A streaming device can make a \u201cdumb\u201d TV smart, turning just about any screen with an HDMI port into a TV you can use to watch Netflix, Peacock, Max, a live TV streaming service<\/a> like YouTubeTV, or any other streaming app you subscribe to. If you already have a smart TV and don\u2019t care for the interface, streaming devices give you a whole new way to control your experience. And finally, if you\u2019ve found that hotel television or the static on your Airbnb set leave something to be desired (or if you just don\u2019t want to re-enter all your passwords), a streaming stick will replicate your at-home experience with minimal effort. There are a ton of different streamers out there, all with different strengths and drawbacks. We tried a number to come up with recommendations for the best streaming device for you, depending on what you want to get out of your TV.<\/p>\n Google\u2019s Chromecast, the Apple TV 4K, Amazon\u2019s Fire TV Sticks and Roku devices are the most popular players in the space and each have a unique operating system and interface. This may be the biggest deciding factor for many people, as it determines how the content you want to watch is arranged and presented. We go into detail for each platform below, but all of them come with home screens that, to varying degrees, gather your apps in one place, present the movies and shows you\u2019re currently watching and give you suggestions of what else to watch.<\/p>\n Nearly all streaming devices come with a remote that lets you search and do other operations using your voice, eliminating the need to hunt and peck at on-screen keyboards. They all offer \u201cuniversal search,\u201d in which searching for a title takes you to whichever app has it available. If you want to watch Barbie<\/em> but don\u2019t know where it\u2019s playing, just push the voice button on the remote and say “Barbie.\u201d (We found simply saying the title or the genre you want sometimes works better than saying \u201cShow me\u2026\u201d or \u201cSearch for\u2026\u201d) From the search results, hit the play button and the correct app will open and start playing \u2014 assuming you\u2019ve previously logged into that app and, in most cases, have an active subscription.<\/p>\n Most streaming sticks connect to the internet via Wi-Fi, with the majority of them supporting Wi-Fi 5 or 6 protocols. Set-top boxes can also have Ethernet ports, so you can hardwire your internet connection to the device, which is always faster than wireless. Streaming devices connect to your TV through an HDMI port, and most sticks hide behind the screen, while set-top boxes sit on a surface nearby. Nearly all units also plug into an AC outlet for power. Some sticks used to work by pulling power from a USB port on the TV, but increasingly, these devices are designed to plug into the wall.<\/p>\n If you have a screen that can display 4K content with Dolby Vision and HDR10, you\u2019ll want a streaming device that supports those high-end formats. Of course, even the most top-shelf streamer can\u2019t make a 1080p TV display content in 4K. The series or movie also has to be transmitted in 4K and, increasingly<\/a>, companies restrict higher-quality streaming to more expensive subscription plans. In short, every element needs to support the video or audio feature, otherwise the highest quality you\u2019ll get will be the lowest of any component in the chain.<\/p>\n In addition to helping you find stuff to watch, streaming devices from Apple, Google and Amazon can answer questions about the weather, sports scores and general facts using built-in voice assistants. They can also act as smart home controllers to turn off connected smart bulbs or plugs and show feeds from smart cameras. Just remember, as with all smart home devices, compatibility is key. Fire TV devices work with Alexa-enabled smart home equipment; Chromecasts let you control Google Home devices; Apple TV 4Ks play nice with HomeKit; and Rokus grant power over Roku\u2019s smart home products.<\/p>\n Below are some recommendations for the best streaming sticks and other budget-friendly options. We also included suggestions for set-top boxes and devices geared toward gamers.<\/p>\n Photo by Amy Skorheim \/ Engadget<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Operating system:<\/strong> Android TV | Remote:<\/strong> Yes | Connectivity:<\/strong> Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | Display:<\/strong> No | Voice control:<\/strong> Yes<\/p>\n If you subscribe to a lot of streaming services and wish you could find one home screen to rule them all, Chromecast with Google TV 4K<\/a> is the dongle for you. I\u2019m not often surprised by the performance of a UI, but while testing this one I actually said, \u201cWow, this is pretty good.\u201d Once you\u2019ve added your streaming subs, the homepage organizes your content in a useful, egalitarian way. Up top is featured\/sponsored content, followed by a line of app icons. Next is the Continue Watching row filled with the upcoming episode of series you\u2019ve started. After I\u2019d streamed from a few different apps, I started seeing my next-up shows from Netflix, Hulu, Apple TV+, Peacock and elsewhere, which made it super easy to dive back in.<\/p>\n Further down the page, algorithm-curated lists suggest genres like cartoons, crime shows, Emmy winners and thrillers along with \u201cIf you like\u2026\u201d suggestions. Unlike other services (ahem, Fire TV and Apple TV), Google TV doesn\u2019t seem to give preferential treatment to any one service, pulling rather evenly from the ones you use. Of course, there are plenty of suggestions for YouTube content and, since you sign in with your Google account, Google TV knows which videos you\u2019re likely to watch, but those were confined to their own rows and could be easily ignored.<\/p>\n Navigation is quick and the 4K version of the dongle supports 4K HDR, Dolby Vision, and lets you cast from Chromecast-enabled apps on your smartphone or tablet. You also get a good amount of free content along with a Live TV guide that has plenty of channels and can also incorporate any paid live TV streaming services<\/a> from Sling, Philo and, of course, YouTube TV. It\u2019ll even fold in over-the-air stations you get from a digital tuner.<\/p>\n As for flaws, they\u2019re minor, such as a remote with no dedicated play\/pause button. It instead relies on the center d-pad button, which actually caused more than a few incorrect inputs on my part. Curiously, if you press the Assistant button and say \u201csearch for No One Will Save You\u201d you\u2019ll be fed results for YouTube videos related to those terms. But just saying \u201cNo One Will Save You\u201d correctly takes you to the movie on Hulu.<\/p>\n My biggest gripe is the Chromecast\u2019s five-minute pause timeout. For me, making mid-episode air fryer nachos takes at least seven minutes. But after five minutes, a paused show reverts to Ambient Mode. Pressing the back button returns you to the details page for whatever you were watching, so it\u2019s only an extra button press to get started again. Still, I wish there was a way to delay the timeout. \u2014 Amy Skorheim, Commerce Writer<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\nWhat to look for in a streaming device<\/h2>\n
Operating system and interface<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Connectivity<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Video and audio features<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Voice control<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Best streaming devices<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n