The free one. A few years back a lot of the services were giving out devices when you signed up so I was able to redeem a lot of those deals so I have chromecast, fire, and roku devices. Also have an xfinity flex device
My favorite is Google TV. But I really like Roku. I don't like the Fire Stick. I have devices for all three. I also have a Nvidia Shield Pro but I never find myself using it, instead using HDMI to plug in my gaming PC to my living room TV for easier access. My bedroom has a TCL Roku TV with, obviously, Roku built in. I have a blu-ray player, a standard Google TV and a Switch plugged into it. Starting next month I intend on replacing the Google TV and going with a mini PC with Windows and connecting a mini keyboard and touchpad with it. Overall I feel like having a Roku TV with a Google TV plugged in is redundant and the only reason to use Google TV instead of Roku is for Twitch. I am sad that Roku doesn't have access to Twitch. It's a hugely popular app with thousands of streamers broadcasting live at any given moment. But once I get the mini PC to replace it, it'll be able to do Twitch but just about everything a home computer can do except video games. I don't intend on playing video games with it anyways since I already have a Switch dock as one of the ports. Love the videos Michael Saves. You give us credible and wise advice on what to do to cord cut and save the most money possible. Thanks for your continued support.
We like the Amazon Firestick 4K Max as it integrates well with our Ring/Wyze cameras and Echo devices. We actually have 3 total Firesticks. We previously used a Tivo Stream 4K on our bedroom TV but we replaced it with one of the Firesticks. I also got the Roku Streaming Stick 4K Plus mainly because of the Voice Remote Pro, as it has the recharge feature.
I use the Fire TV, not because it was cheaper, but because it was the first one I bought. I am interested in upgrading if it improves my viewing experience and currently looking at other Fire devices. I appreciate you not pushing a particular device.
I use Eneloop NiMH rechargeable batteries in my two Roku Streaming Stick+ devices. They don't leak like alkaline batteries and they can be recharged hundreds of times.
Regarding batteries we converted to using AA and AAA rechargeable batteries. I use Amazon Basics high-capacity that I charge on a couple Tenergy TN480U 8-Bay chargers. However, for the devices that work better at the higher voltages Amptorrent lithium AA and AAA rechargeables. The rechargeable lithium batteries stay at 1.5V the downside is they don't give much notice before shutting down. The Amazon rechargeable batteries actually last a long time but they get down to lower voltages and they stay there what seems like forever; in other words, they have a lower nominal voltage. In my household there's a total of six people, so the two chargers is a absolute necessity, especially with my grandkids. I literally have at least three streaming devices per TV, but my favorite is still the Nvidia Shield Pro. Nothing's going to beat it for HD to 4K upscaling. Every major TV in our house has an Apple 4K TV, Nvidia Shield Pro and Roku Ultra. I see the pros and cons of them all and there is no "perfect" streaming device.
.. Let me add this. I absolutely loathe the idea of any remote having a fixed built-in battery for a couple reasons. First, when they're dead, they're dead and you either have to sit there for two or three or more hours and recharge them while you can't use them, or you have to throw them in the garbage once the fixed super cheap rechargeable battery won't recharge anymore. I much prefer a remote where I can quickly swap out, preferably AA battery(ies) or AAA because I'm up and running in less than a minute!.
Hey Michael I have Roku streaming devices and TCL Roku TVs and I love them. Especially my 4k Roku streaming stick with 720p to 4k Dolby Vision at 60fps. Also Roku devices are very reasonably priced and are great for a majority of consumers. They do everything I need and more.
My 1st device was a Roku, and it was my favorite. I only gave it up because I had to replace batteries in the remote every 7-14 days. I tried Amazon Fire Stick and the remote's batteries there last a couple of months. I will say, however, that Roku was my favorite device for all the reasons you mentioned: ease of use, uncluttered main screen, and really a broad array of apps to choose from.
Thank you for this video! I’m trying to decide if I want to spend the money for a new streaming device. In the living room, we have a Chromecast that we received for free with Sling. It’s great until you try to pick it up in the dark and accidentally push a button (they stick out too far) that takes us away from our current show. In the family room, we had a Verizon Stream device that only lasted 9 months and contained too many ads. Now, we are just using the Sony TV remote, but it is just way too big with too many options. We gave my mother-in-law our Roku, and I’m thinking we need another one even tho we can get by with what we have.
My favorite device is the Nvidia Shield Pro, the main reason being that it supports the PlayOn app (Roku dropped support for that app some time ago). Unfortunately, it is the priciest option of all of the streaming devices, at $200 regular price. If anyone is on the fence about getting one of these, I see that Best Buy currently has it on sale for $180. To sweeten the deal, it comes with a 30 day free subscription to Fubo TV (new subscribers only), 3 months free of Apple TV+ (new and returning subscribers), and 4 months free of Amazon Music (new subscribers only). Those perks might make it worthwhile to pull the trigger on this one. And of course, if you don't want to pay for these services after the free trial ends, just set yourself a reminder to cancel them before you end up paying for them.
First off, I want to say I understand technology easily and can maneuver between Fire and Roku. I have a smart TV, had to add the Fire Stick. My friend bought a Roku TV....never saw it before, but was able to explain to him HOW to use Roku. I had to RE-LABEL one of his inputs as WII, so he could find his WII player. Moved squares around so he could flip between Cable, his WII and CZcams....all next to each other. So FireStick apps are in a row, and I move my apps around, too, in order of most used. Some will be below, it's okay. We are both 71, and I am smarter than he is when it comes to technology. (And I am still training him on understanding his Fitbit.)
love the roku sticks and upgraded to the tcl roku tv's with the roku voice remote pro's and the roku wireless speakers. very accessible for the blind. highly recommend.
Roku is my favorite but chromecast with google tv is great too. Don't care for fire stick as there isn't much storage. I have 25 apps on my roku and firestick was crying when I downloaded 4. Great video.
Good info Michael, thanks! I have an LG Smart tv, so I don't need a streaming device--but the exercise room in my apt building has a tv on the wall with a Roku remote, and I very much like the 'Live TV' options (I Heart Radio, etc). So I am thinking I may buy one.
I like Roku mainly for the tons of apps available. At the same time, it drives me crazy that MyRadar is on the Fire TV but NOT the Roku. The only other unit that has tempted me is the Invidia Shield because of its processing power, but I could never justify the price to find out if it really would make any difference just watching TV. CZcams TV was generous enough to send me a Chromecast... but then it didn't work very well! It would hang up on long videos. I don't know if I just got a bad unit or what. The interface looked fine, but if I can't watch a video all the way through, I don't want it. I have it in a drawer, collecting dust.
I have 6 TVs. On my den tv I have 4 streaming devices, t95q android box with 64 gb storage and 4gb ram, a firetv cube, a 4k firestick and a chromecast with Google TV. In master bedroom I have 2 TVs, each has 3 streaming devices, one has a 4k firestick, a firestick lie and an onn box, the other has a t95q android box with 32 gb storage and 4 gb ram, a chromecast with Google TV and a 2nd generation firetv box. In one guest bedroom I have a 4k firestick, another guest bedroom a firestick 3rd generation and finally in living room a firestick lite. Oh I have a couple of roku's that I hardly use. I buy large quantities of batteries from Costco
I like the Roku but lately it doesn't seem to connect right away to my tv. It used to come on at the same time. I have added it again in add remote to try to fix this. Its not a big deal, just annoying.
I have chromecast with Google TV, a TCL Roku TV, an extra chromecast (plain) and unused fire TV stick.. As for batteries a video was made testing 10 different batteries with identical devices, the winner was harbor freight, but not their cheapest brand, he broke it down to runtime and cost per hour..
@Michael Saves he found the Duracell poor performing for the price... I've got a medical appointment day adjacent to there today.. I'm going to check it out.. before going ill have to get battery info on remote controls and mice... we go through tons... 4 cats lay anywhere they please
Yes, I posted about this on my Community Tab earlier. Are you affected or did you set up an account before the change? Peacock's free tier was good but not the best. At least we have lots of free options!
I’m not aware but there is a restricted mode you could set up for devices your kids use: support.google.com/youtube/answer/174084?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid
What's your favorite streaming device and why do you like it?
The free one. A few years back a lot of the services were giving out devices when you signed up so I was able to redeem a lot of those deals so I have chromecast, fire, and roku devices. Also have an xfinity flex device
@@mikke906 I like this answer! Glad you got those deals.
My favorite is Google TV. But I really like Roku. I don't like the Fire Stick. I have devices for all three. I also have a Nvidia Shield Pro but I never find myself using it, instead using HDMI to plug in my gaming PC to my living room TV for easier access. My bedroom has a TCL Roku TV with, obviously, Roku built in. I have a blu-ray player, a standard Google TV and a Switch plugged into it. Starting next month I intend on replacing the Google TV and going with a mini PC with Windows and connecting a mini keyboard and touchpad with it. Overall I feel like having a Roku TV with a Google TV plugged in is redundant and the only reason to use Google TV instead of Roku is for Twitch. I am sad that Roku doesn't have access to Twitch. It's a hugely popular app with thousands of streamers broadcasting live at any given moment. But once I get the mini PC to replace it, it'll be able to do Twitch but just about everything a home computer can do except video games. I don't intend on playing video games with it anyways since I already have a Switch dock as one of the ports.
Love the videos Michael Saves. You give us credible and wise advice on what to do to cord cut and save the most money possible. Thanks for your continued support.
@@EthanReilly yes it’s a shame Roku doesn’t have Twitch. Let me know how your new setup goes next month.
We like the Amazon Firestick 4K Max as it integrates well with our Ring/Wyze cameras and Echo devices. We actually have 3 total Firesticks. We previously used a Tivo Stream 4K on our bedroom TV but we replaced it with one of the Firesticks.
I also got the Roku Streaming Stick 4K Plus mainly because of the Voice Remote Pro, as it has the recharge feature.
I use the Fire TV, not because it was cheaper, but because it was the first one I bought. I am interested in upgrading if it improves my viewing experience and currently looking at other Fire devices. I appreciate you not pushing a particular device.
I am in the FireTv camp, you can side load apps, expand storage, however I do love the Roku Channel.
I use Eneloop NiMH rechargeable batteries in my two Roku Streaming Stick+ devices. They don't leak like alkaline batteries and they can be recharged hundreds of times.
Thank you for the great info. I purchased rechargable batteries and charger for my Roku remote.
Regarding batteries we converted to using AA and AAA rechargeable batteries. I use Amazon Basics high-capacity that I charge on a couple Tenergy TN480U 8-Bay chargers. However, for the devices that work better at the higher voltages Amptorrent lithium AA and AAA rechargeables. The rechargeable lithium batteries stay at 1.5V the downside is they don't give much notice before shutting down. The Amazon rechargeable batteries actually last a long time but they get down to lower voltages and they stay there what seems like forever; in other words, they have a lower nominal voltage. In my household there's a total of six people, so the two chargers is a absolute necessity, especially with my grandkids.
I literally have at least three streaming devices per TV, but my favorite is still the Nvidia Shield Pro. Nothing's going to beat it for HD to 4K upscaling. Every major TV in our house has an Apple 4K TV, Nvidia Shield Pro and Roku Ultra. I see the pros and cons of them all and there is no "perfect" streaming device.
.. Let me add this. I absolutely loathe the idea of any remote having a fixed built-in battery for a couple reasons. First, when they're dead, they're dead and you either have to sit there for two or three or more hours and recharge them while you can't use them, or you have to throw them in the garbage once the fixed super cheap rechargeable battery won't recharge anymore. I much prefer a remote where I can quickly swap out, preferably AA battery(ies) or AAA because I'm up and running in less than a minute!.
Hey Michael I have Roku streaming devices and TCL Roku TVs and I love them. Especially my 4k Roku streaming stick with 720p to 4k Dolby Vision at 60fps. Also Roku devices are very reasonably priced and are great for a majority of consumers. They do everything I need and more.
My 1st device was a Roku, and it was my favorite. I only gave it up because I had to replace batteries in the remote every 7-14 days. I tried Amazon Fire Stick and the remote's batteries there last a couple of months. I will say, however, that Roku was my favorite device for all the reasons you mentioned: ease of use, uncluttered main screen, and really a broad array of apps to choose from.
Walmart Onn Ruku Tv for sale 32 inch for $88 dollars works great !
Thank you for this video! I’m trying to decide if I want to spend the money for a new streaming device. In the living room, we have a Chromecast that we received for free with Sling. It’s great until you try to pick it up in the dark and accidentally push a button (they stick out too far) that takes us away from our current show. In the family room, we had a Verizon Stream device that only lasted 9 months and contained too many ads. Now, we are just using the Sony TV remote, but it is just way too big with too many options. We gave my mother-in-law our Roku, and I’m thinking we need another one even tho we can get by with what we have.
My favorite device is the Nvidia Shield Pro, the main reason being that it supports the PlayOn app (Roku dropped support for that app some time ago). Unfortunately, it is the priciest option of all of the streaming devices, at $200 regular price.
If anyone is on the fence about getting one of these, I see that Best Buy currently has it on sale for $180. To sweeten the deal, it comes with a 30 day free subscription to Fubo TV (new subscribers only), 3 months free of Apple TV+ (new and returning subscribers), and 4 months free of Amazon Music (new subscribers only). Those perks might make it worthwhile to pull the trigger on this one. And of course, if you don't want to pay for these services after the free trial ends, just set yourself a reminder to cancel them before you end up paying for them.
First off, I want to say I understand technology easily and can maneuver between Fire and Roku. I have a smart TV, had to add the Fire Stick. My friend bought a Roku TV....never saw it before, but was able to explain to him HOW to use Roku. I had to RE-LABEL one of his inputs as WII, so he could find his WII player. Moved squares around so he could flip between Cable, his WII and CZcams....all next to each other. So FireStick apps are in a row, and I move my apps around, too, in order of most used. Some will be below, it's okay. We are both 71, and I am smarter than he is when it comes to technology. (And I am still training him on understanding his Fitbit.)
Costco Direct
Roku 55” Class - Select Series - 4K LED HDR Smart Roku TV
Member Only Item
Your Price $279.99
love the roku sticks and upgraded to the tcl roku tv's with the roku voice remote pro's and the roku wireless speakers. very accessible for the blind. highly recommend.
That sounds like a nice setup, Adrian!
I was gonna get the Roku Ultra, But ultimately decided on a smart TV because it'll cut down on wires and cords.
I hear that a lot. Makes sense!
Roku is my favorite but chromecast with google tv is great too. Don't care for fire stick as there isn't much storage. I have 25 apps on my roku and firestick was crying when I downloaded 4. Great video.
Good info Michael, thanks! I have an LG Smart tv, so I don't need a streaming device--but the exercise room in my apt building has a tv on the wall with a Roku remote, and I very much like the 'Live TV' options (I Heart Radio, etc). So I am thinking I may buy one.
I like Roku mainly for the tons of apps available. At the same time, it drives me crazy that MyRadar is on the Fire TV but NOT the Roku. The only other unit that has tempted me is the Invidia Shield because of its processing power, but I could never justify the price to find out if it really would make any difference just watching TV.
CZcams TV was generous enough to send me a Chromecast... but then it didn't work very well! It would hang up on long videos. I don't know if I just got a bad unit or what. The interface looked fine, but if I can't watch a video all the way through, I don't want it. I have it in a drawer, collecting dust.
I have 6 TVs. On my den tv I have 4 streaming devices, t95q android box with 64 gb storage and 4gb ram, a firetv cube, a 4k firestick and a chromecast with Google TV. In master bedroom I have 2 TVs, each has 3 streaming devices, one has a 4k firestick, a firestick lie and an onn box, the other has a t95q android box with 32 gb storage and 4 gb ram, a chromecast with Google TV and a 2nd generation firetv box. In one guest bedroom I have a 4k firestick, another guest bedroom a firestick 3rd generation and finally in living room a firestick lite. Oh I have a couple of roku's that I hardly use. I buy large quantities of batteries from Costco
My main concern abt switching over to streaming, is one of my favorite local tv channels isn’t carried by any of the streaming services
Apple TV 4K is by far the best device. I have one and a Roku Ultra and the speed and remote of the Apple TV is hands down faster and smoother.
Apple 4K TV guy here. It’s flawless.
Love your page keep it up
Nothing beats Nvidia Shield
Like my Fire Cube I would keep it!!👍
I like the Roku but lately it doesn't seem to connect right away to my tv. It used to come on at the same time. I have added it again in add remote to try to fix this. Its not a big deal, just annoying.
Is one of the streaming devices get WiFi 6 and newer wifi technology support by 2024 and beyond?
If you're already in the Apple ecosystem then Apple TV is worth the cost. Roku is a close second!
Looking for advice but get plug for one device only.
I have chromecast with Google TV, a TCL Roku TV, an extra chromecast (plain) and unused fire TV stick..
As for batteries a video was made testing 10 different batteries with identical devices, the winner was harbor freight, but not their cheapest brand, he broke it down to runtime and cost per hour..
Harbor Freight? Wow! I wouldn't have guessed that. I like the Costco brand because they're made by Duracell.
@Michael Saves he found the Duracell poor performing for the price... I've got a medical appointment day adjacent to there today.. I'm going to check it out.. before going ill have to get battery info on remote controls and mice... we go through tons... 4 cats lay anywhere they please
Apps on the Apple TV load much faster than even the best Roku
I have a shield, fire cube & two 4k firesticks....
Apple tv
I know this is unrelated but it’s Breaking news: Peacock Ends Free Tier for New Users. Source: The Hollywood Reporter
Yes, I posted about this on my Community Tab earlier. Are you affected or did you set up an account before the change? Peacock's free tier was good but not the best. At least we have lots of free options!
@@MichaelSaves Thank you for your reply!🙏 I subscribed to Peacock Premium during an Amazon Prime sale. $2/month for a year (ends 9/1/23).
Correction: It was a direct subscription with Peacock.
Fire tv build in tv
Is there a streaming device that I can block or maybe put a pin on the You tube app so it's not used by kids???
I’m not aware but there is a restricted mode you could set up for devices your kids use: support.google.com/youtube/answer/174084?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid
Hate Roku's flimsy remote.
Say Roku one more time