The Best Streaming Device for Your TV Worth Buying in 2024

The Best TV Streaming Device is an excellent choice for a variety of factors. Perhaps this is the only method to access apps like Netflix on your old TV. Alternatively, your TV may already have these apps but be sluggish (many streaming devices are faster), lack voice assistant integration, or be challenging to use. Streaming sticks are another excellent choice if you frequently travel and want to view your favorite smart apps wherever you are.

The variety of streaming devices is more significant than ever, thanks to ongoing upgrades. Along with a potent streaming stick, Amazon's Fire TV line received a considerable OS upgrade that brought enhancements like new user profiles, streamlined menus, and the ability to pin your favorite apps.

We've tested numerous streaming devices over the years, including every model on our list, so we know which products from brands like Amazon, Apple, Roku, and Nvidia, are the most effective for a particular use case. We'll walk you through this guide's newest and best streaming gadgets, including sticks, dongles, and specialized media players from well-known companies like Google, Amazon, and Apple.

The most excellent prices on these top streaming gadgets are also listed below. You won't have to wait long to get one of these for a great deal because Black Friday is quickly approaching.

Read on for our recommendation for the best 4k streaming device available right now. To ensure a sluggish network connection doesn't ruin your viewing experience, you might also want to look at our guides to the best Wi-Fi router and best Wi-Fi extender.

1. Apple TV 4K (2021)

Product’s Specifications

• Resolution: Up to 4K HDR, 60fps

• Bluetooth version: 5.0

• HDR formats: Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG

• Remote control: Yes

• Dimensions (hwd): 3.5 x 10 x 10cm (1.4 x 4 x 4in)

• Weight: 425g (15oz)

Product’s Highlights

A compact streaming device that supports 4K video in HDR and Dolby Vision is the Apple TV 4K (2021). To make fast-paced action and sports look clear and crisp, it also supports high-frame-rate HDR. In our testing, we found that Apple's new A12 processor significantly improves the situation with better graphics and more power for TV and games (great for Apple Arcade subscribers who like playing in their living room).

The updated Siri remote is also a pleasure to use. It has a ton of little but valuable features, like support for multiple users and the capacity to automatically adjust the color balance of your TV. The high-frame-rate capability of the Apple TV 4K (2021) will ensure that your viewing experience is incredibly smooth if you watch a lot of television that involves fast-moving action, such as sports.

There is no ignoring the cost. However, it serves as more than simply a platform for watching movies and television shows; it also serves as a smart hub using Thread smart home technology, allowing your smart home appliances from various manufacturers to communicate more effectively.

Although there are some commendable improvements, the Apple TV 4K 2021 is not significantly different from the previous version. There isn't much motivation to upgrade if you're still wearing the 2017 edition. The new Siri Remote is a single game-changing modification, although it can be purchased separately, so you don't need to upgrade all of your hardware to take advantage of it.

Pros

• Excellent picture and sound.

• High-frame-rate HDR support.

• Plenty of apps.

• Redesigned Siri remote.

Cons

• Doesn’t work with Android.

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2. Amazon Fire TV Stick Lite

Product’s Specifications

• Supported resolution: Up to 1920 x 1080p (FHD) at 60fps

• HDR: HDR10, HDR10+, HLG

• Audio support: Dolby Atmos Audio (HDMI passthrough only)

• Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 AC

• Ports: HDMI, micro-USB (power)

• Voice assistants: Amazon Alexa

• OS: Fire OS 7.2.4.9

Product’s Highlights

The Amazon Fire TV Stick Lite is a wise purchase for those on a tight budget. You must be prepared to accept some of its shortcomings compared to the Fire TV Stick (2020) or Fire TV Stick 4K, but at a lesser price than many rivals on the list.

While this HD streamer won't provide stunning 4K detail, you will receive the essential HDR / HDR10+ support and 60 frames per second playback for fluid action in a blockbuster movie or sporting event. We discovered during our testing that the Quad-core 1.7 GHz processor felt like a significant upgrade from the 1.3 GHz processor found in the 2nd-generation Fire TV Stick.

You also give up the remote's AV, and volume controls for a lower price. This is normal for streamers at the lower end of the price range, so you might not even notice that they are missing.

Less excuse-worthy is the occasionally overbearing presence of content owned by or connected to Amazon across the Fire TV operating system, including advertisements for Audible subscriptions on every menu pane. However, this should not be a big deal for you if you have a Prime membership.

Pros

• Offers 60fps and HDR.

• Includes Alexa voice remote.

• Plenty of apps and services.

• Amazon’s cheapest streamer.

• HDR10, HDR10+ and HLG supported.

Cons

• Limited to Full HD.

• No TV controls.

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3. Nvidia Shield TV (2019)

Product’s Specifications

• Video: 4K, Dolby Vision HDR and HDR10

• Audio: Dolby Audio: Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Atmos

• Processor: Nvidia Tegra X1+

• Dimensions: 6.5 x 1.6 x 1.6 inches

• In the box: Shield remote, 2x AAA batteries

• Smart assistant support: Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant

Product’s Highlights

The Nvidia Shield TV isn't cheap—it costs three times as much as entry-level 4K HDR streaming players—but it's an extraordinarily powerful streaming player because it supports both HDR10 and Dolby Vision video and has cutting-edge AI upscaling technology. It also comes with the updated Shield remote and the most recent version of Android TV and serves as a gateway to Nvidia's game streaming service, Geforce Now.

But Nvidia's new AI upscaling capability, which is currently one of the best features in any streaming device, sets it miles apart from the competition. It is driven by a neural network that has been "trained" using tens of thousands of hours of video and can sharpen video to an incredible degree, making HD video from the past 20 years appear to have been captured earlier this year with a 4K camera. It's wacky.

What took place when we began streaming? We said the following in our assessment of the Nvidia Shield: "During our time with the new Shield, we watched a multitude of content, everything from routine YouTube videos to HD TV shows and some breathtaking-looking Dolby Vision content from Netflix, all of which looked stunning on the TCL 6-Series Quantum that is currently sitting on our test bench.

It has some restrictions, most notably the absence of Apple TV, and it is a little more expensive than a Roku Streaming Stick, but you get what you pay for in this case. It's important to note that the Nvidia Shield TV Pro model includes a larger hard drive and an extra 1GB of RAM, even if the premium model costs a little more.

Pros

• Excellent game-streaming.

• Google Assistant built-in.

• Plenty of great apps.

• AI Upscaling.

• Attractive new design.

Cons

• No Apple TV app.

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4. Roku Express

Product’s Specifications

• Video features: Up to 1,920 x 1080p, upscaling from 720p  

• Audio features: Digital stereo, DTS Digital Surround, Dolby Audio and Dolby Atmos 

• Ports: micro USB, HDMI 1.4b

• Networking: 802.11bgn single-band Wi-Fi

• Size and weight: 38.1 x 19 x 76.2mm (WDH),  0.31kg

Product’s Highlights

A streaming stick masterpiece, the Roku Express. Despite being limited to Full HD streaming, it offers an enormous selection of streaming apps on the top-notch Roku platform for an exceptionally low cost. We referred to it as "one of the easiest to use items on the market" in our assessment.

The Roku remote has become very recognizable in recent years. It isn't nearly as elegant as the Alexa Voice Remote that comes with the Amazon Fire TV Stick, but it is pleasingly simple in its own right, with big, prominent buttons. Long before Amazon, the Roku remote included specific shortcuts to essential apps.

There's a reason the Roku OS has been transferred over to TCL Roku TVs and Hisense Roku TVs alike, with well-organized tile icons for fast browsing and a free, ad-supported Roku Channel platform. We can't emphasize this point enough.

You can't go wrong with the Roku Express if you're looking for a quick, affordable, and simple-to-use dongle to get you started in the world of streaming. Of course, you can check out the Chromecast with Google TV in our guide above or the Roku Express 4K+ (2021) below if you enjoy how the Roku Express looks but can't bear to settle for HD streaming on your 4K TV.

Pros

• The best service line-up.

• Roku TV interface.

• Straightforward controls.

• Cheaper than 4K HDR rivals.

• Fast and responsive.

Cons

• Basic IR remote.

• No Dolby Vision support.

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1. How does a streaming device work, and what does it do?

A streaming device (or streaming stick) enables you to stream (i.e., play) entertainment content directly to your TV from a third-party provider, generally using an HDMI port. This content can include movies, TV shows, music, photographs, or sports.

Naturally, the apps you have access to vary on the streamer. It's also important to note that just because a service is supported doesn't mean a subscription is automatically included; if you want to watch Netflix, for example, you'll still need to pay for it individually (though, as mentioned above, some products come with deals on certain streaming services).

2. If you have a smart TV, what use is a streaming stick?

While it's true that many of today's smart TVs already have a range of entertainment apps installed, external streaming devices nearly always enhance the user interface of a specific app.

Other devices in the Amazon line even have Alexa built-in, giving you the additional option of managing your TV with your voice. Take Amazon's Fire Stick, for example, which offers customers access to more content and greater power than the usual Amazon TV app.

Additionally, it's uncommon for a smart TV to be pre-loaded with access to every streaming service available. Panasonic TVs do not support Disney Plus, and Apple TV Plus is rarely pre-installed on regular smart TVs, necessitating the use of Apple's 4K HDR streaming box.

Through the above article, we hopes that everyone will have the right choice when buying the Best TV Streaming Device. Each product at the top will have different advantages and prices, but according to each section corresponding to it, these are options that you should consider. The article is at the time of the author's content for this article, if you have reasonable options to add, please comment below. Good luck.