Roku Stick Media Streamers W/voice Search Tv Controls Review
The research
- Why you should trust u.s.
- Who this is for
- How we picked and tested
- Our pick: Google Chromecast with Google Tv set
- Flaws but not dealbreakers
- Runner-up: Roku Streaming Stick 4K
- Security and privacy
- The competition
Why yous should trust us
I've reviewed TVs, Blu-ray players, and domicile theater equipment since 2008. I'k ISF-trained for evaluating paradigm quality, and I'm up to date on all of the current and future HDR standards and what to look for when evaluating that content on media players. I've been testing media streaming devices for Wirecutter since 2012, and I own all the current platforms for comparison.
Who this is for
If you use just one or two streaming services—say, Disney+ and Netflix—yous probably don't need a split up media streaming box. Almost all current TVs have built-in support for the almost popular streaming services, as do many cable and satellite boxes, gaming consoles, and Blu-ray players.
The primary reason to get a defended streaming device is to gain access to streaming services and apps that you wouldn't otherwise exist able to access—and to have all that content presented to you in the style you find most intuitive. Typically, streaming media players include more than channels, a more than responsive user interface, and better search and system features. Also, back up for newer streaming services often comes to streaming boxes before it comes to TVs. With such a broad selection of streaming services, as well as access to alive TV through services like Sling, a media streamer can allow yous to cut out cablevision or satellite Television completely. Some cable companies allow you lot supplant a monthly cablevision-box rental with a streaming device. With cable-box rentals costing $10 a month or more, a streaming device can pay for itself pretty apace.
A streaming box can also give you easy access to the video and music content you already own and let y'all play it on any TV in your house. Y'all can access and play media stored on your domicile network (either on a calculator or on a NAS device) without needing to hook a estimator up to your brandish.
Some streaming boxes also offering the ability to play games, though advanced gamers are likely to prefer a gaming panel.
How we picked and tested
The single about important thing whatsoever media streamer must do is play dorsum the content you want to watch. If you become most of your content from a service that a detail streaming device doesn't support, that device volition not work for you lot. A streaming box with a wide selection of content sources is a better choice than one with a express option. These days most services are bachelor on every device, but some popular services are missing on certain devices.
Some other essential matter to consider is how the streaming device integrates all the different services together into a user-friendly interface. If you utilize only a couple of streaming services, it's easy enough to launch a specific app and discover what you want to watch. But if you lot subscribe to a diversity of services, you may prefer to accept all that content integrated on the dwelling house screen so that yous tin see a list of everything you've recently watched without needing to launch the specific app to find where you lot left off.
A good search feature also makes it easier for you to observe the content you desire. Many media streamers search beyond a express number of services or prioritize content from a source where they earn income. For instance, Amazon'southward Fire Tv set prioritizes search results from Amazon'southward own streaming service, even if that isn't your preferred service. A streaming platform that looks beyond more than services and provides both free and pay options helps you lot find your desired content at the lowest price.
Your streaming box should as well let you to customize the interface and prioritize the services—or, ideally, the content—you watch the most. An organization that places your favorite services or shows up front lets y'all more easily become to what you want to watch. An platonic streaming device is ecosystem-agnostic and allows you—rather than the device manufacturer—to make decisions.
Most every new Tv has a 4K resolution and supports high dynamic range (HDR) video playback, so your streaming box should, too. The more HDR formats a streaming device supports (Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HLG), the more than compatible and future-proof it is with newer HDR TVs. At this point, the toll deviation between 4K and 1080p media streamers is $10 or less, and so there isn't much reason to get a 1080p one.
A growing number of streaming services also support Dolby Atmos audio (which adds overhead and height effects to create an fifty-fifty more immersive environs-sound feel), and then we prefer media streamers that tin can output Dolby Atmos audio to your Atmos-capable AV receiver or soundbar.
We exam every media streamer in a bones system with simply a TV, as well as in a complete habitation theater system with a Dolby Atmos soundbar. Nosotros examination all of them over Wi-Fi, though some back up Ethernet as well. All of the TVs we use in our tests support 4K HDR to accept total advantage of the streaming boxes, and many of them are compatible with Dolby Vision.
During our tests, we access a wide variety of content from services including Netflix, Amazon Prime number Video, Disney+, Movies Anywhere, Sling TV, and YouTube, and we compare the systems' integrated search and organization features.
Our pick: Google Chromecast with Google Television
Our selection
The Google Chromecast with Google Idiot box is the all-time media streaming device because information technology supports a lot of streaming services and presents your choices in a more modern, unified interface that lets you find what you desire quickly. It supports 4K HDR video (including the HDR10, HDR10+, and Dolby Vision formats) and Dolby Atmos audio, for the highest-quality picture and audio you can get from streaming services. Its meaty size allows information technology to hide behind your Goggle box, though you do need to connect information technology to an external ability supply (as opposed to your Television'due south powered USB port). Dissimilar with previous Chromecast models, which relied on your phone for control, Google finally has included a handheld remote with vocalisation control via Google Assistant; the remote also allows you to control power, volume, and input selection on your Telly.
The Chromecast supports every major streaming service. If there is a service y'all want to lookout man that Google doesn't support natively on the Chromecast, you can often stream it directly to the player from your computer or mobile device using the Cast option congenital into the app.
For this role player, Google updated its Android Tv platform and renamed it Google Television set. The best characteristic of this updated platform is how it gathers together, in a mod interface, all the content you watch. Instead of forcing y'all to switch between different apps to find something to watch, the home screen presents everything yous've recently watched or added to your watchlist, organized in a single location. You can select a recently watched show and go straight to the side by side episode, for instance, or option upward where you left off in a movie more chop-chop than you can with other streaming devices. The menu likewise offers recommendations pulled from beyond all the dissimilar services, instead of limiting the recommendations to a single service.
When you select a show or movie, the Google TV menu also gives y'all a lot of information most the title, including the Rotten Tomatoes rating, cast info, different sources y'all can stream it from, and related content. You can rate a show to improve your recommendations or add information technology to your watchlist so you can come dorsum to information technology subsequently. Since this functionality works beyond all the different streaming services, information technology delivers a more than consistent experience.
Searching for content with the Chromecast works great. It consistently plant what I was looking for across various services and sources, including titles from my digital movie library (which another competitors don't search). Contextual searches such every bit "Oscar-winning comedies," "movies with Brad Pitt," or "movies with the woman from Amelie" pull up the relevant results quickly, though sometimes yous might need to rephrase your query to get improved results.
Like a streaming stick, the Chromecast dongle plugs straight into a TV'south HDMI port (no additional HDMI cable needed). With this new Chromecast, Google finally decided to include a remote control—and a prissy one, at that. It's simple to use and piece of cake to hold, and information technology includes direct buttons for Netflix and YouTube. A microphone allows for voice search, and the remote tin control your Television receiver, too, offering the power and book controls that near competing remotes have but besides an input control so you can switch to the correct input for the Chromecast without needing the Television receiver remote. It supports Television control via both HDMI-CEC and IR. Regrettably, it isn't backlit, so you tin't easily see the buttons in the dark.
If you happen to get your live TV service from YouTube Tv, the Google TV interface adds a Alive tab that integrates this service so you don't demand to launch the app to see what's on. This feature isn't proprietary to Google and its services; Sling Goggle box and Philo recently updated their apps to back up this feature, and others can in the future, as well.
I take multiple streaming devices hooked upwards to my main TV, representing every major platform, and I keep coming back to the Chromecast with Google TV because the interface makes it so much easier to find what I desire to picket and offers superior recommendations.
Flaws but non dealbreakers
As useful equally the Google Idiot box interface is, you lot can't fully customize it as y'all can some others. A imprint at the top contains four suggested movies or shows, which might come from a service you don't subscribe to and tin't be deleted. You also have no way to completely ignore a certain service. In my case, the content recommendations were near e'er from services I used, so this wasn't a big issue for me—just it likely will badger some people.
Although the Chromecast uses a USB-C–to–USB-A ability cable, the device can't describe power from a TV's USB port because the connection doesn't provide enough juice, so you lot demand to connect the Chromecast to an AC outlet. Streaming sticks from Amazon and Roku typically can run on the USB outlets on a Tv, saving you from needing to connect them to a nearby power outlet and making them more convenient travel companions.
The search recommendations that work so well on Google Goggle box do so only because you're sharing your browsing data with Google. You can disable this role in the device's privacy settings, only doing then means losing out on a lot of what makes the Google TV platform so constructive. The other streaming platforms use this aforementioned information to brand recommendations to you—their recommendations just aren't as good every bit those that Google Goggle box offers right now—so this is an issue affecting every device.
The Chromecast doesn't support the Hybrid Log Gamma (HLG) HDR standard, though currently very little content uses that standard compared with HDR10 and Dolby Vision.
At this writing, Google TV doesn't accept apps to supercede your cablevision Telly box from companies like Xfinity, so yous need to bandage such content from your smartphone or computer instead.
Some owners take complained that the amount of storage in the Chromecast is rather limited compared with the capacity of some other players; eventually you might have to redownload less-used apps. Nosotros didn't run into this problem, just one time Stadia and other gaming platforms that demand more infinite migrate onto the Chromecast, this limitation might become an effect for some people. We don't call up near people will have a trouble in this regard, but we will keep an eye on it.
Runner-up: Roku Streaming Stick 4K
Runner-upward
The Roku Streaming Stick 4K is a nifty option if y'all desire the widest choice of services presented in a simple, albeit somewhat dated, user interface. This media streamer, which recently replaced the Streaming Stick+, supports 4K HDR video (in the HDR10, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, and HLG formats) and passes through Dolby Atmos audio, and information technology has an external antenna to potentially provide amend Wi-Fi reception. The inclusion of AirPlay 2 makes information technology a good choice for streaming music and movies from Mac and iOS devices. This is an HDMI stick that plugs directly into an HDMI input and can depict ability from a compatible USB port, so you tin easily add it to a diverseness of TVs and other home entertainment systems.
Roku still has a larger selection of content than anyone else—including nigh of the major video and music services—and information technology continues to grow. But recently we've seen Roku get into more than disputes with content providers than the other platforms. The company had an extended dispute with Google that resulted in the removal of the YouTube Telly app for a long time (the dispute was finally settled in Dec 2021). DirecTV'due south app was missing for the first half of 2020, NBC'due south Peacock service was not bachelor for a long time, and HBO Max but became available on the Roku platform five months after information technology launched. The fact that such conflicts seem to exist occurring more often than they used to makes us less confident in Roku going forward.
For cable and satellite customers, Roku has apps from Xfinity and other providers that Google TV currently lacks. The apps can have the place of a cable or satellite box. Since rental fees for those boxes can easily be $5 to $10 a calendar month, replacing them can save you lot coin every month. In contrast, most of these apps are available for older Android TV systems but haven't moved over to Google Television receiver yet.
The Streaming Stick 4K improves upon the prior version past adding support for more than advanced HDR formats with dynamic metadata like Dolby Vision and HDR10+. Dolby Vision and HDR10+ provide extra information for every scene, so highlights and shadows can have more than preserved details, and I typically notice that colors are more than saturated and accurate. The addition of HLG support as well volition be useful as more Idiot box content, similar alive sports, becomes available in HDR.
Roku'southward dwelling screen consists of a grid of individual streaming apps. You can customize the menu to identify your favorite apps first. If you utilise Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Sling TV the almost, for example, y'all can put those 3 apps at the top. If you don't apply Netflix or Amazon Prime Video at all, you tin can remove those apps entirely. Simply Roku'due south interface is not as helpful at finding and organizing titles as Google TV is. You can't easily see all your recently watched movies and shows across platforms, and then y'all have to launch individual apps to reach them. The search office on Roku does a good job of finding shows across the unlike platforms, merely information technology lacks the rich context and related-content data that Google TV offers, and so it feels far more limited.
The voice remote uses RF to communicate with the Roku Streaming Stick+ (then it works through walls and furniture), but it adds an IR output for decision-making ability and volume on your TV or projector, and it also has a mute push button, something that many competing remotes lack.
Roku's individual-listening feature allows you to listen to shows and movies using headphones. However, the remote lacks a headphone jack, so y'all accept to use the Roku app for iOS or Android to play your content. (If y'all spend $20 more for the Roku Streaming Stick 4K+, it includes a remote with the headphone jack congenital-in.) If you're using Bluetooth headphones with your smartphone and the individual-listening characteristic, you may detect lag betwixt the video and audio, but we didn't with wired headphones.
The addition of AirPlay ii and Apple's Boob tube app gives the Streaming Stick+ a lot of the perks of an Apple Tv at a much lower price. If a certain channel that'south of import to you is missing from the Roku platform, equally a Mac owner or iOS user you can stream content from the app to the Streaming Stick 4K. However, this organisation requires you to keep the Mac or iOS device streaming the whole time and can sometimes be a heavy bleed on the battery.
The Streaming Stick 4K can evangelize Dolby Atmos audio, just only pass information technology through from services that send Dolby Atmos. It cannot do any processing of Dolby Atmos audio itself, and then there is no Dolby Atmos logo on the box, only from services with Atmos support like Netflix and Disney+ it will laissez passer that Atmos sound to your TV.
For $20 more than the standard Streaming Stick 4K, the Streaming Stick 4K+ includes the Roku Vocalisation Remote Pro. The Voice Remote Pro has a built-in rechargeable battery (though information technology uses Micro-USB and not USB-C), a microphone that tin can be always-on or push-to-talk, ii buttons you lot can program to be custom shortcuts, a remote finder, and a individual listening mode with a headphone jack. If any of these entreatment to yous, and then it might exist worth getting this instead of the standard Streaming Stick 4K, but this model doesn't improve upon the performance of the Streaming Stick 4K in any mode.
Overall we still like the Roku platform, every bit the things that made it a option for over 8 years are even so present—only it only isn't equally intuitive as the Google Telly interface, and Roku's recent issues with content providers cause u.s. some worry.
Security and privacy
Wirecutter takes security and privacy issues seriously and investigates, as much as possible, how the companies whose products we recommend deal with customer data. Nosotros reached out to the companies that produce our pinnacle picks and asked them to provide information that we think is of primary concern for whatever potential buyer. Here'due south what nosotros learned:
How our picks compare
What specific user data do you collect (location, voice requests, user data, etc.)?
Google: We collect data about action in our services, which can be used to tailor and recommend content on the home screen. This can be viewed in the privacy policy. The user is able to visit their Google Account at any time to manage activity information used for content recommendations.
Where is that data stored and what measures are taken to secure information technology?
Google: Google stores the data, and it is encrypted using 256-bit keys past default; Google uses standard NIST-recommended crypto algorithms (like AES CTR + SHA1 HMAC, AES GCM).
What, if any, data is shared, sold, or accessible to third parties or affiliated parts of your arrangement, including via API and other integrations?
Google: None of this data is sold outside of Google.In select instances, we share limited user data with third-party apps to optimize the user feel—for example, to enable seamless login beyond devices. In these instances, a user must consent to sharing their information equally office of the onboarding process, and they have the selection to change their preferences and opt out at any time. Merely the information required to enable the production experience is shared.
A user tin can also choose to link their Google Business relationship to Movies Anywhere for admission to purchased and rented content from other platforms. Past doing so, the user is sharing their content library with Movies Anywhere.
Users can unlink their accounts at any time.
If client information is shared or sold, are customers notified, and are there provisions to secure that data after it has been transferred to a third party?
Are your customers able to opt out of sharing some or all of their data—and if so, how?
Google: Yes, this is built into the setup procedure. At any time, the user is able to visit Privacy in the Google TV Settings to manage permissions or visit My Google Activity to view and delete captured watch history. At that place is also an apps-just mode on the device that people tin use to plough off personalized recommendations entirely.
Does your device contain inactive or agile but unadvertised hardware integration such equally sensors, triggering ever-on microphones, or location services?
Google: There are no unadvertised hardware integrations. You tin notice more information via Google Back up.
The competition
Roku
The 2020 Roku Ultra was the first Roku device to support Dolby Vision and offers improved Wi-Fi support. It too has a individual-listening mode on the remote, along with Ethernet, MicroSD, and USB connections to make it the most flexible Roku streamer bachelor, but it's overkill for most people. In addition, it supports AV1, an improved streaming codec that services will employ in the future to offering improved image quality. The shortcut buttons permit the device to larn your vox commands, so "Open Amazon" or "Listen to Radiohead," for example, causes the appropriate apps and radio stations to offset, but that functionality seems useful for only one person. Since the shortcut buttons are labeled only ane and 2 on the remote, most people won't know what the buttons do until they effort them; the shortcuts can't do complex tasks, just they are easy to reprogram. Compared with the Streaming Stick+, apps do load noticeably quicker on the Ultra, but yous're all the same saving only a second or two in almost every case. Because the Ultra is almost twice the price, we think the smaller size and lower price of the Streaming Stick+ brand that model a better choice, but Dolby Vision users might want to opt for the Ultra.
The 2021 Roku Limited 4K+ is very compact, which makes it easy to mount behind a Television, and now includes a remote that doesn't require line of sight. The Express 4K+ supports HDR10+ just has lower-quality Wi-Fi. Correct now, very few services support HDR10+ (only Amazon and Paramount+ currently), and many brands of TVs nonetheless don't support it, so we think the lower-quality Wi-Fi is a bigger consequence.
Roku recently introduced the $thirty Vox Remote Pro, which combines all the best features of the diverse Roku remotes—including a headphone jack and programmable buttons—with a rechargeable bombardment. There is also an always-on assistant for using phonation commands with your Roku, simply you can disable this if you don't want it. It works with most Roku devices and TVs, and feels remarkably light due to the integrated bombardment weighing less than AAA ones. Every bit nice equally the rechargeability is, yous should only buy it if your current Roku remote lacks other features like the private-listening headphone jack or vocalisation control, since buying rechargeable AAA batteries does the same affair and they can be used in other devices. The remote besides recharges over Micro-USB while most devices are shifting toward the superior USB-C connexion.
Apple TV
The Apple Television set 4K (2021 version) supports almost every service, can handle Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos content, and has a simple user interface. Apple's TV App continues to go better and lets you combine content from well-nigh services (other than Netflix) into 1 unified menu. This player tin can likewise support an external Tv set tuner for cord cutters and run more powerful games and apps than other streaming devices. Apple finally redesigned the remote, later on years of customer complaints, by adding a standard directional pad that makes navigation easier. Simply the Apple Tv costs far more than the contest, and that extra processing power isn't really used when streaming content. If yous plan to take advantage of other features that the Apple Boob tube offers, like playing lots of games on Apple Arcade, then you might need the increased power, but it merely costs too much if you're merely streaming.
Amazon Fire TV
Amazon's Fire TV Stick 4K looks almost identical to the Roku Streaming Stick 4K, with a compact size that allows information technology to hibernate backside the TV and a remote that tin control the TV volume and power, too. It supports 4K HDR video, including Dolby Vision and HDR10+. Amazon completely redid the Fire TV interface, just it still prioritizes Amazon content while relegating Netflix and others to likewise-ran status. The search results are less accurate than those on the other platforms and show fewer results. The Fire TV interface as well has ads on every folio, including a new head banner with full video and sound. Integrated Alexa back up is nice, merely we'd rather pair an Echo or Dot speaker with ane of our picks.
The updated Fire TV Cube combines a Burn TV Stick, an Repeat Dot, and an IR emitter in a single box. It is almost identical in streaming functioning to the Fire TV Stick 4K, though it can handle Netflix in Dolby Atmos. If y'all also want an Alexa speaker and the ability to control your cable box and Blu-ray player with your voice, this model might be worth looking at, just it typically costs far more than a normal media streamer. You can add together an Echo Dot and the new Amazon Fire TV Blaster to go the same functionality from multiple other streaming boxes.
Amazon introduced the Fire TV Stick Lite in 2020, only since it's capable of merely 1080p, we recommend that people spend a little extra money to become the 4K model instead.
Gaming systems and born Television receiver apps
The gaming console, Blu-ray histrion, or smart Television yous already ain probably streams Netflix and plays some local files, too. These devices are merely every bit capable and typically offer a lot of the same content as most streaming devices do. Nevertheless, almost of them lack the extensive pick of content that dedicated streaming boxes provide and omit cross-app searching—they're fine, but a streaming device offers more.
Android Television
The Nvidia Shield Television receiver has ever been our favorite Android Television receiver device, thanks to powerful hardware that is way ahead of the competition. Information technology supports Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos and has upscaling technology that makes non-4K content expect much meliorate on 4K TVs than the contest can muster. It has been a skillful choice for people who similar to utilise the GeForce At present platform for gaming, or for people who want the Pro model to utilize with a Plex server or emulator. But right now it doesn't have the updated Google TV interface, so it doesn't integrate services like the Chromecast does, and the search characteristic isn't as powerful. At some point the Shield Boob tube should go upgraded to the newer platform, and then information technology might exist a improve choice since it's more than powerful, and equipped with more storage, than the Chromecast.
The TiVo Stream 4K is an Android TV–based HDMI dongle that incorporates software from TiVo, making it easier to find content from the services y'all subscribe to, but information technology only supports sure services for this. Equally a issue, if you're looking for content that TiVo's app supports, y'all can stay inside its app, just you need to go back to the standard Android TV interface for other apps. The search feature shows the different platforms that a title is available on, simply information technology tin't testify the prices, so you don't know which option is best for you. When I found a title I was interested in, instead of offer a page with information well-nigh that prove (for example, Bojack Horseman), it would just launch Netflix to show that data. This means a lot of going into and out of apps as yous try to notice something to watch, which is jarring.
The Xiaomi Mi Box Southward is an Android Goggle box box that offers Ultra Hard disk drive back up but isn't every bit capable as the Shield TV. The Mi Box S isn't every bit powerful for local content as the Shield Idiot box is. The interface isn't nearly equally responsive as those of other devices, and in our tests, when we ready it to select a TV mode automatically, information technology indicated that all of our 4K HDR TVs were capable of simply 720p resolution. You can manually fix such an error, but information technology will leave people disappointed if they don't realize it's happening. On top of all that, the remote lacks the TV controls for power and volume that have go standard features over the past year.
Sling's AirTV Mini is designed to integrate Sling TV with Android TV, besides as to integrate with a networked TV tuner so that you get Sling TV channels and your local over-the-air channels in a unified TV guide. For people who desire this Sling Television integration, the AirTV might be a reasonable option, but for people looking for a general-purpose media streamer, there are cheaper, more full-featured options that don't automatically kick into Sling TV every time you power them on.
Android (just non Android TV)
A number of companies are making boxes that run Android, not Android TV. The advantage to these boxes is that they tin run a wider diverseness of apps, including Kodi (formerly XBMC). The downside is that traditional Android is designed around a touchscreen, so these boxes are difficult to use without i, or at least without a mouse and keyboard. A TV remote doesn't cutting it, and these boxes are harder to use from the couch, anyway. Yous're also using apps designed for a different screen format than your TV's. And because such a box costs more than a defended streamer, this category doesn't brand much sense for most people.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-media-streamers/
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