If you’re anything like me, you probably spend your evenings browsing through endless streaming options, looking for something to watch before calling it a night. Yet, for as much time as it takes to actually find something worth watching, you probably don’t think much about the remote in your hand anymore. This deep into the streaming era, you’ve probably stuck with your streaming device of choice for years now — no matter how many issues can arise as these gadgets start to age.
Although there are more streaming services than ever, your choices for which HDMI stick or set-top box to use to access those services continues to shrink. These days, it’s not so much the devices that are limited as much as it’s the platforms. Roku makes half a dozen different boxes, but the core experience remains the same. Amazon’s Fire TV platform is segmented into five or six price points so close to each other, it’s difficult to actually pick which stick is right for you. And even Google TV — which is, effectively, a skin for Android TV — has dwindled down to only have a couple of aging options, despite technically being an open platform.
Personally, I’ve bounced around nearly every modern streaming OS, looking for the right device to power my ever-growing collection of subscriptions that I really need to get around to pruning. I picked up the Chromecast with Google TV back in 2020 after a round of glowing reviews, only to find that the overall experience aged about as well as milk left outside during a heat wave. After factory resetting the Chromecast numerous times throughout 2021, I gave up the ghost and moved to Fire OS.
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And, frankly, that’s not an experience I love either. Amazon’s devices also tend to slow down after months of use, though it’s not nearly as much of a problem as I saw on my own Chromecast. I’ve had similar experiences with the mid-range Roku gadgets I’ve tested, leaving me hoping for a high-end Apple TV alternative to come around. Yet, if you’re looking for a modern device released this decade, Apple’s platform remains the only high-end device capable of feeling fast and snappy — a problem I’m hoping is soon fixed.
Last week, we saw an early leak for the Google TV Streamer, a new set-top box that seemingly promises a higher end device than previous Chromecast entries. I’m really hoping Google has packed this thing with the power it deserves to go toe-to-toe with Apple, and considering that the company has an event in just two short weeks, I don’t think we’re going to have to wait too long to find out.
In the meantime, what streaming device are you currently relying on for your library of apps? Are you, as a dedicated AP reader, a Google TV fan? Have you stuck with Roku since its origin as an officially-licensed Netflix device? Are you living in an Amazon Prime-based world? Or have you jumped ship to head for a more premium experience with Apple TV, even if it doesn’t work particularly well with the phone you keep in your pocket? Just to keep things interesting, I’ve added a few more options to this week’s poll as well, including legacy Chromecast devices, game consoles, and — of course — built-in streaming apps on your TV.
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