Roku vs. Chromecast vs. Apple TV 4K: What's the Best Streaming Device?

[@richardarcher3435]

Thanks for this. Something I've noticed about some streaming devices that really really annoys me is, they cut off the ending music of films, series, whatever. That I think is a terrible thing to do, as is talking over it. It is such a horribly unemotional 'move-on' attitude. The ending music is for contemplating what you've just seen, talk about it. As soon as the ending music is cut off you don't talk about what you've just watched. It's all about what's next. That is a bad attitude. Aren't people affected by what they see? Don't they want to think about it, discuss it?

[@Cyberpunk644]

Nope

[@richardarcher3435]

@@Cyberpunk644 Well, there you have it. People watch, but don't think, cold as robots. Seen that, what's next?

[@Cyberpunk644]

@@richardarcher3435 lmao, sensitive much? not everyone needs to be like you.

[@richardarcher3435]

@@Cyberpunk644 Sorry, got to move on to next thing now😆

[@Cyberpunk644]

@@richardarcher3435 nah

[@BrianHartman]

Not even a *mention* of Amazon's streaming devices? Given how many people are in the Amazon ecosystem, that seems like quite the oversight. I would at least expect to hear what makes these devices better than the Fire devices.

[@MarcusBeebe]

No Nvidia Shield either...???

[@jct903]

I have an Amazon streaming device, and I hate it. It is constantly upselling you on new products, and showing you things you could have for "only $1.99 a month more!". I hate the amount of ads they try to force on you. I have a Roku now, and it is far superior - but I have been thinking about trying Apple, which is why I am here.

[@georgeskanderbeg3242]

​@jct903 I don't even like apple but the apple tv 4k is different level to anything , is night and day

[@carlostavaresjr958]

I choose ROKU all the time.

[@wturner777]

Same. They sure know how to keep it simple.

[@mark99k]

We started with Chromecast but found it hugely frustrating. Setup took forever (on a new and very common brand TV). The remote is hard to hold onto. The home screen, as shown in the clip, is an unpleasant blob of ads & promotions. And the search results routinely omitted offerings on certain Google competitors. Roku was none of these things. All our TVs now use Roku.

[@PSYCHOV3N0M]

Roku is too basic and doesn't allow sideloading. 🤣🤣🤣

[@mark99k]

@@PSYCHOV3N0M Most ordinary consumers couldn't care less about sideloading and prefer 'basic' to arcane. Roku is popular for a reason.

[@mr_red13]

After looking closer at the Google UI, I think I'll just buy a remote replacement for my Roku. It is much more simple to use and you can get on with your life.

[@BaawBee]

I love the picture I get from a high quality Roku

[@BaawBee]

​@@mr_red13if all you need is a remote Roku sells a rechargeable one!!

[@scarface8975]

If you have KZbin TV it did not work well on my Roku Device and it was the most expensive Roku device you could buy. I purchased Apple TV 4K and KZbinTV worked better and great! Happy with my AppleTV 4K.

[@user-os7sc5tv3p]

I would say it's an incomplete review, for example availability of apps in different market places and sideloadind of 3rd party apps etc...

[@leehookerstein]

I complained about this when they did this on the MacOS and now they’ve done it everywhere. For TVs and movies there is no way just to casually browse you can only go by the recommendations and ironically the most bought items… I loved going through and just casually browsing and seeing what was new. I can no longer do that so I guess I won’t be purchasing anything on Apple TV because I have no idea what has newly been released unless it is massively popular and everyone else is buying it…. Truly a terrible move by Apple however, I’m really not surprised… they’ve already ruined my iOS experience since iOS 12.1 so they may as well continue going downhill on my eyes. At least Amazon Prime Video allows you to casually browse and buy TV shows and movies from them, so this could be a good opportunity to switch over

[@altheabibi5222]

Does Roku support chromecast/mirror screen?

[@BeardsBaconTech]

Is the Roku streaming box better than Amazon fire stick TV?

[@marlo-ji]

Yes

[@marlo-ji]

No

[@BeardsBaconTech]

@@marlo-ji what does that mean? Yes yes no

[@witness1013]

No

[@Thebearboarder]

No roku is definitely the worst of all of these. Roku feels cheaply made and it's overall annoying

[@dman7895]

"simple and clean" ...where have i heard that before haha

[@santiagos2060]

Hi! Thank you for this informative video. Quick question can they work if linked directly to a projector instead of a tv?

[@beckaadame7458]

I am not tech savvy at all so this may sound like a dumb question to some of you, but do you purchase these devices like that Apple TV cube and the Roku stick and just plug them into any smart tv you want and they’ll work?

[@ajeelahmedabbasi]

yup! You don’t even have to have a smart tv, it should work with a regular dumb tv too, that’s the beauty of it, it turns every tv into a smart one!

[@stevenaziz]

Apple TV 4K is (money no object) easily, easily, by FAR the best media player for any and every home theater system. It’s the fastest, most-secure, and most-aesthetic system available. If you haven’t tried it and you’re on the fence, go ahead and give it a shot. Apple has extended the return window during this holiday season and there are no fees to return it. If you don’t like it, just return it. But you won’t. You can thank me later.

[@PSYCHOV3N0M]

"Most secure" 🤣🤣🤣 Anything man-made can be hacked. Stop drinking the Apple Cult indoctrination Kool-aid.

[@mr_red13]

I'm glad Roku 4K has Apple TV so I can watch movies I bought on my library.

[@stevenaziz]

@@mr_red13 My parents have a Roku TV in their bedroom. Sadly, it’s not as good-looking as the Apple TV and there are ads and unremovable bloatware on the device.

[@mr_red13]

@@stevenaziz hmm that's interesting. My experience has been the opposite. I was watching John Wick 4 last night and it looked AMAZING on my TV using Roku. I think Apple has done a good thing by allowing their app to be on other platforms.

[@TechWithTonyAustralia]

Yes I agree, nothing is perfect, but after 22 years in the AV industry, I’ve not used a better streaming box than Apple TV. However, it can be slightly confusing for consumers that Apple TV and Apple TV+ are a totally different thing. Also the Apple TV app built into smart TV’s is not the same thing as an Apple TV box.

[@challis2009]

So basically a Roku ad 😂😂😂

[@Sunsetbeach48]

Roku crashes constantly when attempting to stream Netflix. It doesn’t have issues with any other app. It’s the reason I’m looking for one which works seamlessly with all apps.

[@baba_the_hutt]

Roku for simplicity and if you don't need lossless Atmos audio. Otherwise Nvidia shield.

[@CaffeineAndMylanta]

You forgot the best part of the Apple TV It doesn’t sell your data to 3rd parties and smother your homescreen in ads. The reason the Roku is so much cheaper is because the Roku is not the product, YOU are the product.

[@roelvandelden2322]

Thanks. Is this advice for US only or also for me in Europe?

[@MorbidGod391]

You missed the biggest reason to get the Apple TV: you don’t have ads all over the interface. It’s not until you go into an app where an ad will happen.

[@lostmywaffle8471]

Genuinely curious, what's the point of having one of these if almost all new tv's are smart tvs and available to download apps through them?

[@jimclay1969]

In the past, most TV were not supported a few years down the road. Apps would not get updated, and then new apps would not be designed for them is the history

[@fosterslover]

TV manufacturer streaming apps are typically buggy and poorly supported

[@JohnBGood-kq3ul]

The streaming boxes are constantly updated and have much more apps than what's included in most smart tv's.

[@LordShrub]

They are good if you're rocking a projector.

[@wturner777]

Roku all the way! They know how to keep it simple.

[@PSYCHOV3N0M]

That's not a strength. That's a weakness. 🤣🤣🤣

[@DarkSaint411]

I’m going with Apple TV brav

[@kodys_corolla]

Easily the Apple TV is the best.

[@wallacerigby4393]

Apple TV 4K is the best!

[@wturner777]

But at a premium price.

[@archis3]

Nothing beats Apple TV if you have an iPhone. Also if you don’t have an iPhone! It’s soooo smooth and fast!

[@PSYCHOV3N0M]

Smooth and fast and yet NO SIDELOADING. 🤣🤣🤣

[@nicholasbrown1436]

Not to many people care about side loading they finna block side loading on firestick I had fire stick that was only good thing but it buffs alot

[@johndoe3485]

Does the Roku stick come with the same remote that the Roku Plus has?

[@PSYCHOV3N0M]

Google search for "Roku model comparison". You can compare 3 Roku devices at once and it'll tell you what remote it comes with.

[@FightingIrishFan91]

Nvidia Shield Pro 2019 is still better. Lol

[@MichaelMontgomeryJr]

100% you can tell who’s paying for this…..I wouldn’t trust CNET for reviews.

[@StateBiscuit]

It's not. Can't even play KZbin in HDR

[@HigherQualityUploads]

Nope. Laggy and didn't support many features the Chromecast does due to NVIDIA's bloatware.

[@betterfunliving7772]

They don't mention bitrate and image quality, quite disappointing.

[@jct903]

That depends on the streaming service.

[@craigpalme603]

Conspicuous in it's absence.

[@jeremycolon2831]

Questions should be which is best to pirate content

[@paulh6517]

Side loading is pretty easy on my Firestick.

[@rodrigolabarre]

You can use Plex in all of them. Bought Roku 4k first but now I use Chromecast because it allows me to use it with Google home. I can turn on my TV while playing music by literally 1 touch at the smart light switch or turn off all lights and tv/Chromecast by it. You can also do it from your phone by a shortcut. I think that's the best selling point.

[@KrypteiaXi]

​@paulh6517 and how do you pirate by sideloading?

[@kobbygh8932]

You guys got issues with Amazon?😅😅😅

[@Watch-0w1]

Finally not a apple fanboy. I prefer the interface of chromecast than roku

[@fezanon]

It´s possible to download Apps´s like stremio ?

[@break1009eighty]

Can i conect the lan cable to it

[@mohammadsaeed2385]

Iam using apple tv since 6 years its best ever but there is no safari and chrome browser option

[@larkgamblin630]

Does Roku do sports programming too

[@HowardStewart]

I chose Google Chromecast 4K to use here in Jamaica because it has HBO Max which my Wi-Fi Provider gave us a Free Account, everything else has MAX and i can't use it here in Jamaica, even my LG TV has Max, so far it is running great, my Neighbour has Roku and it is terrible to me 😏

[@PSYCHOV3N0M]

You need a VPN if you want to watch Max in countries that don't support Max.

[@raderator]

ONN Android box for $20. Better remote than Chromecast, not bloated like Firestick, not locked down like Roku (no web browser).

[@wturner777]

I can live without the web browser. I just use my other devices for that.

[@KrypteiaXi]

​@wturner777 if you stream movies on free sites you can't.

[@thebigdoghimself]

I did not like that i was getting ads on my roku premiere. I switched to nvidia sheild and google devices.

[@7JANEWAY]

So how much did Roku pay you to say it’s the best choice???!!! I’ve had an Apple TV for years and it IS worth the price!!! No ads on the home screen (you can’t say that about Roku), easy UI and great picture quality are just some of its advantages. In fact, I bought a Roku box once just to check it out. Its picture quality was garbage in comparison with the Apple TV!!! I quickly tossed it aside, and never went back. So it’s totally unfair to tell newcomers and others that it’s not worth the price. The Apple TV is one of the best streamers out there. No, it’s not cheap-but quality never is. My advice to anyone is to save up your money if you need to, and get an Apple TV. You won’t be disappointed!!! (and if you happen to be disappointed, prove to me why)

[@christianvillaluna5284]

Hello everyone. I have a question. Does any of this devices can download the bilibili app?

[@ceeberj]

None

[@bose5160]

Roku and Apple TV don't have Android. Can't install what I want. /enddiscussion...

[@BUCKQUICKLY]

Nvidia shield 2019 should be here!

[@kgb7226]

Hey CNET and everyone I got a question : Does the Apple TV processor is superior or better than top Tv processor (Samsung,Sony etc..) ? If anyone can answer it will be great 😃 thanks !

[@joker927]

Processor isn't really the key. It's the software. External device is always faster and upgradable.

[@kgb7226]

@@joker927 thank you for helped me ! I understood than it make an experience smoother and better now and for the future. But when it’s about picture quality and treatment of it you don’t think that’s brings higher results ?

[@joker927]

@@kgb7226 in my experience pure picture quality is the same between external devices and internal apps. But WiFi and gigabit ethernet can be better in external devices. That can mean less buffering or maybe higher quality if you have a struggling network.

[@Nighthunt01]

@@kgb7226 i don't think the other person understands, these are basically small computers now. anyway yes the Apple TV is more powerful than the hardware in older TVs, which means clicking on menus and scrolling will be a lot faster and smoother experience, TV processors have generally not been very powerful. although some newer TVs like Samsungs are getting more power

[@kgb7226]

@@Nighthunt01 thank you! All is clear for me now 😃

[@joker927]

AppleTV was a nightmare to setup without any other apple products in the house. Roku is still supreme, especially for older users. Enthusiasts still have the Shield (although it's growing outdated these days)

[@thebigdoghimself]

No nvidia sheild?

[@BUCKQUICKLY]

Fire stick is great too. Why isn't this on the list!

[@bigbadslimee]

I hate my chromecast with google tv, the remote battery lasts about a month and a half, sometimes i turn on my tv and it doesn't turn on forcing me to unplug and plug it back in again, it gets laggy even after you uninstall apps and free up space (I found out this is a problem with Android itself and you'll just have to wait for google to fix it). But i would raher put up with all that than use any of the other streaming sticks, it's just so good when it works.

[@ClarenceDold]

Someone is sitting on your remote. My Google Chromecast/TV remote original batteries lasted over two years, and the replacement is over a year old. I have never needed to cycle the power. It did require a separate power cord, which the Chromecast without TV did not.

[@johnboyinfl]

Nvidia Shield Pro

[@JustxLiving909]

Cap 🧢

[@joewoodchuck3824]

Forget about using mainstream speakers and headphones with a roku tv. They use a proprietary form of Bluetooth and the for the optical output. Roku compatible accessories are spendy compared to the usual. For that alone I'll never buy roku again. I feel like I got screwed. I may just open mine up and install a regular phone jack for wired speakers.

[@joewoodchuck3824]

@@jct903 Really? I'll have to check mine.

[@saleemkhan12]

Fire Stick is good too.

[@pfears1]

What happened to Fire TV?

[@bravowhiskeysierra6944]

It’s trash so not included.

[@FredNieve6-px5tb]

Fire TV stick for me is the best!

[@NFTwizardz]

Fire stick max 4k?

[@paulh6517]

I don't like all the ads and information Amazon gathers on you, but it is a better option if you use it as key component to your A/V surround system.

[@NFTwizardz]

@paulh6517 yeah its bad for that lol I like to only give my data to one company and that is google as for android and home, etc. is my go to setups. Tired 4k max because it was soo cheap this year for black Friday but I will be exchanging back to Google tv once they release a new one.

[@MarcusBeebe]

No Nvidia Shield ??? What a joke!!!

[@abelluciano]

Apple

[@Madeintheshade65]

Apple TV is King Supreme

[@ImLVLegitcusImthasht]

It can't even install phone apps on it, and the ads on the Google TV and Fire TV ads are actually useful for times you don't know what to watch. Comes with a more widely used assistant such as Google and Alexa. It is cheaper, and Google TV devices have an app only mode of when you don't want ads

[@KrypteiaXi]

​@ImLVLegitcusImthasht what about now that EU is forcing Apple to allow sideloading?

[@ejc1956]

Apple TV is RIDICULOUSLY OVERPRICED and I would never buy one for that reason.

[@JustxLiving909]

Facts

[@georgeskanderbeg3242]

​@@JustxLiving909apple tv is the best here and it's not even close

[@MichaelStanton]

Problem with the Apple TV is no interactive shows on Netflix unlike Google TV which does. It's minor at the end of the day but definitely fun to do with the kiddos.

[@hulagu3068]

Anybody else's apple TV make a annoying high pitched noise?

[@EugenioMosqueraLawrence]

The best streaming devices pepole could buy is the • nVIDIA SHIELD TV PRO • Apple tv 4K Both you could have tyem for decades with yearly updates. PS Roku is outdated devices

[@mr_red13]

I appreciate this video. I always thought CNET to be biased by who pays the most, but this seemed to be a very unbiased comparison and I can now put more faith into future videos. Congrats CNET and the dude in this video.

[@NoCluYT]

I'm going to be honest I really like Google TVs overall UI and look, but they perform like crap

[@FictitiousMe]

No Fire stick? Amazon did not pay you?

[@cliflowry9433]

Google Chomecast with Google TV has an Apps Only mode.

[@gorrilaunit99]

*I'll just plug my phone in and stream for free, thanks* 😂

[@computerenthusiast402]

Apple TV 4K is Preferred Among home theater enthusiast. I have a Roku 4k Ultra and I never use it anymore since purchasing the Apple TV 4K. Its the Difference between a Mercedes and a Mazda. The AppleTV 4k is So Much better with better Security features too. It checks all the boxes. I keep all my Streaming channels and apps on the AppleTV and don’t bother with Anything else. If I was starting out building a home TV entertainment system today the Apple TV 4K is the 1st thing I would buy. It’s worth the extra money.

[@KrypteiaXi]

Does it make any sense to buy Apple TV for ecosystem integration if you have more Apple products? Or it doesn't even matter?

[@jct903]

"Better security features"? What does that even mean?

[@MalcolmLangille]

Fire stick!

[@prof.crastinator]

Roku sucks now- they hate their customers and refuse to have parental controls without multiple accounts and multiple subscriptions. They lost all my business- avoid if you’re a parent.

[@AA_dagr8t]

Unless it's gotten better Roku literally had the worst search results and it has giant intrusive adds that take up alot of the interface

[@witness1013]

Laughable that you don't have the Firestick

[@bravowhiskeysierra6944]

No one wants to pay to have huge Amazon ads for their crappy shows.

[@witness1013]

@@bravowhiskeysierra6944 Umm - that doesn't happen - like at all - you have a vivid imagination.

[@theracer6882]

All tvs have streaming features, no one needs this things.

[@DannerBanks]

Fire TV

[@Misho87]

This guy must be sponsored by Roku, Roku is the most dumbest streaming device ever, yeah it’s the cheapest of them but why by something to get ads on? By the google tv instead, or if you have the money the Apple TV that has the A12 Bionic chip inside that makes everything smooth

[@archis3]

This video was sooo useless! Should have compared speed, etc side by side. I recently got an Apple TV cuz I spent so much time watching reviews of chrome cast and Roku etc and it’s not even close!! Apple TV is crazzzy good! Netflix opens in like a second! All others take minutes especially the smart tvs

[@timweb1510]

Apple is trash for not allowing Roku app on it

[@ImLVLegitcusImthasht]

Apple TV can't even install phone apps on it, and the ads on Google TV and Fire TV ads are actually useful for times you don't know what to watch. Comes with a more widely used assistant such as Google and Alexa. It is cheaper, and Google TV devices have an app only mode of when you don't want ads.

[@MemphisReins]

This is a joke. Roku is the worst, Roku OS is terrible! My personal preference is Google Chromecast with Google TV, I prefer Chromecast because all my other devices are Google & my Chromecast instantly syncs with all my other devices Google interfaces, also I can easily log into to most of the apps b/c their account info is saved in my Google account so I can just click login in instead of having to manually log them in, I recently bought the Amazon fire cube TV just to try it out b/c everybody raves about it & I ended returning it b/c I wasn't impressed with it, at least not as impressed as I thought I would be considering all the hype it gets, The user interface was nice and smooth but so is my Chromecast so I really didn't see anything special about it since my Chromecast can do everything the FireCube TV can do & since Chromecast only cost $50 & I think I paid $150 for the far cube TV with the upgraded remote, considering the price difference though I didn't see anything special about the firecube TV, now I did like that upgraded remote though. Anyways so my personal preference is Chromecast but I would say that as far as refinement goes I would have to say that overall The Amazon fire cube TV is the most refined overall so I would say that it's number one and it cost less than Apple TV, I wasn't impressed with Apple TV either I tried it as well. Roku though I don't know what this guy's talking about b/c Roku is terrible, it's like the grandpa of streaming devices lol

[@jezza6575]

AppleTV for me!

[@Not_So_Weird_in_Austin]

Google TV built in to my TV and won't run a Spectrum TV app and I Hate this. Google tyrany strikes again Spectrum is my cable provider...

[@MichaelLargent]

Until they get properly frame rate matching I'm not using any of them. :/

[@AMGPilot]

None of the above! The NVIDIA SHIELD TV PRO is he best 4K streaming device by far! Not sure why you never include this in your supposed reviews.

[@fredreed2001]

No the Nvidia shield pro is not the best you can’t even get device to recognize a external hard drive stay away from it.