No doubt that smart TVs stand no chance against dedicated streaming box devices. That is why people invest a lot in streaming devices even though they have a top-quality smart TV. If you want to access every kind of service and content on your TV, you would need to purchase a dedicated media streaming box.
Streaming boxes provide endless options to play content from thousands of frequent streaming sites and channels. However, the market is stuffed with a plethora of streaming devices, and it is hard to tell which one is best for you.
In this showdown of streaming boxes, you will know what streaming devices are affordable, offer excellent features and performance when compared to others.
This article will help you learn which of these popular streaming boxes are worth for your money.
1. Amazon Fire TV Stick or Amazon Fire TV
These both streaming devices are outstanding products on an unbelievable budget. You won’t regret it once you buy Amazon Fire TV or the Fire TV Stick.
The best thing is that it is extremely compact and portable so that you can carry it anywhere. Moreover, it is far easier to install and set up when compared to the other products.
The 4K version is just one-stop-shop for those who want an affordable high performing device. This allows you to stream and enjoys up to 4K resolution streaming without a single lag. It offers fluid playback no matter whether you play 60 fps or 30 fps along with Ultra HD resolution.
The standard version of Fire TV Stick costs only 40 USD whereas the 4K version cost 69 USD, which is way too affordable. Moreover being an Amazon manufactured product, it is highly reliable and has top-notch quality components.
· Android TV
It is not a particular model from a specific brand; instead, it is just the operating system. There are numerous different Android TV streaming boxes available in the market with various specifications. You can select as per your requirement. Some small manufacturers produce very cheap priced Android TV streaming boxes that might be far affordable than other popular branded devices.
However, some popular brands manufacture high-quality Android TV boxes for streaming purposes such as NVIDIA SHIELD costing roughly 180 USD.
It is, without any doubt, the best Android Box in the market.
The best thing about these Android TV boxes is that they are highly customized and let you do anything possible on Android. This means these boxes turn your TV into a full-fledged Android phone. You would get access to the official Google Play Store and other third-party Android app stores. This also means you can install any third-party streaming apps on it that offers free access to hot movies and TV shows.
Other branded streaming boxes set some restrictions for the users so that users can only access popular paid media streaming channels such as Netflix, Disney Plus and more.
Gladly these Android Boxes are created by local manufacturers that are not bound to the terms and conditions. They allow you to access everything on the web be it apps, websites and other things. You can play heavy-duty Android games on these Android boxes as long as the hardware is powerful enough.
These Android TV boxes are best for those who are techy geeks and love customization and for those who want more than just a streaming box.
· Google Chromecast
It is the most simple streaming device ever made since it is not actually a full-fledged streaming device with the operating system. Instead, it is more like a wireless casting device and enables you to cast your smartphone’s content to the device. It simply receives the video signals via the WiFi technology from a smartphone or tablet. It has no operating system or user interface like other streaming devices.
All you have to do is install Netflix or other streaming services that you want to play on your TV and then just cast your smartphone screen to your TV through Google Chromecast. It only cast the display as the name suggests.
So it is not worth it for many people as it has almost zero features rather than just streaming. Also, keep in mind that you won’t be able to stream everything from Android phone. There are very few apps that allow you to stream content over Google Chromecast. However if you want only Netflix, YouTube and other similar services, go for it. It will do the job perfectly.
Also bear in mind that the 4K version is almost the same as Amazon’s Fire TV Stick 4K, which is a far better option. In simple words, it is just a waste of money for most users who want to access various things without any restrictions. The screencast is not available for every streaming service.
· Roku
Possibly one of the best streaming devices with an exceptional price tag as it costs only 30 USD. It is more bang for your bucks without any doubt. With this small amount, it offers extraordinary features and has tons of different apps to install and use. The 30 USD Roku is the most simple model of Roku and offers all basic functions with up to 1080p streaming.
Gladly there are many other variants of Roku to suit all kinds of people and budget. Some of the higher versions support up to 4K streaming without any glitch.
· Apple TV
It is an ultimate streaming box for those that only trust on Apple products. Many people are bound to use Apple products and why not when you want top-notch quality items, Apple is the leading brand for years. However, it is far expensive than other streaming boxes in this list but also packs far better hardware and specification. Apple never compromises in quality and performance. Apple TV has a mighty processor, RAM and plenty of storage. There are two variants- the first one doesn’t stream more than 1080 P whereas the 4K model allows you to stream 4K videos effortlessly.
Edward Lewis is a creative person who has been writing blogs and articles about cybersecurity. He writes about the latest updates regarding mcafee.com/activate and how it can improve the work experience of users. His articles have been published in many popular e-magazines, blogs, and websites.
Source : Streaming Box Showdown
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