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Most TVs on the market today are smart TVs — but there are still a few compelling reasons to get a streaming device. These sticks and set-top boxes let you access a user interface that might be easier to suss out than the built-in one on your set. In the case of older or cheaper TVs, a streaming device could make your TV feel faster, too. You may also find streaming sticks convenient for travel, letting you access all your streaming services on a hotel or Vrbo TV set without typing in a ton of passwords. We tested out streaming players from Roku, Google, Apple, Amazon and more, gauging the usability and the performance of each one to help you find the best streaming device for your cord-cutting needs.
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Best streaming devices for 2025
Photo by Amy Skorheim / Engadget Best all-in-one streaming device Google TV Streamer Operating system: Google TV | Connectivity: HDMI, Wi-Fi 5, Ethernet | Voice control: Yes (Google Assistant) | Resolution: 4K | Supported formats: HDR, Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos | Smart home compatibility: Google Home | Ambient Mode: Yes | Headphone compatible: Yes, wireless | TV power/volume control: Yes Read our full Google TV streamer review The Google Chromecast product line was replaced with the Google TV Streamer in September of 2024. There’s no HD model, only 4K this time around and the going price is $100, which is double the price of the most recent 4K Chromecast. Instead of a dongle that hides behind your TV, it’s now a set-top wedge. Inside, there’s a faster processor, which kept up with my scattered testing methods — opening and closing apps then reloading them immediately — with no trouble. The Apple TV 4K is still the fastest of the streamers I’ve tried, but I don’t think the speed here will disappoint most people. The storage has jumped up to 32GB from a skimpy 8GB on the Chromecast and the memory is doubled at 4GB. It supports up to 4K/60fps video with HDR, HDR10, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision. Audio formats include Dolby Digital and Dolby Atmos along with spatial audio if you’re wearing the Pixel Buds Pro. The remote control is compact and streamlined; the D-pad handles navigation, play, pause and rewind. Of course there’s also a back button (as you’d find on any good Android device). And if you ever lose the pill-shaped remote, you can push a button on the back of the set-top wedge to make it ring. Google has made its Home app an integral part of the streamer. Not only will you use it to set up your device, but you can also use the streamer to view a slideout home panel on your TV screen (that looks a lot like the Favorites tab in the app). The panel lets you control your compatible smart home devices so you can set temperatures, turn off lights, view feeds and so on. You can even do so while you’re watching something if you program the star button on the remote to pull up the Home panel. What really makes the Google TV 4K Streamer the best for all-in-one steaming is the interface. It’s basically the same as what you'll find on any TV set or screen that comes with Google TV built in. I find Google’s presentation to be the best at pulling together content from different streaming apps into one useful and intuitive menu. It’ll track what you’ve been watching across different platforms so you can easily dive back in, and the recommendations are pulled fairly equitably from across your subscribed services. Of course, no big tech company can release a product today without some AI contrivance and it comes here in the form of computer-generated plot and audience review summaries for titles. It’ll also generate screensaver images based on your prompts. Those are fine and all, though probably not worth it. The real reason to go for the Google TV Streamer is the helpful interface combined with performance that’s faster than most of the sticks on the market. And if you’re someone who uses Google Home for your smart home control, you’ll get even more out of this device. Pros Excellent interface combines all streaming content equally
Useful smart home control with a slide-out paneluseful
Attractive device with a great remote Cons Required HDMI cable issold separately
Double the price of its predecessor $100 at Amazon Explore More Buying Options $100 at Target$100 at Verizon
Amy Skorheim for Engadget Best streaming device for free and live content Roku Streaming Stick Plus Operating system: Roku OS | Connectivity: HDMI, Wi-Fi 5 | Voice control: Yes | Resolution: up to 4K | Supported formats: 4K, HDR | Smart home compatibility: Roku Smart Home, Alexa, HomeKit, Google Home | Ambient Mode: No | Headphone compatible: Yes, wireless via Roku app | TV power/volume control: Yes Read our full Roku Streaming Stick Plus review Believe it or not, the streaming world has enough free content to keep even the most voracious watchers entertained — and the Roku Streaming Stick Plus is probably the best way to access it. Roku’s interface is uncluttered, with a simple list at the left and an app grid on the right. Two of those list items, Live TV and Featured Free, are stuffed with free content, both on linear channels and video-on-demand (VOD) services. The Roku Channel app adds thousands more series, films, Roku Originals and live channels to watch without subscribing to a dang thing. Roku updated its streaming device selection this year and now there are five in total, with one Streambar, the set-top Roku Ultra and three Streaming Sticks. The $40 Streaming Stick Plus is a direct replacement for the Roku Streaming Stick 4K and it has the best mix of features for the price. The slim design hides behind your TV and doesn’t require power from a wall outlet, just a USB port on your TV. It supports 4K and HDR as well as Apple Air Play 2 and works with Alexa, HomeKit, Google Home and Roku Home. The included voice remote can control your TVs power and volume as well. It doesn’t support Dolby Vision and lacks the Wi-Fi extender that the Streaming Stick 4K has built in. If your TV can display that higher picture quality or if your Wi-Fi signal could use a boost in getting to your TV, you might want to upgrade to the 4K model. I find Roku's universal search function to be accurate when looking for specific titles; pushing the Voice button and saying “Poker Face” brings up results for the Peacock show, the Russell Crowe movie and a poker documentary from a free channel. Saying “Succession” gets you the show from Max as well as listings for other series and films with “success” in the title. It was pretty good at finding suggestions for more general searches, like “police procedural shows” and “Idris Elba,” though it had issues with recommendations for kids movies (not enough Disney+ results, in my opinion). Navigation is speedy with minimal load times between apps. The remote has a nice layout with a large back button and the volume rocker on the side. The handy Instant Replay button jumps back 10 to 20 seconds and can even show subtitles for the replayed portion, if the app supports it. The only thing I didn’t love was the What to Watch menu, which was overwhelmingly populated with free content and had a minimal amount of titles sprinkled in from my paid apps. But since free content is where Roku really shines, I can’t be too miffed. — A.S. Pros Built-in access to tons of free content
Accurate universal search
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