Prity much as the title says. I have no idea what one to choose. Which is best to buy. Any other recommendations accepted.
Id love recommendations for a stick thingie to make my dumb tv a smart tv.
So me and the kids can watch Netflix etc on it.
Thanks in advance.
And the flip side of Wakrak's coin; I have only used Fire stick and am happy with it…I think they both do the same thing just differently :) There is probably more to it than that, but I just use it for streaming tv/movies/etc and as such am just using it like you to make a dumb tv smart and/or to take away on holiday and have it all ready/working for the holiday tv.
I would probably just get whatever is cheapest tbh unless you are looking for specific features that one would have over the other.
Thats a good idea. Didnt think about taking it away. Thats a bonus.
I've got a 4K fire stick max and a Chromecast 4k. Chromecast probably has more apps and feels more stable, but I feel the firestick is slightly quicker (due to better specs Vs the Chromecast). I find the app only mode on the Chromecast better as the interface is less cluttered and I find it easier to use. I would recommend the Chromecast over the firestick unless you like to tinker.
I'm happy with my fire stick. You can stream xbox cloud games to the fire stick, if you have a Bluetooth controller.
Thats handy to know. Thanks for that.
They'll probably both meet your expectations. I've only used Chromecast in the past and was super happy with it.
Do you have any particular requirements outside of being able to access streaming apps?
Some conversations I found that might be useful:
https://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=34&topicid=312…
https://www.reddit.com/r/PleX/comments/1e4oqhx/google_chrome…
Nope, just for streaming tv. Thanks for that. I'll have a look at the link.
We have both and they are much of a muchness. The only reason we use both is the fire stick is much easier to do region hopping with VPNs as you can buy apps, move region and buy those apps then use a VPN and watch any local TV you like.
I don't think you'd go wrong with either for basic viewing so I'd buy the cheaper one.
Google Chromecast: Best for users who prefer streaming directly from their phone or tablet to the TV. It integrates well with Google services like YouTube and Google Home, and it supports casting from most apps.
Amazon Fire TV Stick: Better for those who want a more traditional streaming experience with an interface and remote. It works well with Amazon services like Prime Video, Alexa, and has a ton of apps, plus it’s typically more affordable.
If you’re already in the Google ecosystem eg android phone etc, Chromecast might feel more seamless. If you want a more hands-on remote experience, go with the Fire TV Stick.
I have both and the fire stick is fairly unreliable. Often when I turn it on it comes up with some error message. The remote has died once and had to get it replaced. Google TV is far far better.
Are you aware of the Google TV Streamer (that replaced the CCwGTV 4K)?
google chrome works well with android phone mac books etc to cast things to TV send audio books , audio, so much so i never tried fire stick , i will be setting up a 1liter pc with each tv along with chromecast soon with airmouse or all in one input device
I have both of them. In essence Fire's the winner, but not by far. For my household, it is down to the remote. we all hate the minimalistic, small Chromecast remote. Fire's also small, but at least it has better grip. Pic quality wise they are about the same, but can't help to notice that OS's home display, we prefer more complete feel of Fire's. Again, Cc feels too simplistic. We don't integrate too much with voice command/other smart features, beside turning on/off the tv and receiver units from other room, and both perform really well just for that.
Update i got the fire stick 4k max. It was on special ($79). So far so good. Easy to use.
This. If you have a fancy audio system that can do Dolby Atmos/TruHD/DTS-MA this is the only device that supports it. Google devices can't do passthrough for these codecs.
If you do go with google chromecast i highly recommend finding one with ‘google tv’. The older chromecasts only let you ‘cast’ to a tv from your device but one’s with google tv will let you navigate apps directly on the tv using the supplied remote without the need to ‘cast’ from a phone or laptop