vizio, and any number of other TVs come with their own
interfaces, but we advise you ignore them.
Roku vs. Fire TV vs. Chromecast vs. Android TV vs. Apple TV
o Roku is our favorite streaming OS because it has just about every
streaming app there is, and setup is hassle-free. Plus, if you decide to
switch TVs, you can just move your Roku to another TV in your house at
any time. Roku also isn't made by one of the major tech companies. The
company survives solely on how well its streaming platform performs.
o Chromecast, on the other hand, eschews an interface altogether and has
the added benefit of letting you send web pages or other content directly
from your smartphone (it's easiest on an Android Phone), which is
sometimes quite handy. You can also do this with Apple TV's Airplay 2
functionality, but you need an iOS or macOS device.
o Amazon Fire TV is geared toward those who really enjoy Amazon's
ecosystem, and will quickly point you to its content. It also has a great
voice interface. Unfortunately it sometimes feels like an ad for Amazon
stuff more than a diverse ecosystem of apps and content. If you buy or rent
a lot of movies from Amazon, and subscribe to Prime, the Fire TV is
appealing. If not, go with a Roku.
o Apple TV has a slick interface and Apple's usual gloss. It also has most
apps, but TV boxes remain a side project for Apple. It doesn't update its
models or its interface all that often. Lately, it seems to care more about its
Apple TV+ subscription service and app than its physical hardware. But if
you have a house full of Apple stuff and enjoy AirPlay, you may as well
complete your collection.
o Android TV is Google's attempt at a streaming OS. It's been around for
years, but for some reason Google seems unable to nail the experience.
Android TV tends to have more bugs and problems than Roku or Fire TV
and is more of a hassle to use. It takes more clicks to get to the store to
download new apps, and the ones that are there are sometimes buggier.
Other apps, like Amazon Prime, are just missing on certain devices. It's
also tough to exit apps if something goes wrong. You have to dig into
Settings and find the app to "Force Stop" it. It's more difficult than
stopping an app on your PC or phone. I've run out of storage space on only
one streaming device ever, and it was an Android TV device (sorry, JBL
Link Bar). They don't manage storage quite as well.
