![]() When shopping for a streaming device, you need to consider several important features, starting with 4K Ultra HD streaming support. The bottom line is this: our goal is to recommend the best streaming device 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. We accessed factors like menu navigation, search features, voice controls, the usefulness of show and movie recommendations, and the presence of ads. Primarily, we focused on the overall experience of interacting with the streaming devices. 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. We also quickly discovered during our tests that video quality is largely determined by the specific app being used, not the device. But, if the devices ever experienced hiccups from loading menus or experienced any annoying slowdowns, we marked a few points off. Usability Trumps Picture Quality and Processor PowerĪlthough 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. 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. Comprehensive Testing ApproachĪfter 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. 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. 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. 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. Each of them offers copious amounts of streaming apps to utilize but they differ in terms of user interface, personalized recommendations, and price.Įach recommended product in this guide is compact and easy to set up, and they all come with a remote control. 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. 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. ![]() How We Chose Extensive Evaluation Process ![]() ![]()
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