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When you’re looking at Chromecast with Google TV versus Roku Streaming Stick 4K versus Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K, which one comes out on high? All these units are on the $50 worth level, so it may be complicated when evaluating these streaming media units. How do you determine which one is best for you?
With extra that unites these devices than separates them, the reply will likely be within the particulars, so let’s take a deep dive and see the place every gadget’s strengths and weaknesses are.
Further studying
Design
All three units embrace roughly the identical objects within the package deal: a streamer gadget that plugs into an accessible HDMI port in your TV, a Micro USB cable for energy (which, within the Roku’s case, additionally doubles as its wi-fi transmitter module), an influence adapter, and a voice-enabled distant management.
Roku and Amazon use almost similar black HDMI stick designs for his or her streamers. Amazon’s Fire TV Stick 4K comes with an HDMI extender cable in case the stick doesn’t slot in your TV. The Roku Streaming Stick 4K doesn’t. Amazon additionally has a Fire TV Stick 4K Max that’s solely $5 {dollars} extra (you must in all probability simply purchase that one), however we’ll deal with the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K for this piece.
Google’s Chromecast with Google TV follows a barely totally different strategy that places the gadget on the finish of a versatile HDMI cable. It’s a tad bulkier than the stick fashion, but it surely has its advantages: It’s simpler to plug right into a TV’s HDMI port in conditions the place you have already got different cables plugged into the opposite ports (or the place a TV is designed such that there’s no bodily room to have a stick poking straight out of a port). Because the Chromecast sits farther away from the TV chassis, which may trigger Wi-Fi interference, it’d take pleasure in a stronger wi-fi connection. Chromecast with Google TV additionally is available in three totally different colours: Sky, Sunrise, and Snow.
If you propose on utilizing 4K options, you need to use the included energy adapter even when your TV’s USB can energy the streamer. These units can get power-hungry. Chromecast with Google TV particularly requires you to make use of the included USB-C adapter, however technically, the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K and Roku Streaming Stick 4K may be plugged into the USB in your TV. Roku has a protracted USB energy cable with a long-range Wi-Fi receiver that helps with the facility challenge, however with out an HDMI extender, you should still have points getting it put in into your TV.
Unless the Chromecast’s energy adapter requirement is a non-starter for you, then the included HDMI Extender constructed into the Chromecast, in addition to some alternative of colours, provides it a slight benefit within the design class.
Winner: Chromecast with Google TV
Remote controls
Once once more, the similarities between these units are a lot. They’re all about the identical measurement and weight, all powered by non-rechargeable batteries, and all possess the next buttons:
- Power (for the streamer and your TV)
- Volume up/down/mute (on your TV, soundbar, or AV receiver)
- Navigation buttons (D-pad) with central OK button
- Home
- Back
- Voice management by way of the microphone
But once you look carefully, Google seems to have taken a simplified strategy to the Chromecast with Google TV’s distant, which doesn’t possess devoted buttons for:
- Play/pause
- Fast ahead/rewind
Both the Roku and Amazon remotes have these buttons, and Roku, which has probably the most buttons of all three remotes, additionally throws in 4 shortcut buttons for particular apps like Netflix and Apple TV+, plus an instant-replay button that zaps you again 20 seconds whereas watching any video.
Google’s distant can nonetheless accomplish the identical variety of features (besides immediate replay) by giving some buttons a couple of operate. For occasion, the central OK button contained in the D-pad turns into the play/pause button whereas watching a video. Likewise, the left and proper D-pad buttons present quick ahead/rewind.
There’s no query that Google’s strategy yields a smaller, less complicated distant, however we’re nonetheless very a fan of Roku’s single-purpose buttons, which make working the Roku Streaming Stick 4K an actual no-brainer for most people.
Winner: Roku Streaming Stick 4K
Access to content material
All three units embrace apps or channels that let you watch the most important streaming companies (in case you have a paid subscription to them), together with:
- Netflix
- Prime Video
- Apple TV+
- Disney+
- HBO Max
- Paramount
- Funimation
- Hulu
- Peacock
- Crunchyroll
On the floor, this class ought to belong to Roku. As the oldest streaming platform, the corporate has amassed an unbelievable array of streaming companies (that are added to the gadget as downloadable “channels”), and its channel retailer comprises every thing from the most important names like Netflix and Disney+ to the smallest, micro-targeted choices from religious teams and hobbyists.
It’s additionally dwelling to the Roku Channel, a superb useful resource without spending a dime, ad-supported content material, in addition to a simple approach to deliver your subscription companies right into a single interface. Roku’s current addition of greater than 300-plus free reside TV streaming channels makes this much more compelling.
Google Chromecast with Google TV comes with a number of hundred apps to obtain. If you need to watch reside TV on Chromecast, you will want to obtain Pluto TV, YouTube TV, Sling TV, Philo, or a unique native app if accessible. Although Google has introduced including reside TV channels, the 50 reside channels anticipated haven’t but gone reside. Plus, you should purchase or hire films that will likely be added to your Google library.
Amazon Firestick additionally has entry to a number of hundred totally different channels. And it comes with entry to Prime Video, which is dwelling to many unique films and TV reveals, however all of the units embrace the flexibility to observe it by way of an app in case you have the subscription. You additionally get the flexibility to purchase or hire movies from Amazon.
We’re awarding this one to Roku on the strengths of the scale of its channel catalog and its excellent Roku Channel.
Winner: Roku Streaming Stick 4K
Support for audio and video codecs
All three streaming units will help 4K decision at as much as 60 frames per second (fps). They additionally help all the most important video codecs, together with HDR, HDR10, HDR10+, HLG, and Dolby Vision. They are all equal. The audio is a slight distinction right here.
Chromecast with Google TV gives Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, and Dolby Atmos by way of HDMI passthrough. Amazon gives Dolby Atmos, 7.1 encompass sound, two-channel stereo, and HDMI audio passthrough as much as 5.1. Roku gives Digital Stereo, DTS Digital Surround, and Dolby-encoded audio passthrough over HDMI.
Passthrough help for Atmos is nice in that in case you have an Atmos-capable TV, soundbar, or AV receiver, apps can ship an audio bitstream to those units, which can then use that to allow you to hear Dolby Atmos sound. The drawback is that some apps, most notably Netflix, received’t enable Atmos passthrough.
The Fire TV Stick 4K seems to be the winner with the flexibility to totally decode Dolby Atmos. But, for causes we’ve got but to find, Netflix additionally denies the Fire TV Stick 4K entry to Dolby Atmos soundtracks, forcing it to make use of Dolby 5.1.
It’s an identical story for Google’s Chromecast with Google TV, nonetheless, on this case, Dolby Atmos is passthrough-only, similar to the Roku. And but, in a transfer that appears to defy all logic and consistency, Netflix will let Chromecast with Google TV entry Dolby Atmos soundtracks.
Overall, Dolby Atmos help is comparable, and there are the identical video codecs on all three units.
Winner: Draw
Content discovery and ease of use
Roku’s search has all the time been top-notch, and we’ve got little doubt that can proceed to be the case. But lately, with hundreds of films and reveals at our fingertips, looking isn’t essentially one of the simplest ways to search out one thing to observe.
That’s why each Google TV and Amazon’s new Fire TV interface appear like promising enhancements for our skill to find new content material. Both supply a curated view of all your apps, channels, and subscriptions based mostly in your habits and what you watch, and Google TV has even built-in YouTube TV (for individuals who subscribe to that service) to blur the traces between what’s on-demand and what’s reside even additional.
We’re trying ahead to digging additional into them each, however for that intuitive discovery alone, it seems prefer it’s a tie between Google and Amazon.
Winner: Tie between Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K and Google Chromecast with Google TV
Content casting, video games, and additional options
There’s so much occurring right here, so let’s break it down:
Roku Streaming Stick 4K
- Private listening mode and display mirroring by way of the Roku app
- Share movies, photographs, and music out of your Apple gadget utilizing AirPlay
- Hotel and dorm room join for straightforward use whereas touring
- Compatible with each Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa voice assistants to launch channels and seek for leisure
Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K
- Compatible with Amazon’s Luna subscription gaming service
- Alexa is built-in for management of good dwelling units
- Connect to headphones or recreation controllers by way of Bluetooth
- Optional Ethernet adapter
Google Chromecast with Google TV
- Casting of content material from Android or iOS units
- Connect to equipment by way of Bluetooth
- Support for Google’s Stadia subscription gaming service (till January 18, 2023, when Google shutters the service)
- Google Assistant built-in for management of good dwelling units
- Optional Ethernet adapter
We suspect that so long as you’re not a gamer, Roku’s assortment of considerate extras makes it the winner. And on the gaming entrance, issues have modified just lately, with Google asserting that it’s shutting down its Stadia platform early subsequent 12 months, leaving Amazon’s Luna subscription gaming service the lone possibility amongst the three units, so if that’s a giant draw for you, there’s your reply.
Both the Amazon and Google units supply a sold-separately Ethernet adapter should you want a hard-wired connection in your home, however the majority of customers is not going to want this and may join by way of Wi-Fi.
Yeah, this one’s going to be determined by you, not us.
Winner: Draw
Conclusion
Were you hoping for a simple determination right here? Perhaps some deadly flaw that will take no less than considered one of these streaming devices off the desk?
Unfortunately, that’s not the case this time round, but it surely’s for the very best purpose: Roku, Amazon, and Google have all created nice 4K streaming media units at costs that almost all of us will discover very inexpensive.
But we’re not going to depart you caught together with your streaming gadget determination and not using a little recommendation. Roku gives probably the most content material selections, particularly with reside TV, a neat distant, and a few actually distinctive customized options like non-public listening mode. Google gives a uniquely designed gadget that will make it simpler to make use of in your TV and with Google Assistant, and it holds up in all the opposite classes as properly. Amazon’s gadget gives an HDMI extender and Alexa built-in and is equally robust in all the opposite classes.
Overall, which gadget you select will largely depend upon the companies you have got in your house already, as they’re fairly related units at this level, and you’ll’t go improper with any considered one of them.
Editors’ Recommendations
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