Chromecast vs Firestick: Which one is better?
Chromecast vs Firestick? A question that many people ask when they want to make their TV into Smart TV. People around the world now have the option to watch their favorite shows and programs whenever they want. Thanks to Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, and Apple TV. These established services offer their customers a variety of shows and channels that they can watch in their free time. Many modern TVs are now Smart TVs. They have built-in apps for these services. So the users don’t have to download them. They just need to sign in and start watching their favorite programs and shows. However, many people don’t have Smart TV in their homes. There may be many reasons for this.
However, if you are the one who doesn’t have Smart TV at their home, then don’t worry. To watch your favorite content on your TV, you need to get a streaming device. Simply plug the streaming device into the TV and your TV becomes a Smart TV. You need to connect these streaming devices to the HDMI port of your TV. Currently, Amazon Fire Stick and Google Chromecast are the two most popular streaming devices in the market. However, many people don’t have an exact idea which one is better. They even don’t have an idea about the price of the streaming devices. So today we’ll compare chromecast vs firestick in order to help people decide which one is best for them.
What is a Streaming Device?
A streaming device as already discussed enables a simple TV into a Smart TV. You can simply connect it with the TV through an HDMI port. With the streaming device, you are able to watch your favorite TV content on your TV. You get free apps such as YouTube and BBC iPlayer. However, you may need to download other apps that require paid subscriptions such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney Plus, Now TV, etc). Although, the streaming devices come with a remote control you can also use your smartphone or tablet as remote control via the app. Another important point to keep in your mind is the TV license fee. If you want to watch live tv then you need to get a tv license.
What If you have a Smart TV?
Even if you have a Smart TV at your home, you may still need to get a streaming device. Many Smart TVs don’t offer all the apps. For example, if you have a Smart TV that is running on Android OS, you may not find Sky’s Now TV. For that, you will need to get a streaming device that supports Sky’s Now TV. Similarly, you may not find Apple TV on many Smart TVs. You will need to get a streaming device for that as well.
Although there are other options available as well that you can use to watch content on your TV. You can connect your laptop or tablet to your TV via HDMI cable. However, no one would want to through all this hassle every day just to watch their favorite programs. Therefore, many people prefer to have a streaming device that is simple and easy to set up.
Chromecast vs Firestick?
Now we’ll look at the features of Chromecast with Google TV and Amazon Fire TV Stick. That will make it easy for you to compare the two streaming devices and draw a conclusion which one is best for you. Both streaming devices are basically dongle devices that you need to connect to HDMI port of your TV. Apart from that, both have a separate remote control that is powered by battery. In addition to this, both devices need power to run. You can give power through a USB port.
Amazon Fire TV stick comes in black color. Whereas Chromecast with Google TV comes in three colors. However, a very prominent feature of Chromcase with Google TV that differentiates it from Amazon Fire TV is its very well compatibility with a 4K TV. If you have a 4K tv at home and you want to convert that tv into a Smart TV, then Chromecast with Google TV will be the best option for you.
Both the streaming devices come with the digital assistants. Chromecast with Google TV work well with the Google assistant, whereas Amazon Fire TV stick work with the Alexa. So if your home is set up with smart devices of Amazon then Amazon Fire TV will help you manage devices very well. On the other hand, if you are using Google smart devices then Chromecast with Google TV will be best option for you.
If you want to connect your mobile phone with your TV, then both devices work equally well if you are android user. However, iPhone users may find it a bit difficult to connect their phone to a TV. If you are iPhone user and want to mirror your phone, then it is better for you to use Apple TV.
Both the sticks come with the latest app services. You can easily find shortcut buttons on the remote control of both the streaming devices. However, it is better to check before buying the sticks to make sure they have that app that you would love to watch. Chromecase with Google TV didn’t have Apple TV support at the beginning but their later they included it in their latest versions. Now only Now TV is missing in Chromecast. Both sticks support all other major apps.
Chromecast is a bit expensive than Amazon Fire TV Stick. However, the decision totally depends upon your choice. Like already stated, if you have all Alexa control devices then you must go for Amazon Fire TV. Similarly, if you have Google smart devices then go for Chromecast.
Both the devices give the best performance. The output sound of the Fire TV is Dolby Digital Plus 7.1. Wehreas Chromecast gives a sound output of Dolby Digital Plus 5.1. Both the devices give clear and detailed speech. The picture is sharp and detailed in Chromecast whereas it is crisp in Fire TV Stick.
That concludes our chromecast vs firestick review. It is totally your choice depending upon your budget, your app choice, and home set up that what streaming device would you like to have with your TV.
