The best media streamer for most people is the updated Roku Streaming Stick. It’s as fast to use as any streamer available, with a wider selection of apps than others offer. And unlike its main competitors, Roku doesn’t try to sell content from its own store; rather than prioritizing one streaming service over another within its interface, it lets you customize what it displays to suit your preferences.
Later in June, the Nvidia Shield is getting an update to OS 3.2, which will include Plex Media Server support. We’ve updated our section on the Nvidia below to discuss what this means.
*At the time of publishing, the price was $65.
If you use iTunes and purchase your content from that store, you should get the Apple TV. The new version includes Siri’s easy searching and has the advantage of being the only device that supports iTunes.
The Apple TV also offers most of the major streaming services, but relies on AirPlay support (streaming via your iPhone, iPad, or Mac) for some of them rather than native apps. The new App Store holds the promise of better games and services down the road but isn’t extensive right now. Given the better outlook for the new version, we recommend getting the new model if you use iTunes a lot.
If you want to play back lots of local media directly from a USB hard drive or thumb drive, the Nvidia Shield supports almost any file format and serves as a full Android TV streamer, which gives it access to a large and quickly growing selection of streaming apps. It also supports 4K playback, though it lacks support for Amazon Instant Video right now.
If all you want to stream is stuff from Netflix or Amazon, you probably don’t need a media streamer. Almost all recent TVs have support for those two services built in, and many remotes include a dedicated Netflix button. If you have a 4K HDR TV, the best way to receive 4K HDR content from Netflix or Amazon is still to use the apps built into the TV, although streamers like the Nvidia Shield player and Roku’s new Premiere+ model now support HDR.
Streamers have the ability to play far more content than what most TVs or Blu-ray players offer. Typically, streaming boxes also have a better user experience, with more channels, a more responsive user interface, and better search features. Support for newer streaming services such as HBO Now and Sling TV also comes to media streamers before it comes to TVs.
With such a wide selection of streaming services, and now even access to live TV, a media streamer can allow you to cut out cable or satellite TV completely. Some companies, including Time Warner and soon Comcast, let you replace a monthly cable box rental with a streaming device.
A media streamer can also give you easy access to the content you already own and play it on any TV in your house. You can access and play media stored on your home network, either on a computer or on a NAS, without needing to hook a PC up to your display.
Many smart TVs stop receiving regular app updates eventually. The TV will still work fine, though, and a media streamer will help keep it up to date with current streaming services and provide a better user experience. Instead of spending hundreds on a new TV or replacing a plasma with a newer LCD that might offer worse picture quality, you can add a streaming box to get access to new content on your existing TV.
We tested all the major media streamers on the market. Photo: Chris Heinonen
The single most important thing any media streamer must do is play back your content. If you get most of your content from a source that a particular streamer doesn’t support (such as iTunes on a Roku, or Amazon on the Apple TV), that device will not work for you. A streamer with a wide selection of content sources will be a better choice for most people than one that has a limited selection.
A good search feature that helps you find the content you want is also important. Many streamers search across a limited number of services or prioritize content from a source where they earn income. For instance, Amazon puts Amazon content at the top of the screen, Apple leads with Apple content, and Android TV devices primarily search across Google services. These companies make more money when you buy content from their stores, so they prioritize their stores even if that isn’t where you typically buy things. A streamer that looks across more services and provides both free and pay options helps you find your content at the lowest price.
Your media streamer should also allow you to customize the interface and prioritize the services you use the most. If you prefer to use Netflix or Amazon or Vudu, you should have the option to push those services to the front of the interface. An ideal streamer is ecosystem agnostic and lets you—rather than the device manufacturer—make decisions.
The Roku Streaming Stick offers the widest selection of content, the best search, the best interface, and the best user experience. Unlike prior versions, the current Roku Streaming Stick offers all the speed and performance of the more expensive Roku 2, drops some extra features that many people probably don’t need, and adds other benefits.
Roku has a larger selection of content than anyone else, and it continues to grow. Amazon, Google Play Movies & TV, HBO Go and Now, Hulu, Netflix, Pandora, Showtime, Sling TV, Spotify, Vudu, and more all have support. Finding something that Roku doesn’t support is the hard part. The only major service missing is iTunes, but Apple doesn’t open that up to anyone. When new services launch, Roku is typically among the first—if not the first—to offer support.
Search on the Roku encompasses the most services and grabs the best results. Roku will search across Acorn TV, Amazon Instant Video, Blockbuster On Demand, CinemaNow, Crackle, FandangoNOW, Fox Now, FX Now, HBO Go and Now, Hulu Plus, National Geographic TV, Netflix, Popcorn Flix, Roku Recommends, SnagFilms, Time Warner Cable, and Vudu to find your content. You can search by title, actor, or director to find what you’re after.
Roku’s search displays results in a specific order: First, results from channels you have installed, sorted by price (lowest first). After this, you get results from channels you don’t have installed, which are also ordered by price. Not only does this approach help you find content more easily, but it also lets you choose content from the least expensive source. If a movie or TV show is available for free from Netflix but for purchase from Amazon and Vudu, for example, Roku’s search function shows Netflix first. For people who subscribe to multiple streaming services, where content changes monthly, Roku’s search function makes finding what you want, for the lowest price, easier than the search tools on competing boxes.
For example, contrast all of that to Amazon’s Fire TV and Google Chromecast. The Fire TV’s search is currently limited to Amazon, Crackle, Hulu Plus, Showtime, and Vevo. Because of how Google’s Chromecast works, it offers no search across different platforms. Amazon was the first to offer voice search on its streaming box, but the search on the Roku Streaming Stick is better implemented and looks across more content than Amazon’s feature does. After all, a search feature that is easier to use because of voice control but is unable to find what you’re searching for really isn’t useful.
Roku also lets users create their own “channels,” which can provide access to content even if official Roku support doesn’t exist. Lifehacker has some helpful tips regarding great, free streaming channels available on Roku and how to find them.
You can also customize the look of the interface to place your favorite apps at the top. If you use Netflix, Amazon, and Sling TV the most, for example, you can place those three apps at the top of the list. If you don’t use Netflix or Amazon at all, you can remove those apps entirely. The Fire TV gives priority to Amazon content. If you buy almost all of your content from Amazon, this is fine, but other services’ content can be slower to access.
Some channels that are available on other platforms are missing from the Roku box, but you have a few workarounds. For example, during my testing I noticed the lack of a Twitch channel for Roku. Although the official store didn’t offer a Twitch app for download, I did find a third-party app that someone (namely, not Roku) had created. Amazon locks down their devices, but anyone can create a third-party channel for Roku boxes. Using a third-party channel entails the same risks as running any piece of software that isn’t authenticated, but you can find some reliable sources of channels. (FWIW, Roku now has an official Twitch channel, but when it didn’t, the unofficial one did the job.)
Unlike previous models, this year’s Roku Streaming Stick is just as powerful as the Roku 2, our former pick. Its improved quad-core processor is just as fast and responsive as the Roku 2 in our use. Both support 720p and 1080p output, connect wirelessly via 802.11n/g/b on both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands, and can be controlled with iOS or Android apps (which also allow you to use voice search). It’s worth noting that because they both have only an HDMI output, they won’t work with older non-HDMI TVs.
The Streaming Stick supports a new personal listening feature: you can stream the audio from the Roku to your smartphone (via an app) to listen with headphones. We only had a couple of audio drops during a few hours of testing, which were likely just Wi-Fi coverage issues in that corner of our house. Better yet, if a call comes in, the app pauses your content automatically so you can answer without missing anything. Battery life while using the personal listening feature on our iPhone 6 was fine and no different than streaming music from Spotify or another service. The Roku 3’s remote offers a headphone jack that lets you use personal listening without a smartphone (at the time of writing, you can order the Roku 3 remote for the Streaming Stick for $30). We really would recommend doing this over ordering the Roku 3 on its own, unless you need to have a Ethernet port (the Streaming Stick is Wi-Fi only).
The included remote uses RF instead of IR and has quick access to major services. Photo: Chris Heinonen
The included remote control for the Streaming Stick uses RF instead of IR to communicate. This means you don’t have to worry about maintaining a line of sight with the remote, an obvious plus since the SS will likely be hidden away behind your TV. The Roku 2 remote uses IR while the Roku 3 model also uses RF. Unlike those two, the Streaming Stick’s remote is finished in a matte black to reduce fingerprints and smudges.
The Streaming Stick also offers the most compact form factor of any streaming device. The tiny size makes it easy to plug into a side HDMI port without being seen, even on a wall-mounted TV. Since USB powers it, you can run it directly from the USB ports that almost all TVs and projectors have today. While this means it will turn off when the TV does, it completely boots in around 20 to 25 seconds. The previous SS took over a minute to be ready for use.
If your TV doesn’t have a usable USB port, you can still run the SS off an AC outlet using an included USB-to-AC adapter.
The Roku Streaming Stick also supports screen streaming or mirroring from supported devices. It’s not a huge list: currently just a limited selection of Android and Windows Phone models, with no iOS support. However, if you have one of the supported devices, the mirroring works well if you want to show your tablet screen on your TV. This also means if a streaming service you want isn’t offered on the Roku box, you can stream it from your tablet instead. The result isn’t as good as native streaming from the Roku device, but the arrangement might work in a pinch.
Roku OS 7, which debuted on the Roku 4 and is rolling out now, adds support for captive Wi-Fi portals. This means you can take your Roku on the road with you, and using your smartphone or laptop, you can connect it to the hotel Wi-Fi. Previously only the Fire TV offered this feature, making the Fire TV Stick a good travel companion. Roku’s inclusion of this feature removes a reason to consider the Amazon device.
David Katzmaier of CNET has given out a total of three five-star reviews in his decade-plus stint there. One was for the Panasonic ST60 Plasma (our pick for best TV while it was made), one was our prior pick the Roku 2, and the newest is the Roku Streaming Stick. Of the Roku Streaming Stick, he says that “The new Roku Streaming Stick is the best value in streaming-video hardware, period.”
Will Greenwald of PCMag gives the Roku Streaming Stick a rating of only 4½ out of five. Aside from not supporting 4K, which we believe isn’t really necessary for most people, the Streaming Stick “is a tiny, fast, full-featured media streamer”.
The Roku box lacks access to iTunes and Google Play Music. If you use either of those services extensively, you should probably choose either an Apple TV or a Chromecast. It is also HDMI-only, so you’re out of luck if you own an older TV with only component video. If your TV lacks HDMI, the older, slower, and cheaper Roku 1, which has composite-video output, might be for you.
The user interface design on some of the Roku apps isn’t as current as it could be. For example, the Roku version of the Netflix app is the most current design, but the Amazon Instant Video app relies on a basic interface that uses the standard Roku-style elements. In contrast, Amazon Instant Video on many TVs has a brighter, more graphical interface that is easier to navigate. The same content is available on the Roku box, but the interface could use improvement.
The Roku boxes don’t do well with local media playback, and the Streaming Stick has completely dropped the local USB port (the built-in USB port is for power only). You can use the USB port on the Roku 2 and 3 for some media, but neither device supports a huge variety of file types. A much better option is to use Plex on a computer or NAS device along with the Plex app on the Roku. This arrangement lets you play back far more content than the Roku can on its own. Plex also offers apps for iOS and Android that let you stream your local content to any device in the house. This setup requires you to leave a computer powered on and running Plex, so it isn’t for everyone, but it is a possible solution to the local-media problem.
Using the Roku Media app, you can play back files from a DLNA server over your network. The interface isn’t as nice as that of Plex, and the media format support isn’t as extensive. For viewing photos or playing music over the network, it should work fine, but it can’t handle as many kinds of video files.
The Roku box also lacks AirPlay, the streaming protocol that the Apple TV (see below) uses. This means you can’t mirror your iOS screen onto the Roku box as you can with an Apple TV, nor can you stream your iTunes library directly to the Roku box. If you need either of those features, you should get the Apple TV instead.
Finally, we should mention that on a six-year-old 32-inch TV, the Roku gave us HDCP errors on one HDMI input. The other HDMI inputs on that set worked fine, so it is likely a TV issue, but just be aware to try multiple inputs if this happens to you.
As is true with most streaming services, we take issue with Roku’s privacy policy. The company realizes a significant portion of its income from advertising, and to that end it collects a large amount of user data to support that business. You have no way to opt out of much of the data collection, it isn’t totally clear what data is shared with third parties, and the policy asks you to agree to binding arbitration in the case of a dispute. While it’s hard to avoid this kind of thing with any streaming service (and thus we don’t consider it a dealbreaker in Roku’s case), we do think it’s important that you be informed.
The Roku 2 and 3 are identical aside from the included remote. Photo: Chris Heinonen
*At the time of publishing, the price was $65.
If our top pick is sold out or unavailable, the Roku 2, our prior pick, is the the best option. It offers the same speed and content selection of the Roku Streaming Stick but a larger form factor. It also includes an Ethernet port for those who hard-wire their connections.
The Roku 2 also still uses an IR remote instead of RF, so it isn’t as reliable when placed behind the TV. It also needs AC power instead of just a USB plug, and it lacks the private listening mode that the Streaming Stick offers. The Streaming Stick is a better value, but the Roku 2 is still great.
The Apple TV is great for iTunes users. Photo: Chris Heinonen Photo: Chris Heinonen
If you buy a lot of content (either music or movies) from the iTunes Store, or if you want the ability to easily stream your music to your receiver or soundbar from your computer, you should choose the new 32GB Apple TV instead of a Roku Streaming Stick. It supports almost as many apps as the Roku but also lets you play back your iTunes content on your TV. In addition, you can stream audio and video from Apple devices and mirror your iDevice or MacBook on your TV through AirPlay. The new version also includes Siri plus a new App Store. If you’re invested in iTunes content, and if the Apple TV isn’t missing a streaming channel that’s essential to you, this box is the right choice.
All of the key channels you might expect to see are on the Apple TV, including HBO Go, HBO Now (the new $15-a-month streaming service), Hulu Plus, Netflix, and YouTube. It also has good sports coverage with MLB.TV, NBA, NHL, and WatchESPN channels.
Beyond that, a few important channels are missing. Amazon Instant Video is absent, obviously, which is virtually a dealbreaker for any Amazon Prime member. Current rumors suggest this situation might change in the next few months, so we’ll watch for that. Also missing are Amazon Cloud Player, Pandora, Spotify, and Vudu. You can send many of these channels to the Apple TV via AirPlay if you own an Apple device, but otherwise you’re missing a lot of essential content. If you aren’t already tied to the Apple ecosystem, these missing apps represent a major reason we generally prefer the Roku Streaming Stick to the Apple TV.
Of course, owning a MacBook, iPad, or iPhone helps to mitigate these issues. You likely already have your desired apps on those devices, and having to use AirPlay to send their content to the Apple TV isn’t a dealbreaker. And if you have OS X Mavericks or above, you can even use AirPlay to turn your TV into a gigantic extra monitor instead of just setting it to mirror your computer’s primary display.
Unless you have a really good router, though, you shouldn’t expect AirPlay to work perfectly. You’ll get better results connecting the Apple TV directly to the router via an Ethernet cable.
Siri voice search does work well, but it’s limited in the number of apps it can search in comparison with Roku (as of this writing, anyway). More voice-searchable apps will be added, but they aren’t there yet. The updated remote is an improvement, but other changes like the new on-screen keyboard reflect poor design choices.
The Apple TV also doesn’t make it possible to browse content prices from different services, as the only service you can buy from is Apple’s. Our search for Pulp Fiction on the Apple TV , for example, revealed (and you should remember that all of the following numbers have likely changed since the time of writing) that we could buy the movie for $10 from iTunes, rent it for $4 from iTunes, or find it available on Netflix and Showtime. By comparison, our search on the Roku showed that Pulp Fiction was free with Amazon Prime and Netflix, $2 from MGo, $3 from Vudu, and $15 from Cinema Now. You get no other purchase options on the Apple TV—just free streaming from services you can subscribe to.
We’re recommending the 32GB version because we think most people won’t need the 64GB version unless they’re heavy gamers, as the unit is designed to free up space when necessary on its own.
The new Apple TV also includes a somewhat better remote, and it offers HDMI CEC support (so it will control your TV volume), better Wi-Fi, voice control, and a new App Store. As nice as these new features are, however, they don’t remedy the issues related to content. You still need an iOS device or a Mac to watch Amazon video, and other services are still missing. The App Store can fix this problem, in theory, but we’ve been expecting Apple to improve the Apple TV for years with very little progress. Amazon also seems determined not to make its content easily available on Apple TV or Android devices, so that situation may not change.
As the user interface is currently designed, the trackpad isn’t as useful as a standard directional pad. Moving the cursor around to the extent you want is too hard, and the design hasn’t changed to accommodate it. The trackpad might offer some benefits inside of apps, but for navigation, the irritation grows over time.
The release of tvOS 9.2 adds usability tweaks that should make the Apple TV better in daily use. First, and most important, you can now dictate text input via Siri instead of having to use the poorly designed on-screen keyboard. This change, along with the capability to use a Bluetooth keyboard, fixes one of our main complaints about the Apple TV interface. The update also allows you to use folders to group apps together, just as in iOS; Siri can now search the App Store, too. In addition, your entire photo stream now displays in the Photos app, and you can view the Live Photos taken with the latest iOS devices. All of these fixes are minor updates that improve day-to-day use, but they don’t address the lack of an Amazon Instant Video app or bring support for more music services. If the App Store develops as well as the iOS App Store did, the Apple TV might be the best platform in another six to 12 months. Right now, it still falls short of Roku for most people.
The updated Fire TV, Amazon’s second entry into the streaming-box market, offers some nice benefits such as 4K, but we can come up with better ways to spend $100. It is very fast, loading movies and apps quicker than almost every other device. Amazon Prime movies start virtually instantly. A voice-control feature in the remote makes finding titles faster and easier than doing so with an on-screen keyboard. The Fire TV also has an optional gaming controller, should you want to play a few games without moving over to a full-blown game console. Unfortunately, the Fire TV is not quite fully baked as a standalone product or ecosystem.
The interface is where the Fire TV loses to the competition. It pushes all of Amazon’s content to the front while making other streaming services harder to find. Yes, this box can handle HBO Go, Hulu Plus, and Netflix, but it doesn’t merge the content in the main user interface. It has a Movies section, but that section is filled with Amazon titles; movies on Netflix and other services are available only under the Netflix app. Recent titles you’ve watched on other services show up under Recently Watched, but Amazon constantly tries to steer you toward its own content. It behaves more like an Amazon app that begrudgingly also has apps for other providers inside of it. We’re currently testing Amazon’s September 2016 update to the Fire TV interface, to see how it has improved these faults.
On top of that, the software doesn’t feel complete yet. Voice Search works for Amazon titles and Hulu Plus, but not for Netflix (previously due at the end of 2014 and still not working) or most other apps. Google and Apple were able to figure out Netflix voice search.
The new 4K support is also half-baked. It will play back 4K content, but using HDMI 1.4 bandwidth. This means that it’s limited to 24p frame rates (which is why the menus are only 1080p) and that it won’t be supporting wide-color-gamut or high-dynamic-range material anytime soon. Since Amazon is currently a main source for HDR content, this flaw is apparent and puzzling. In the end, 4K support on the Fire TV seems mostly to exist just so Amazon can check a box on the spec sheet. The internal Amazon app on your 4K TV will work better.
A key feature that could potentially make Amazon’s device worth buying for parents of young children is FreeTime Unlimited, which is wonderful on the company’s Fire tablets. Just $3 a month (at the time of writing) buys parents unlimited access to kids’ books, movies, apps, TV shows, and more. Children are also locked inside the interface, so they can’t view inappropriate content. You can set daily time limits and lockout times, too. As a parent, I love this feature on a tablet, though when my kids are using the TV, someone is there with them, so it isn’t as useful in that context. It’s still a cool option.
The gaming features are so-so. Games that are years old play well, while recent games are stripped-down versions of their console counterparts. Add in the $40 for a controller, and you’re getting close to the price of a full-blown game system. The Apple TV’s gaming strategy, which focuses on games designed directly for portable hardware instead of ported console titles, looks to be a better approach. The updated Fire TV lets you use a MicroSD card for storing games, as they quickly fill the internal storage, but that doesn’t make it a great gaming platform.
Unless you stream content only from Amazon, you can find better choices out there. The hardware is decent, but the search features lag behind those of other platforms, while the user interface makes streaming non-Amazon content harder than it should be.
Roku 4
The Roku 4 is the first model from Roku to support 4K streaming services. Most 4K TVs already have these apps built in, and the Roku 4 offers no benefits over those versions. It does provide the wide selection of apps that other Roku players do, and it includes a new feature to help you find your missing remote. Most people won’t need this model’s added features today. And considering that it’s almost twice the price of the Roku 2, unless you really need a particular 4K streaming service that the Roku 4 offers, you should probably stick with the cheaper Roku Streaming Stick.
Currently, the latest box also doesn’t support HDMI 2.0a—only HDMI 2.0. This detail will be important in the future when more high-dynamic-range content starts to stream. Roku has been vague on whether it will be able to upgrade its devices to HDMI 2.0a via a firmware update if streaming services require that. The company does say that it’s waiting for the standards to be solidified. The Roku 4 has an optical output, too, so if you own an older soundbar or receiver that doesn’t support HDMI, this is a great feature to have.
Even so, however, most people can save some money today and just get the Roku Streaming Stick.
Google Chromecast
The updated Google Chromecast hardware offers little in the way of changes, but the updated software makes it a better option than it was before. It still uses your smartphone or tablet instead of a remote (which people love or hate), its resolution is 1080p, and it’s currently the most affordable option. The selection of supported content keeps expanding; in that one regard, it can truly rival Roku. Usually you can display content not directly supported by “casting” a Google Chrome tab from your computer directly to the Chromecast.
More important is the new Chromecast app that offers universal search across different apps. Prior to the separate app, you had to open each streaming service and search to determine whether a particular movie or TV show was available. The new app lets you search across multiple streaming services to find your content on whatever apps you have on the device with the Chromecast app installed. This feature makes Google more competitive with Roku and Apple, which have improved cross-platform search on their respective devices as well.
Unfortunately, the search feature currently doesn’t work as well as Roku’s. In our tests, searching for Pulp Fiction, for example, brought up sources to stream the movie from but not as many choices as the Roku found. More interesting was our search for Amélie: Roku listed five sources to stream it from, but the Chromecast search didn’t find it at all. When we searched instead for Audrey Tautou, the star of the film, the Chromecast app found the movie and listed two services that had it. The Chromecast search also doesn’t list prices inside your search; you have to launch apps to find out which services stream an item for free and which services require a purchase. The search is an improvement over nothing, but Google needs to do some work to help it catch up to what Roku and Apple offer.
The Chromecast has a guest mode, so other people can use their Android device (not iOS at this time) to send content to your Chromecast without jumping on your Wi-Fi network. This feature could be useful at parties and family gatherings.
Despite its quirks, the Chromecast makes for a great travel companion due to its tiny size. You can easily take it on trips, hook it up to the hotel TV, and use your phone to stream content to the TV. If the TV has a free USB port, you can power the Chromecast from that and not need a USB adapter. Regrettably, getting it to connect to hotel Wi-Fi networks can be hard, and that makes the device almost unusable in such situations. The Roku Streaming Stick is just as easy to pack now and easily supports captive Wi-Fi ports in hotels, so even this use case isn’t as good as it was.
Without Amazon support or its own remote, the Chromecast falls short of the Roku family—unless, as CNET says, “you’re heavily invested in the Google media ecosystem.” Ultimately, a low-end Roku box is the better choice if you’re keen on saving a few bucks. Still, the Chromecast is growing in usability, and in another month or two it might be much better than it is today.
If you still rent a lot of movies on disc
Though the numbers are shrinking, a lot of people still rent movies on disc. Netflix and Redbox make getting a DVD or Blu-ray easy, and discs still provide the best audio and video quality available. If you like to rent movies on disc, you can take care of that and media streaming in a single box.
Our current favorite Blu-ray player, the Sony BDP-S3500, also offers a wide selection of streaming content. It covers the major services, including Amazon, Hulu Plus, Netflix, and Vudu, but in direct comparison with a dedicated media streamer such as the Roku Streaming Stick, it’s lacking in both range of content sources and user interface features.
A few major channels are missing: HBO Go, WatchESPN, and others are nowhere to be found. The only Blu-ray player that includes HBO Go or WatchESPN is the Xbox One. That console does far more than play movies (including playing video games, of course), but it resides in a different class than these devices.
Unlike the Roku box, the Sony Blu-ray player doesn’t let you customize the order or appearance of the streaming apps, nor does it offer the selection of apps that a Roku box does. Also, the Roku box lets you install only the channels you want, making it much faster to navigate—the Sony player has no such option. It offers a favorites option, but not the customization that the Roku has.
If you use only the major streaming services, however, and if you need or want disc playback, the Sony BDP-S3500 might fit both roles. If you want only media streaming, a dedicated device such as the Roku Streaming Stick will provide a much better user experience.
The ShieldTV does the best job with local media playback. Photo: Chris Heinonen
If you play back a lot of local media files, the Nvidia Shield offers the best local file support and streaming app support. In tests, it played every single file I tried, including UltraHD or 4K content. It can play content from local USB hard drives and flash drives over a network using apps like VLC or from a Plex server. If you have a large library of local content to stream, it outperforms the other streaming devices out there.
The Shield works well as a streamer, and with HDMI 2.0 and HDCP 2.2 support it is the only media streamer that currently supports Netflix UltraHD streams with HDR. Although most UltraHD TVs include Netflix, some do not and many omit other UltraHD sources. The Shield now supports DTS-HD Master Audio and Dolby TrueHD bitstreams on local content, too, making it an even better playback system for local media than before.
To allow all of that, the Shield has the most powerful hardware of any media streamer, and the user interface is very responsive as a result. But it has all of the familiar drawbacks of Android TV devices. Many streaming services lack a native app and require you to use your phone to begin the stream. For example, Android TV lacks a Twitch app, so you have to start that app on your phone and then cast it to the Shield. It feels like a quick fix, rather than the unified environment that Android TV should be.
The Shield also offers gaming features and runs modern titles with good graphics. It supports Nvidia’s GeForce Now cloud gaming platform, which streams modern titles to the box. It’s much better for gaming than, say, Amazon’s Fire TV, but it still lags behind a dedicated game console. The Shield includes a game controller, which also serves as the main way to navigate the system. A real remote control costs more; though it’s easier to use than the game controller, $50 is a lot to spend and you’ll still need a phone to watch certain content. An internal microphone lets you perform voice search across different apps, but the search function gives Google sources like the Play Store and YouTube priority, so it isn’t as useful as Roku’s search. It also can’t search the wide variety of sources that Roku’s search can.
You can use a networked TV tuner to watch live TV through the Shield in addition to all your local and streaming content.
Since the Shield is an Android TV device, it still doesn’t have the large app selection that Roku does today, but the selection is expanding. In September, a software update added apps for FXNow, WWE Network, Fox Sports Go, CBS Sports, CBS News, and The Weather Network, along with a library of new games. And nothing can beat the Shield if you have a large library of local content. If you have a Plex server, however, a Roku box might still be able to get the job done for you, if without the 4K support.
Among the features included in the Nvidia Shield’s June 2016 update to OS 3.2 are the ability to play back HDR content using the HDR10 standard, pass-through of Dolby Atmos soundtracks, and an integrated Plex Media Server. The Plex server supports USB, internal (if you purchased the 500GB Shield), and networked storage and can do 1080p video transcoding on the fly. The Shield is our pick for those that have lots of local media to play back; being able to run an integrated Plex server makes it easier to share that media around your house.
The Fire TV Stick is Amazon’s answer to the Roku Streaming Stick and Google Chromecast. Compared with the standard Fire TV set-top box, the Fire TV Stick loses the voice-activated remote and downgrades its processor. The Fire TV Stick is, however, much faster than the older Roku Streaming Stick in daily use. From a cold boot to streaming a title on Netflix, the Fire TV Stick takes 1 minute, 16 seconds, while the old Roku Streaming Stick required an insufferable 2 minutes, 52 seconds. However the new Roku Streaming Stick is now much quicker than the Fire TV Stick and only $10 more.
The Fire TV Stick also still relies on the Amazon Fire TV interface, which pushes Amazon content over everything else. It has most of the main streaming services but lacks Napster, Google Play, and iTunes. This limited selection is fine if you watch only Amazon content but irritating if you watch a lot of Hulu Plus or Netflix. The search, including voice functions, is also restricted to Amazon services (if you buy the optional voice remote), while Roku search looks across all content providers to show the best option.
The Fire TV Stick was $19 when it first came out, and since then it has been on sale at that price occasionally. For that price, we could possibly live with the worse interface on a secondary TV. But at the usual price of about $40—only $10 less than the Roku offering—the Fire TV Stick simply isn’t as good a choice.
The Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, connected Blu-ray player, or smart TV you already own most likely streams Netflix and plays some local files, too. These devices are just as capable and offer a lot of the same content as some media streamers. They tend to spin their fans loudly when playing HD video, however, so you do have to consider noise. They also lack the extensive selection of content that dedicated streamers offer.
Although the Razer Forge TV won multiple awards at the 2015 CES trade show, the final product has been a letdown. The PC streaming feature that lets you play games from your PC on a TV using the Forge, its main selling point, remains unavailable. The device is also not living up to its billing as a streaming box, with promised support for Amazon, HBO, Netflix, and other services still missing. Perhaps it will receive software updates in the future, but right now we can think of no reason to pick one up.
The PlayStation TV is geared toward gaming. It has a large library of titles and works with a DualShock 3 controller. Unlike the Fire TV, which offers some casual games but does not focus on gaming, the PlayStation TV streams on the side. When Sony released it last October, the only streaming apps available were Crackle and Crunchyroll; Sony originally hinted that the streaming content it offers on other platforms, such as Amazon Instant Video and Netflix, may come to the PlayStation TV as well, but they haven’t arrived yet.
The PlayStation TV isn’t really a competitor in the media streamer category, and it falls behind dedicated devices. Even if it did add support for more streaming content, for this box to be considered on the same level with Roku’s devices, Sony would need to revise the cluttered interface found on its Blu-ray players and TVs. CNET says: “If and when Sony takes another crack at the interface and the offering of entertainment apps, it may eventually live up to its potential (and we’d be happy to reevaluate it at that time). In the meantime, there’s nothing about the PlayStation TV that makes it a must-have device.”
Lastly, a number of companies are making boxes that run Android and not Android TV. The advantage to these boxes is that they can run a wider variety of apps, including Kodi (formerly XBMC). The downside is that traditional Android is designed around a touchscreen, so these boxes are hard to use without one, or at least a mouse and keyboard—a TV remote doesn’t cut it—so they are harder to use from the couch. You’re also using apps designed for a different screen format from your TV’s. And since such a box costs more than a dedicated streamer, this category doesn’t make much sense for most people.
Amazon announced an update to its $40 Fire TV Stick on September 28. The updated model includes a faster processor, 802.11ac wireless, HEVC decoding, and a remote with voice control. Amazon has been converting its streaming library to HEVC format, so the new model should offer better image quality at the same streaming speeds compared with the prior stick. With recently improved searching across multiple platforms and better Netflix integration, the Fire TV Stick might be a more serious competitor to the Roku Streaming Stick these days. We plan to test it to find out if it is one.
On September 26, Roku announced five new streamer models: the Express ($30), Express+ ($40), Premiere ($80), Premiere+ ($100), and Ultra ($130). The Express+ is the only Roku device to include analog video outputs, and it’s recommended only for use with an older display lacking an HDMI port. The Express is $20 less expensive (sometimes just $10 less) than the Roku Streaming Stick but has a less-powerful processor and uses an IR remote instead of the more useful RF remote of the Streaming Stick. In our opinion, both of these upgrades are easily worth the $20 price premium for the Streaming Stick.
The Roku Premiere is very similar to 2015’s Roku 4, as it offers Ultra HD resolution but no HDR or WCG support. Since we think HDR and WCG are essential to anyone buying an Ultra HD source, we suggest spending the extra $20 for the Premiere+. The Premiere+ also adds a point-anywhere RF remote, an Ethernet port, and a microSD port for storing more channels. This is also the only external source for Amazon with HDR and WCG support today, making it a good choice for pairing with our best TV pick, the Vizio P65-C1. Moving up to the Roku Ultra gets you a voice-search remote, an optical output, a USB port for local media, and a remote-locator button; we don’t think the $30 price increase is worth it for most people, as the benefits almost all disappear if you use a universal remote control. Also notable is that all these players have dropped one of the main annoyances of last year’s Roku 4, the loud fan.
We plan to test the Premiere+ soon, as it looks to be a good option for people who need support for UHD streaming with WCG and HDR. If you’re still using a 1080p set, however, the Roku Streaming Stick looks to remain the best choice because of its price, features, and portability.
Google has announced the Chromecast Ultra, a $70 streamer that adds Ultra HD support to features we’ve come to expect from the device. It can stream HDR10 and Dolby Vision content, and it’s the first Chromecast device with an Ethernet port (on the included power supply). Google also announced plans to add 4K content to its Movie store in November, but the company didn’t offer details on whether films will support HDR10 or Dolby Vision, and we’ve heard no word yet on pricing. We’ll test the Chromecast Ultra against some of the newer Ultra HD–capable media streamers soon.
In October 2016, Xiaomi released the Android TV-powered Mi Box. The $70 streaming player plays 4K and HDR content, and supports Google Cast—though there’s still no Amazon Prime Video in Android TV’s app catalog. It doesn’t support Atmos, either, but that’s fine for its price, and it has a remote. We plan on taking a closer look at it soon.
In other news, tvOS for the Apple TV is getting improvements, including a universal sign-on for streaming services that authenticate to your cable or satellite provider, an updated remote app for iOS that includes Siri and touchpad support, improved Siri searching, and updated features for developers. In addition, more streaming apps, such as Sling TV and Fox Sports, are becoming available, bringing Apple more in line with the service support on other platforms. Live Tune In works with your streaming apps to make streaming live content with Siri quick and easy.
In October, Apple announced a new cross-service app called TV that will recognize where you are in all the shows you’re currently watching and following, and allow you to pick up where you left off, or start the next episode in the series, regardless of which app it’s in. It will also sync with your iPad and iPhone. But Netflix has opted out, and Amazon’s long-standing resistance to develop a tvOS app means it won’t be as useful as it could be. We’ll test out the new app when it’s released later this year.
See our post on what you need to know about Apple’s WWDC 2016 event for our initial thoughts on the new version of tvOS. The new OS is available now, and we’re testing the new features to see how they perform.
The Roku Streaming Stick is our pick because it offers the best selection of streaming content, a fast and responsive interface, and an updated remote control. It offers the best cross-service, platform-agnostic search to help you find what you want, and it provides the best streaming experience for most people.
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Originally published: May 31, 2016
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