Best streaming devices 2023: The top choices tested and reviewed

Even though it sits as the priciest entry on this list, the Apple TV 4K (2022) more than makes up for its price tag with an abundance of must-have features and a premium level performance that decimates the competition.

For starters, the updates streaming box now has the super fast A15 Bionic chipset inside, which makes the process of blitzing through menus an absolute breeze – and handy if you like to get a good bit of browsing in before deciding upon what to watch.

That chipset performance also extends to the video quality. On all TV sets that we used to test the Apple TV 4K, ranging from a budget set to a high-end OLED TV, Apple’s device was able to put out punchy, crisp visuals that made the viewing experience a true delight on all occasions.

There’s also a dedicated Ethernet port on the more expensive 128GB model, which is essential if you want a more stable internet connection when streaming high-data 4K video.

The device is slightly smaller than it’s predecessor, and while this isn’t the type of change you you’d notice on a regular basis, it does come in handy if you decide to transport the Apple TV 4K from one location to another.

If you’re not already clued into the Apple ecosystem then there’s no need to worry – unlike Apple’s other products like the AirPods Pro 2 or the Apple Watch Series 8, you don’t need other Apple products to make the most of it. The core experience of the Apple 4K TV is so good that it’s an easy one to recommend to almost anyone.

Reviewer: Max Parker
Full Review: Apple TV 4K Box (2022)

The Fire TV Cube (2nd gen) launched in 2019, but remains our favourite Fire TV streamer; a cube-shaped streamer that can pretty much do it all with its built-in Alexa voice control.

It’s bigger than a streaming stick but takes up relatively little space compared to an Apple TV 4K, small enough to be carted around to other homes if you so choose – our only issue is that the glossy finish is a magnet for smudges and picking up dust over time.

The remote’s clicky buttons offer a better response than the Roku Streaming Stick 4K‘s remote which makes for a better point of interaction.

No HDMI cable is included, which we find too frugal from Amazon, so a cable is needed to get things going. Once up and running, the Fire TV Cube can hold court over your entire home cinema set-up, with the ability to use Alexa to control devices connected to your TV (like a soundbar or AV receiver) or the IR extender that extends the Cube’s reach, enabling changes to the volume, switching inputs and hands-free navigation.

This level of connectivity isn’t possible on Amazon’s Fire TV Stick 4K Max and sets the Cube apart from many of its competitors. Alexa is built-in, with the near and far-field microphones able to hear our commands with ease, while the speaker gives Alexa a voice to respond with.

The app selection is, in our estimation, as strong as you’ll find on any streaming platform. All the big names are accounted for in their optimal form with Prime Video (naturally), Netflix, Disney+, YouTube and Apple TV+, Spotify and Tidal, plus all the UK catch-up apps in iPlayer, My5, All4 and ITV Hub. While the Wi-Fi performance will depend on the stability of your connection, our time spent with Cube revealed few, if any issues, in terms of patience-wearing buffering times.

The Fire TV Cube supports all the main HDR standards, from HDR10, HDR10+, HLG and Dolby Vision. This ensures that whatever you’re watching and on whatever TV you’re watching on, the Cube will filter through the best image to your screen. We also noted that the Cube’s compression, especially with darker scenes, is better than the Fire TV Stick 4K Max, which makes for a less distracting performance.

There’s Dolby Atmos sound if you have the kit capable to take advantage of it, and while the performance is similar to other Fire TV streamers, we did hear a more textured bass performance from our subwoofer when watching films and TV. And with Atmos and MQA support for Tidal, if you subscribe to that service you can expect excellent fidelity too.

Reviewer: Kob Monney
Full Review: Amazon Fire TV Cube

If the home cinema ambitions of the Fire TV Cube aren’t of interest, and all you want is a stick to plug in and expand the entertainment options of your 4K TV, then the Fire TV Stick 4K Max is an excellent option.

It’s half the price of the Fire TV Cube, and its performance is similar, though you don’t get the hands-free Alexa support, nor do you get as much control over connected equipment. The Max model only supports power and volume options for a TV, soundbar and AV receiver.

Still, unlike the Cube, the Max is futureproofed with Wi-Fi 6 support ensuring it’s well-placed to take advantage of the faster Wi-Fi speeds those routers bring. It also has the Live view Picture-in-Picture mode, not available on the Fire TV Stick Lite or Fire TV Stick 3rd Gen, that shows a live feed of any connected smart camera/doorbell alongside what you’re watching.

There is a bounty of apps on the Fire TV platform, with all the usual suspects (and many more) accounted for. There are also lots of ads, which may annoy some given they’ve paid for Prime, but Amazon argues it helps in terms of flinging new content at users. Voice control is possible through the Alexa remote, and we found that it’s easier to call her up and find content or navigate through the menus than to use the buttons themselves.

Performance is similar to that of the Fire TV Cube, with punchy, colourful images, good detail and speedy navigation. Though what you see on screen will depend on the quality of your TV, the Max’s wide HDR support in Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HDR10 and HLG will ensure the display has the best chance of optimising the picture. Where the Cube has the edge is in how it handles compression in darker scenes, otherwise the two streamers are close in quality.

The Cube also offers better, more textured bass performance, but what the Max offers is still better than most other streamers we’ve listened too, offering more nuance and detail in its sound than the Roku Streaming Stick 4K.

Of course you’ll need to be a Prime subscriber to make the most of this streamer. And given the ubiquity of Alexa in products and smart ecosystems, the Fire TV Stick 4K Max also gets our vote over the Chromecast with Google TV for its smarts. It’s also the cheaper of the two.

Reviewer: Kob Monney
Full Review: Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max

We include the Roku Streaming Stick 4K as an alternative to those who aren’t interested in Alexa smarts or Google interfaces. It takes a platform agnostic approach to streaming, happy to serve content from any app.

Like the Fire TV Stick 4K Max, it plugs into the HDMI port of your TV (or any device you want to plug it into). Surprisingly, it doesn’t come with an HDMI extender, something Amazon’s streaming sticks do have, but you can order one from the Roku website. We’re not big fans of the remote, the build quality is plasticky and the response from the buttons doesn’t feel great. While volume and power can be controlled, there’s no means to control other devices and you can’t use your TV remote to operate the Roku either. We’d suggest using the Roku app, as that is the more intuitive control method.

The interface feels very basic yet it works very well. It’s easy to find content (both paid-for and free), easy to customise the layout and is home to a big app library, although we’d wager Amazon has it beat in terms of app quantity. AirPlay and HomeKit are supported, so those with iOS devices will find it easy to slot the Roku into the Apple ecosystem. The Roku doesn’t natively support either Alexa or Google voice assistance, but its own voice search is very powerful and accurate in serving up entertainment.

It’s hard to choose between the Fire TV Stick 4K Max’s performance and the Roku, as both conjure similarly colourful and detailed images, and both support all the main HDR formats, so you’re getting the best performance the stick can provide. It’s in the audio department where the Amazon streamer edges things, producing a more nuanced and detailed performance, and it boasts MQA and Atmos support for Tidal streaming.

The Roku is a very good streamer, close to the quality of Amazon’s best Fire TV Stick, and if you’re not interested in Alexa smarts then the Roku is the smarter choice.

Reviewer: Kob Monney
Full Review: Roku Streaming Stick 4K