Chromecast vs firestick vs roku tv#

While the Roku Streaming Stick+ is too long and has too many crisscrossing wires, at least it's fairly small and can run off of the power your TV provides. If you need a separate, $15 Ethernet adapter, the situation becomes even more ridiculous. It requires a wall adapter to function at peak efficiency, meaning you'll have to run a long cable from it, potentially pulling it away from the back of your television. The Fire TV is a dongle, but it's a very large, square one, which doesn't secure to itself or the back of the TV. Want to view 4K content on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video? You'll need to splash out on their premium cousins: the Chromecast Ultra (£69/$69) and the Fire TV Stick 4K (£49.99/$42.99).However, neither dongle holds a candle to the Amazon Fire TV in terms of bizarre design decisions. Overall, both streamers offer great performance for the money. Speech is clear and pretty detailed across both devices but, while the Chromecast has enough dynamism for a blockbuster soundtrack, we did encounter the occasional lip-sync issues.

Chromecast vs firestick vs roku plus#

On the downside, dark detail isn’t terribly strong and there’s a hunt of blur and judder to motion.Īudio-wise, the Fire TV Stick outputs sound up to Dolby Digital Plus 7.1, while the Chromecast tops out at Dolby Digital Plus 5.1. The Chromecast's picture is similarly sharp and detailed, and boasts natural colours and a good deal of punch. The Fire TV Stick's picture is as crisp as we would expect for the money, with suitable insight to the dark scenes and plenty of pop in the colours.

Chromecast vs firestick vs roku 1080p#

Result: It's close but Amazon Fire TV Stick pips it.īoth these budget streamers serve-up video content in up to 1080p HD resolution, but how do they compare? Neither devices will replace your Xbox or PS4, though. Turn the Fire TV Stick's remote sideways and it become a games controller. There's plenty of Chromecast-enabled games to choose from. (Worth noting: Chromecast will only grant access to Apple TV+ via a laptop or computer, not a smartphone).įinally, both streamers offer the bonus of casual gaming. Both offer access to all the main catch-up TV services and all the major streaming services including Netflix, Prime Video, Apple TV+ and YouTube. When it comes to content, there's not much between the two budget streamers. If you're a fan of Alexa, the Amazon Fire TV Stick would be the obvious choice. Amazon’s Advanced Streaming and Prediction (ASAP), for example, learns your tastes and pre-buffers Prime Video shows it thinks you might watch next. The Chromecast is arguably the simplest and most versatile of the two streamers, but the pricier Fire TV Stick offers some nifty advanced features. Just like the Fire TV Stick, you can adjust the volume or give commands such as 'Hey Google, play Stranger Things on Netflix'. The Chromecast can be controlled using your voice, too, through Google Home devices. The Fire TV Stick also supports streaming through your phone, but it's not as slick or widely adopted. Not only can you view almost any media app on your TV, you can use your TV as a monitor for your laptop or computer. Instead, you select a video, song or web page via your phone or tablet and ‘cast’ the content to your TV. It's similarly easy to set-up but there's no physical remote. The Chromecast takes a different approach. Set-up is simple and the user interface is well-designed, so it won't be long before you're in business with the Fire TV. You can command your Fire TV Stick to search for a particular actor, director, or film genre, or even say “fast forward five minutes” (although sadly that function only works while watching Amazon Prime content). The Fire TV Stick comes with Alexa Voice Remote, so you can quickly find films and TV shows using your voice.