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Which streaming device fits your TV? 10 options and questions to compare

Comparing streaming devices? This guide covers 10 options, from Roku and Fire TV sticks to Apple TV 4K, Nvidia Shield and built-in smart TV platforms

A TV's HDMI port is the only video connection most streaming hardware needs. Plug a small stick or box into it and connect to Wi-Fi. The screen then gains a full library of apps, whether the set is a few months old or a decade old.

That simple setup is why separate streaming devices still have a role, even though many TVs now ship with smart software built in. A dedicated media player can add apps such as Netflix $NFLX, Disney $DIS and YouTube to a TV that never had them. It can also replace a built-in system that has grown slow, has lost app support or uses a home screen its owner dislikes.

Most sticks and boxes compete on the same short list of features. Spec sheets across brands highlight 4K resolution, HDR formats such as Dolby Vision and HDR10 , Wi-Fi standards and voice remotes. Support for those formats varies by model, so the exact unit matters more than the brand name.

The larger choice is often about ecosystems rather than hardware. Roku $ROKU runs its own platform, and it is not tied to a single retailer's shopping service. Amazon $AMZN's Fire TV line is built around Alexa voice control and puts Prime Video content up front. Apple $AAPL TV 4K supports AirPlay and works closely with the iPhone and HomePod. Google $GOOGL's hardware runs Google TV, and the company has moved from its Chromecast with Google TV dongle to a newer streaming box, the Google TV Streamer. Nvidia $NVDA's Shield TV runs Android TV and has a following among people who use a Plex media server or play games through GeForce Now.

A search for the best streaming devices often comes down to a narrower question. Which set-top box or streaming stick fits the TV, phone and voice assistant already in the house?

This guide is a selection of 10, not a ranking. It covers eight dedicated sticks and boxes, including one Google model that has been discontinued. It also covers two broader questions: whether a TV's built-in platform is enough on its own, and how to connect a streaming device to an older set. Each slide stands on its own, so readers can go straight to the platform they are weighing.

Roku Streaming Stick for a simple app grid and wide app support

The Roku $ROKU Streaming Stick suits viewers who want a large app catalog without being steered toward one company's store. It runs the Roku operating system, which lays out installed apps in a plain grid on the home screen.

Each streaming service appears as its own tile in that grid. A service such as Hulu, Peacock or Paramount $PARA opens directly from its tile. Owners can move tiles around to reorder the grid. The services they use most can then sit in the top row.

The stick is the smaller of Roku's two hardware formats. Roku also sells streaming boxes, and both run the same operating system. A viewer who moves from a stick to a box finds the same home screen layout.

Roku is a hardware and software company, not a retailer or a phone maker. Its platform is not built around a retailer's shopping service, while Amazon $AMZN's Fire TV interface promotes Prime Video content. Apple $AAPL TV hardware, by contrast, is designed around owners of the iPhone, iPad and Mac. A Roku stick works the same way whichever phone or shopping account a household uses.

App breadth is the platform's second distinction. Roku's store covers the major subscription services along with many smaller and free ones. Roku long called these apps "channels," and some viewers still use that word. Its search tool looks across many services at once and shows where a title is available to watch.

Roku also runs The Roku Channel, a free service funded by advertising rather than subscription fees. It offers on-demand movies and shows along with live, linear channels. On a Roku stick, it sits on the same home screen as paid apps. The Roku Channel is also available outside Roku hardware, including in a web browser.

Roku's free mobile app can stand in for the physical remote, and it adds a phone keyboard for typing searches. Roku sells more than one stick model, and capabilities differ between them. Buyers should check a specific stick's listed specifications against their TV before choosing one.

Roku Ultra with Ethernet and a private-listening remote

Roku $ROKU Ultra is Roku's higher-end streaming box. Two hardware features have long set it apart: an Ethernet port for a wired internet connection and a remote with a headphone jack for private listening.

Unlike a stick that hangs off the back of a TV, the Ultra is a set-top box. It sits on a shelf or console and connects to the TV with an HDMI cable. That form factor leaves room for a built-in port that a slim stick lacks.

The Ethernet port is the clearest example. A wired connection runs a cable straight from a router or network switch to the box. That link does not compete with phones, laptops and other devices for wireless signal. It is also unaffected by walls, floors and distance from the router, all of which can weaken Wi-Fi.

The Ultra also connects over Wi-Fi. The cable is an option, not a........

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