The Best TV Streaming Devices for Cord Cutters [Updated November 2020]

[Karlston]

The Best TV Streaming Devices for Cord Cutters

We've tested dozens of streaming devices for watching stuff on 4K or HD TVs. These are our favorites.

 

 

Whether you want to escape the cable company or to abandon the terrible interface that's built into your smart TV, a reliable streaming device is a wonderful thing.

 

Roku, Apple, Google, and Amazon all make options that might be right for you, but figuring out which platform to go with can be a pain. To help, we've gathered the best 4K HDR-ready TV streaming devices together for a battle royale—all streaming boxes, sticks, and cubes. Whether you're hoping to stream the latest episode of The Mandalorian or your favorite YouTuber, we've separated each of our favorites by what they do best.

 

Be sure to check out all our guides, especially for picking the best Roku, as well as the best TVs, best soundbars, and best smart speakers we've seen.

 

Updated November 2020: We've added the new Chromecast with Google TV.

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  Photograph: Roku

  Best Overall

  Roku Streaming Stick Plus

   

  The Streaming Stick Plus is the best Roku for most people (read our Roku guide to learn more). It has excellent Wi-Fi reception and plugs right into an HDMI port on your TV. Like other Roku products, the apps aren't always beautifully designed, but they are here (Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, most all of them), and the main interface lets you search for shows across all of your subscriptions at once. You can even add or delete the apps you don't need on your homepage, for a more streamlined look.

   

  The Roku Premiere ($30) is a cheaper alternative in the Roku family, but it is larger. It's a good choice if the ports on the back of your TV or soundbar are too skinny or awkward to fit a Streaming Stick, and it also offers 4K and HDR.

   

  We should note that Best Buy has a special version of the stick that comes with a headphone jack and earbuds for the remote. If you have family or roommates who complain about noise, it's a worthwhile option.

   

  Roku connects to all major streaming services except HBO Max.

   

  $49 at Amazon

  $56 at Walmart

  $60 at Best Buy (Headphone Edition)

   

   

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  Photograph: Google

  For Google TV or Phone Streaming

  Chromecast With Google TV

   

  The newest Chromecast (8/10, WIRED recommends) is a great streaming device. It adds a remote—a much needed companion—plus built-in Google TV (formerly Android TV), so you don't ever have to touch your phone to watch TV if you don't want to. Google TV got an upgrade too, and its interface is nicer than Roku's. You can browse and search across platforms, so you can find where a specific title is streaming, or look for something more broad like comedies. It makes finding something to watch a faster and easier process. Plus you can search with your voice via Google Assistant, which can also control your smart home devices or answer questions. But it has little storage, so you run the risk of running out of room.

   

  If you really want to use a Chromecast for casting videos or pictures from your phone to your TV, you can still do that too. But if that's the only thing you want out of it, opt for the $30, casting-only model.

  Google TV connects to all major streaming services.

   

  $50 at Target

  $50 at Best Buy

  $50 at Walmart

   

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  Photograph: Amazon

  For Amazon Lovers

  Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K

   

  Amazon really sped up and improved the Fire TV Stick 4K. The Alexa-enabled remote works well, too. However, the menus are heavily geared toward showing Amazon Prime video content and buying/renting videos from Amazon's store. Apps for competitors like Netflix and Hulu are included but relegated to a single row of the interface. YouTube is finally available thanks to a thaw in the Google/Amazon feud, but Vudu remains absent.

   

  We don't mind the Fire TV Cube (6/10, WIRED Review), but its hands-free voice features don't work very well. If you want it anyway, buy it when it gets down to $80-$90 on sale. There is a cheaper HD-only Fire TV Stick Lite that we haven't tested yet, but it's probably only for those who have no plans on upgrading their TV to 4K.

   

  Fire TV connects to all major streaming services, but not Vudu.

   

  $50 at Amazon

 

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  Photograph: Apple

  For Apple Purists

  Apple TV 4K (5th Gen.)

   

  If you own an iPhone, already buy movies and shows from Apple's library (or subscribe to Apple TV Plus), an Apple TV may be worth the extra cash. It has every major streaming app, including Amazon Video, and the interface is slicker and easier to use than a Roku. (Opt for the 64 GB version so you don't run out of space.) The downside is the remote control. It's a bit wonky; some users have trouble finding its touchpad in the dark, and others have reported that it can be laggy if it's too far away. And if you own an iPhone or iPad, you can pretty much get the Apple TV experience there. Apple now has a Roku app, too!

   

  Apple sells a cheaper, HD-only Apple TV model, but it's outdated, weaker, and pricey for what you get. Apps like HBO are beginning to drop support for older models. Spring for the 4K version, or just buy a Roku.

   

  Apple TV connects to all major streaming services.

   

  $169 at Walmart

  $179 at Apple

  $179 at Amazon

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  Photograph: Roku

  For Live TV (and Late-Night) Streamers

  Roku Ultra

   

  By now you may have realized that we're big Roku fans. The platform may not have the prettiest onscreen menus, but it's dead simple and gives you access to almost all of the content you could possibly stream.

   

  Feature-wise, the Roku Ultra is almost identical to the Roku stick, but it boasts some extra memory and a faster processor that makes it better at streaming live TV. Like the stick, it supports 4K HDR (though not Dolby Vision), but it also has an Ethernet port, a MicroSD slot, and a USB port. One key feature is the headphone jack in the controller. You can plug in the included earbuds and watch TV late at night without disturbing your roommates.

   

  Roku connects to all major streaming services.

   

  $80 at Amazon

  $91 at Walmart

  $100 at Best Buy

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  Photograph: Roku

  If You Don't Own a Soundbar

  Roku Smart Soundbar

   

  We think everyone needs a soundbar to step up their TV-watching experience, and Roku makes our favorite smart soundbar (7/10, WIRED Review). It's just a standard soundbar, but it has Roku built right in. WIRED reviewer Boone Ashworth called it an an entertainment turducken for its combination of speaker system, apps, and streaming device, but found that it works better on TVs with an HDMI ARC port over standard HDMI ports.

   

  Because it doesn't have a subwoofer (which adds bass), it's best for smaller rooms, but you can get a wireless subwoofer to pair with it for another $180 if you want to up your audio again.

   

  Below we've linked to the standard Roku soundbar and the cheaper Walmart version, which has some strange .Onn branding. It's just a bit weaker than the standard model but should still sound much better than your TV.

   

  Roku connects to all major streaming services.

   

  $180 at Amazon

  $180 at Best Buy

  $129 at Walmart (Cheaper .Onn Version)

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  Illustration: Getty Images

  Why You Need a Streaming Device

  Your Built-In TV Apps Are Awful

   

  If you just bought a "Smart TV" you may wonder: Why pay extra for a streaming stick or box?

   

  TV makers are far better at manufacturing beautiful screens than they are at building good software. So unless that TV was a Roku TV, you should consider an external streaming device. Chances are high that your TV's house-made apps are slow, poorly designed, and out of date—and that's if it has the apps you want at all. The streaming apps for Roku, Android TV, Fire TV, and Apple TV are typically the best you'll find, and if they're broken they get fixed very quickly. LG, Samsung, Vizio, and any number of other TVs come with their own interfaces, but we advise you ignore them.

  Which TV OS Should You Choose?

  • Roku is our favorite streaming OS because it has just about every streaming app there is, and setup is hassle-free. Plus, if you decide to switch TVs, you can just move your Roku to another TV in your house at any time. Roku also isn't made by one of the major tech companies. The company survives solely on how well its streaming platform performs.

  • Chromecast used to eschew an interface altogether (and older models still hold true to this), but the newest version has Google TV built-in. Though it's no longer its main draw, it has the added benefit of letting you send web pages or other content directly from your smartphone (it's easiest on an Android Phone), which is sometimes quite handy. You can also do this with Apple TV's Airplay 2 functionality, but you need an iOS or macOS device.

  • Google TV, formerly Android TV, is Google's streaming OS. It's been around for years, but it just recently (in 2020) nailed the experience. With its newest Chromecast, we stopped seeing the bugs and problems that used to plague the platform and it includes basically every streaming app out there, as well as YouTube and Spotify. I've run out of storage space on only one streaming device ever, and it was an Google TV device (sorry, JBL Link Bar). They don't manage storage quite as well.

  • Amazon Fire TV is geared toward those who really enjoy Amazon's ecosystem, and will quickly point you to its content. It also has a great voice interface. Unfortunately it sometimes feels like an ad for Amazon stuff more than a diverse ecosystem of apps and content. If you buy or rent a lot of movies from Amazon, and subscribe to Prime, the Fire TV is appealing. If not, go with a Roku.

  • Apple TV has a slick interface and Apple's usual gloss. It also has most apps, but TV boxes remain a side project for Apple. It doesn't update its models or its interface all that often. Lately, it seems to care more about its Apple TV+ subscription service and app than its physical hardware. But if you have a house full of Apple stuff and enjoy AirPlay, you may as well complete your collection.

 

 

The Best TV Streaming Devices for Cord Cutters