If you’re in the market for a streaming device, it’s very easy to be overwhelmed by the variety of brands, their features and limitations, the different video/audio formats, etc.
Lucky you! I bought them all and tested them for you to help you decide.
The list is limited to 4K-capable devices since most TVs are now compatible.
The tables show only the data I believe is important and is split by category: box vs stick. (see section below for more details: Box vs. Stick?)
TL;DR The best streaming boxes
- Nvidia Shield Pro is the best, in my opinion; the main perks are Plex Server and outstanding 4k upscaling. Hard pass if you’re interested in HDR10+ (e.g. Samsung TV) or HLG (see the section below about HDR formats). It is the most expensive on the list, but you can always go with the (ugly) tube.
- Apple TV 4K+ is fantastic and even better if you’re already in the Apple ecosystem. The device is the most powerful of all but suffers from Apple’s closed system. If you’re interested in cloud gaming or want to run Kodi, you will have to look elsewhere. Quality comes at a price; I suggest the cheaper Wi-Fi (6E) version if you are close to your router.
- Roku Ultra: A breeze for anyone interested only in streaming: it runs flawlessly, has hands-free voice commands (not for your smart home, though), and supports all HDR formats. It might be the best bang for your buck among boxes, but I suggest taking a look at the very similar Roku Stick 4k+ for half the price.
- Fire TV Cube 4K: if only it would run a true AndroidTV instead of a branch. The cube would be a real contender, but it is unfortunately limited by FireTV OS. Don’t get me wrong, it looks great, and the streaming experience is flawless, but at that price, it feels not right to pick the Cube vs. the Shield or Apple TV 4K… unless you REALLY need another Alexa close to your TV.
| NVIDIA Shield TV (Pro / Tube) | Apple TV 4K+ (128GB / 64GB) | Roku Ultra | Fire TV Cube 4K | |
| Release year | 2019 | 2022 | 2022 | 2022 |
| MSRP (USD) | 199.99 / 149.99 | 149 / 129 | 99 | 139.99 |
| OS | Android TV + GeForce Experience | Apple tvOS | Roku OS | Fire TV OS |
| Storage | 16GB +USB / 8GB + MicroSD | 128GB / 64GB | 4GB | 16GB |
| RAM | 3GB / 2GB | 4GB | 2GB | 2GB |
| Ethernet | yes | yes / no | yes | yes |
| Wi-Fi | 802.11ac (2.4 GHz / 5 GHz) | Wi‑Fi 6 (802.11ax) | 802.11ac (2.4 GHz / 5 GHz) | Wi-Fi 6E |
| HDR Formats | Dolby Vision HDR10 | Dolby Vision HDR10/10+ HLG | Dolby Vision HDR10/10+ HLG | Dolby Vision HDR10/10+ HLG |
| enhanced 4K Upscaling | AI-upscaling | no | no | no |
| Remote | backlit batteries (2xAAA) 1 programmable button | IR transmitter USB‑C connector for charging | IR transmitter mini-USB charging port 6 shortcuts buttons (2 customizable) | 2 AAA |
| Voice-Command | Google Assistant, Alexa | Siri | Roku | Alexa |
| Smart Home | yes | yes | n/a | yes |
| Gaming | GeForce Now, Xbox, Playstation, Steam link | Apple Arcade, Steam | n/a | Amazon Luna |
| Manufacturer | NVIDIA | Apple | Roku | Amazon |
| Offers | see on Amazon | see on Amazon | see on Amazon | see on Amazon |
| Streaming etc. Review | review | review | review | review |
TL;DR The best streaming sticks
- Google Chromecast, they were the first to launch a streaming stick 10 years ago, and the 5th generation is still the best, in my opinion (but the stupid tiny remote!). You benefit from the wide selection of apps available in Android TV and all HDR formats for less (barely) than $50.
- Fire TV Stick 4k MAX: If you’re a die-hard fan of Alexa, go for it. It runs amazingly and feels a much better deal than the Fire TV Cube. Officially, you can’t install as many apps as you would on a Chromecast or Shield, but you can always sideload them (e.g. How to install Kodi on FireTV), which changes everything and unofficially makes it a better option than Google Chromecast.
- Roku Streaming Stick 4K: I love the Roku experience, and the Stick 4K is no exception. It is the best Roku device if you have good Wi-Fi and if you have no interest in anything other than streaming. Still, Roku is somewhat limited compared to Android TV devices, which makes it hard to recommend.
- Roku Express 4K+: I know it gets a lot of praise from other websites, but I still don’t understand why. Compared to the Stick 4K, it has a useless USB port, an odd shape (is it a box? is it a stick?), and doesn’t support Dolby Vision, which was a nasty surprise when I first launched it. Why Roku?
| Chromecast with Google TV 4K | Fire TV Stick 4K MAX | Roku Streaming Stick 4K | Roku Express 4K+ | |
| Release year | 2020 | 2023 | 2021 | 2021 |
| MSRP (USD) | 49.99 | 54.99 | 49.99 | 39.99 |
| OS | Android TV | Fire TV OS | Roku OS | Roku OS |
| Storage | 8GB | 16GB | 4GB | 4GB |
| RAM | 2GB | 2GB | 1GB | 1GB |
| Ethernet | n/a | n/a | n/a | w/ USB adapter |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 802.11ac (2.4 GHz / 5 GHz) | Wi-Fi 6E | 802.11ac dual-band MIMO Wi-Fi® (2.4 GHz / 5 GHz) | 802.11ac dual-band Wi-Fi® (2.4 GHz / 5 GHz |
| HDR Formats | Dolby Vision HDR10/10+ HLG | Dolby Vision HDR10/10+ HLG | Dolby Vision HDR10/10+ HLG | HDR10/10+ HLG |
| enhanced 4K Upscaling | no | no | no | no |
| Remote | 2 AAA batteries | |||
| Voice-Command | Google Assistant | Alexa | Roku | Roku |
| Smart Home | yes | yes | n/a | n/a |
| Gaming | GeForce Now, Xbox, Playstation, Steam | Amazon Luna | n/a | n/a |
| Manufacturer | Amazon | Roku | Roku | |
| Amazon | see on Amazon | see on Amazon | see on Amazon | see on Amazon |
| Streaming etc. Review | review | review | review | n/a |
Which HDR Format do I need?
That is maybe the most critical question you need to answer, after what is HDR? HDR stands for High Dynamic Range and I asked chatGPT to explain because I’m lazy:
Me: Explain HDR to me like I’m five years old.
ChatGPT: HDR is like using a super big box of crayons to color a picture, so you have lots of bright and different colors to make everything look more amazing and real!Me: I’m 10 now
ChatGPT: HDR, or High Dynamic Range, is like turning your TV or game’s graphics from good to awesome, making the bright parts brighter, the dark parts darker, and all the colors more vivid, so everything on the screen looks much more lifelike and detailed, almost like you’re looking out of a window.
Thank you SkyNet chatGPT.
The main formats you will find are:
- Dolby Vision: the most used by streaming platforms
- HDR10: standard for Blu-ray and streaming, also very common in video games
- HDR10+: developed by Samsung, you would find content on Prime Video, Youtube, Blu-ray and Google Play
- HLG: not very common at the moment but might gain popularity or become the new standard because it’s free
All devices tested support the main HDR formats, BUT the NVIDIA Shield (only HDR10 and DV) and the Roku Express 4k+ (doesn’t support DV)
It’s important if you have a Samsung TV, for example, and want to enjoy content in HDR10+
Most recently, Amazon decided to remove Dolby Vision for their newly ad-supported plan. (and users are not happy)
Read Also: Prime Video cuts Dolby Vision, Atmos support from ad tier—and didn’t tell subs (Ars Technica)
or if you want to be sure your device supports HLG in case it becomes a standard.
Stick vs. Box?
Usually, streaming boxes hold more storage and processing power. They are better if you have more advanced usages such as gaming (cloud gaming, emulation) or video decoding (Kodi, Plex server), etc.
If you’re interested in streaming only, any of those machines are powerful enough. You might notice a difference while navigating the user interface or loading your apps. The more power, the snappier it will feel.
Wait… those devices are OLD!
Yes, you noticed that none of the devices have been released recently (2022 the latest), but that’s okay. They are still operating flawlessly, and since the market is relatively small and innovations rare, manufacturers are not rushing to release new devices every year as they would with phones. Think of it like a video game console but with even less innovation. Or a TV.