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By connecting a dedicated streaming device to your TV, you can significantly improve the video quality, interface speed, and user experience.
Many TVs in people’s homes do not have the smart functionalities found in modern TVs. Even smart televisions that were supposed to be better deliver a bad software experience due to the use of cheaper components. The display in the TVs themselves is fine; it’s the software that can be problematic.
The software inside the smart TVs is slow, clunky, and often fails to deliver a proper high-definition quality. Besides, the apps of these smart TVs also stop working in a few years because they rarely get updated. The solution to these issues is a streaming device. Why shell out $1000 for a decent new TV when a $50 to $150 streaming device can get the job done?
There are dedicated streaming devices that can significantly enhance the video streaming quality, speed, and user experience. In this article, we are sharing some of these streaming devices for you to look at.
Note: Some aspects of this article are subjective and reflect the writer’s opinions. Also, prices mentioned herein are subject to change.
What Are the Top Streaming Devices for TV?
1) Apple TV 4K Wi-Fi (3rd Generation)
The Apple TV 4K Wi-Fi is the best streaming device you can buy. This streaming device has more features, better performance, and higher quality than any other. It is powered by the Apple A15 chipset, which is found in the iPhone 13. Therefore, it can do anything you want without breaking a sweat.
The Apple TV can stream content at 4K60 and even play high-end games. However, its key selling point is its deep integration with the Apple ecosystem, which makes it capable of doing almost everything your iPhone can.
| Specifications | Details |
| CPU | Apple A15 Bionic 5-core processor with clock speeds of up to 3.23GHz |
| Memory | 4GB RAM |
| Storage | 64GB internal storage |
| Image quality | 4K UHD with HDR10+ and Dolby Vision |
| Audio processing | Dolby Audio |
| Connectivity | Tri-band Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5, Gigabit Ethernet |
2) Google TV Streamer 4K
The Google TV Streamer 4K is a streaming device that provides many of the same features as the Apple TV, including a rich ecosystem with Google’s other products and services. It’s for people who want the rich ecosystem features but don’t want to shell out $180 or more.
Like the Apple TV, the Google TV Streamer supports 4K streaming with HDR10+, Dolby Vision, and more. It is also equipped with a lot of RAM and storage, so you can install many apps and games.
| Specifications | Details |
| CPU | MediaTek MT8696 quad-core processor with clock speeds of up to 2.0GHz |
| Memory | 4GB RAM |
| Storage | 32GB internal storage |
| Image quality | 4K UHD with HDR10+ and Dolby Vision |
| Audio processing | Dolby Audio |
| Connectivity | Dual-band Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.1, Gigabit Ethernet |
3) Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max
The Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max is an amazing streaming device due to the value it provides. Like the Apple TV and Google Streamer device, it can also display at up to 4K UHD with HDR10+, Dolby Vision, and Dolby Audio, but at a fraction of their cost. This streaming device is powered by a decent MediaTek CPU and FireOS, which can deliver a smooth user experience.
Launching and switching between multiple apps will be a breeze. You can also download many apps from the Amazon Appstore. If a particular app you want is not available on the Amazon Appstore, then you can sideload it from a different Android TV.
| Specifications | Details |
| CPU | MediaTek MT8696 quad-core processor with clock speeds of up to 2.0GHz |
| Memory | 2GB RAM |
| Storage | 16GB internal storage |
| Image quality | 4K UHD with HDR10+ and Dolby Vision |
| Audio processing | Dolby Audio |
| Connectivity | Dual-band Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.1 |
4) Roku Streaming Stick 4K
The Roku Streaming Stick 4K is for users on a budget. It can deliver great video quality, thanks to its 4K HDR output with Dolby Vision. However, its user experience won’t be nearly as good as the Fire TV Stick 4K Max or Google TV Streamer. It doesn’t have a powerful enough processor or RAM to drive multiple apps. They will load slowly, but it won’t affect the video streaming quality. You can watch all the popular streaming apps like Apple TV+, Disney+, Netflix, Amazon Prime, and more.
| Specifications | Details |
| CPU | Quad-core processor |
| Memory | 1GB RAM |
| Storage | 4 GB internal storage |
| Image quality | 4K UHD with HDR10+ and Dolby Vision |
| Audio processing | Dolby Audio, DTS Digital Surround |
| Connectivity | Dual-band Wi-Fi 5 |
5) Roku Streaming Stick 2025
The Roku Streaming Stick is the cheapest streaming device on this list. It is designed for older non-smart TVs that cannot run Netflix, Apple TV+, or anything else. The Roku Streaming Stick can turn your non-smart television into a smart one, but that’s about it. You should avoid it if you already have a smart TV with good app support. The remote is actually quite decent, with dedicated buttons to quickly launch Netflix, Disney+, and more.
| Specifications | Details |
| CPU | Quad-core processor |
| Memory | 1 GB RAM |
| Storage | 4 GB internal storage |
| Image quality | 1080p |
| Audio processing | DTS Sound |
| Connectivity | Dual-band Wi-Fi 5 |
Final Thoughts
The Apple TV, Google TV Streamer, and even the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max are great options for users who want to expand the capabilities of their televisions, including Smart TVs. On the other hand, the Roku Streaming Sticks are better for non-smart TVs. Choose one based on your requirements and budget.
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