Amazon Hearth TV Stick 4K vs. Roku Streaming Stick 4K

Environment friendly and easy

Roku Streaming Stick 4K

$42 $50 Save $8

The Roku Streaming Stick 4K options Dolby Imaginative and prescient help and streams in 4K and HDR. This may stream hundreds of thousands of titles and turns any TV into a sensible TV with its HDMI compatibility.
Professionals

4K, Dolby Imaginative and prescient, and HDR10 help

Voice distant

Provides headphones mode
Cons

No Dolby Atmos help

Cannot join by way of Bluetooth
Nice for streamers and players

Amazon Hearth TV Stick 4K

$30 $50 Save $20

The Amazon Hearth TV Stick 4K can stream over 1,000,000 titles and connects by way of Wi-Fi 6. It plugs into your TV by an HDMI port and streams in 4K, Dolby Imaginative and prescient, and HDR10.
Professionals

Xbox GamePass capabilities

Wi-Fi 6 help

4K, Dolby Imaginative and prescient, and HDR 10 help
Cons

Cannot management different gadgets

No Hearth TV ambient expertise

It is by no means too late to rethink your streaming scenario. For those who’re somebody that loves their TV and has no real interest in shopping for a brand new one, you’re in all probability looking out for one thing that may improve it. Possibly it is a soundbar that delivers a real movie show really feel to your lounge. Possibly it is adaptive lighting that syncs its lights to the temper on the display screen. Extra generally, it is in all probability a streaming device that reinforces your expertise.

Two of the preferred streaming machine firms are Roku and Amazon. The Roku Streaming Stick and the Amazon Hearth TV Stick have been the flagship streaming gadgets for these firms, as each supply the flexibility to show your common TV into a sensible one. Every firm affords loads of choices, however a few of the most budget-friendly ones are the Roku Streaming Stick 4K and the Amazon Hearth TV Stick 4K.

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There are many streaming gadgets, however few supply as intensive vary of apps and channels as the most effective Roku gadgets.

Whereas they do not have all the highest options, they are perfect for anybody in search of the largest bang for his or her buck on a finances. Which one is best for you?

Value, specs, and availability

They’re priced comparably

The Roku Streaming Stick 4K retails for $50 however is repeatedly discounted on web sites like Amazon or Greatest Purchase, although it might be a bit tougher to seek out than a few of the newer streaming gadgets. It may be plugged into an HDMI port into the again of your TV and comes with an influence cable and long-range Wi-Fi receiver. It measures solely 94.5mm x 21.1mm x 11.5mm and connects by way of Wi-Fi 5.

Learn our overview

Roku Streaming Stick 4K review: Bringing that Dolby Vision goodness

Roku has changed the venerable Streaming Stick+ with an up to date mannequin, which means extra help for the newest codecs.

The Amazon Hearth TV Stick 4K additionally retails for $50 and can be accessible at retailers like Amazon and Greatest Purchase. It ceaselessly will get deep reductions all year long, so that you would possibly wish to anticipate a sale. It additionally plugs into an HDMI port and has an influence cable that plugs into an outlet. It is solely barely bigger than the Roku Streaming Stick 4K, measuring 99mm x 30mm x 14mm. This connects by way of Wi-Fi 6 with a better Wi-Fi efficiency.

	Roku Streaming Stick 4K	Amazon Hearth TV Stick 4K
Model	Roku	Amazon
Working System	Roku OS	Hearth OS
Downloadable Apps	1000’s	1000’s
Decision	4K	4K, Dolby Imaginative and prescient, HDR10
Ports	HDMI 2.0b, USB for Energy & Lengthy-range Wi-Fi receiver	HDMI
Connectivity	Wi-Fi	Wi-Fi 6
Dimensions	3.7″ x 0.80″ x 0.45″	99mm x 30mm x 14mm
Integrations	Works with Apple AirPlay and HomeKit, Google Dwelling, Alexa	Works with Apple AirPlay and HomeKit, Google Dwelling, Amazon Alexa

They characteristic related designs

However the one has higher mind energy

As I stated, each of those streaming gadgets plug into the HDMI port and have cables which have Wi-Fi extenders. They’re related in dimension and plug into the HDMI port. The distinction you will discover between these two streaming sticks is the way you work together with their remotes.

They each supply voice options, so that you can provide them verbal instructions by urgent a particular button. The Amazon Hearth TV Stick 4K distant has Amazon Alexa constructed into it, so it is extra able to following advanced instructions than the Roku distant.

Learn our overview

Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K review: Superbly priced Prime streamer

The worth of the Hearth Stick 4K can’t be questioned in comparison with its rivals. Even for non-Amazon Prime subscribers it is an ideal 4K HDR hub too.

Every distant has buttons that can routinely open up apps, akin to Netflix, Disney+, Paramount+, Hulu, and others, which implies fairly a bit fewer guide button presses in your finish. Each of the distant interfaces can be found within the corresponding producer’s app and permit you to flip your smartphone or pill right into a distant in case you lose yours or simply need a digitized model.

The buttons to routinely open up streaming apps fluctuate for the completely different streaming companies accessible.

The software program variations are stark

The interfaces prioritize various things

Roku / Pocket-lint

By way of utilizing the working programs, they’re vastly completely different. Each supply entry to a ton of apps for streaming functions, however Roku OS is concentrated on laying out the apps and having you go into them. You will see advertisements on the fitting facet of the display screen, providing up ideas for sure content material.

However, Roku does not make some extent of suggesting reveals to you or curate any sort of customized content material. It leaves the apps to try this when you open them.

Hearth OS has an organized most important menu that shows stream-able reveals and which app they’re on. You may also seek for content material proper within the menu, and it’ll present you no matter is obtainable by Hearth OS or Prime Video. It mainly makes use of Prime Video’s interface as its most important menu to counsel content material and maintain monitor of what you have watched — it is a way more custom-made effort.

Amazon Fire TV Stick against purple flames

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Hearth OS additionally has the choice to toggle over to Xbox GamePass with gaming choices constructed proper into the software program. If in case you have a Roku TV, you’ve gaming choices, however not with a Streaming Stick. You may also purchase issues straight out of your Hearth TV Stick 4K, because the machine is linked to your Amazon account. Roku OS does make it simple to reorganize the apps in your menu and type them nonetheless you select.

Do not forget in regards to the secret screens in Roku OS that present you diagnostic data and extra.

Each gadgets carry out very nicely

However one does have an edge

The {hardware} for these streaming gadgets is spectacular, even a number of years after they have been launched. The Hearth TV Stick 4K runs on a Quad-core CPU and has 8GB of storage and 2GB of RAM. So, it will probably retailer numerous knowledge as you employ it, and it runs effectively and shortly. It could actually additionally run quicker as a result of it will probably connect with a Wi-Fi 6 connection (so long as it’s related to a router utilizing Wi-Fi 6) and may join by way of Bluetooth.

The Roku Streaming Stick 4K doesn’t have Bluetooth connectivity.

The Roku Streaming Stick 4K has an ARM Cortex A55 CPU and has 1GB of RAM and 4GB of storage. Whereas it will probably’t maintain as a lot on it, the percentages that you’re going to be utilizing up 4GB of storage for streaming functions are in all probability slim. It connects by way of Wi-Fi 5 and doesn’t have Bluetooth connectivity.

Someone holding a remote with a TV in the background

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Each of those streaming gadgets help content material in Dolby Imaginative and prescient, HDR10, and 4K decision. So, in case your content material is sharp and clear, your stick will have the ability to match it. This opens up prospects to view the most effective content material the best way that it was meant to be considered. The Hearth TV Stick 4K affords Dolby Atmos audio whereas the Roku Streaming Stick 4K doesn’t.

Which one of many streaming sticks is best for you?

It comes down to non-public choice

A woman using voice search through an Alexa remote on a Fire TV

Amazon / Pocket-lint

Each the Amazon Hearth TV Stick 4K and the Roku Streaming Stick 4K are budget-friendly and sometimes discounted to present you a fair higher deal. They help premium content material, when it comes to video formatting and backbone, so you will be watching handsome reveals and films it doesn’t matter what. It actually comes all the way down to which one you’re feeling extra snug utilizing. For those who’re used to utilizing Roku OS, you might wish to go the Roku route. For those who like Hearth OS, or have used Prime Video earlier than, you might go for Amazon’s choice.

I am siding with the Hearth TV Stick 4K.

Due to its customization choices and curated content material, I am siding with the Hearth TV Stick 4K. It has Xbox GamePass inbuilt and may connect with quicker Wi-Fi to run extra successfully. Seeing all of the content material choices on the principle menu is a big plus in my ebook. Whereas it will not be for you, when you do not have already got a choice between the 2 working programs, this one provides you a lot in your cash.