[blackwasp]

Amazon Fire stick:

This streaming devices comes with an Alexa-enabled voice remote that can make any HDMI enabled TV or a monitor into a smart TV. It comes with 8 GB of internal storage and in 1080p and 4K versions. With a Prime membership, you can get access to TV shows and movies from Amazon Prime Videos. You can also install apps like Netflix, YouTube, Spotify etc. Currently, these are retailing at Rs. 2,399 and Rs. 3,599 respectively.



Product listing on Amazon - 1080p

Product listing on Amazon - 4K

Google Chromecast:

Retailing at Rs. 2,999, Chromecast allows you to cast from your phone apart from lots of apps that can be installed. It is the simplest and easiest to use option among the three.



Product listing on Flipkart

Apple TV:

Selling at Rs. 17,430 for the 4K, 32 GB version, Apple TV is the most expensive option of the three. However, it comes with much more features like arcade gaming, streaming and can also double up as a wireless monitor for your compatible Apple PC. For someone in the Apple ecosystem, it could be a good addition, but there is no denying that it is terribly expensive for what is essentially a streaming device.



Product listing on Amazon

Note: These days, many TVs come with built in Apple TV / Chromecast or Amazon Alexa. Getting a TV with these might be cheaper than purchasing the streaming device and the TV separately. This is especially true for the Apple TV.

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[abhishek46]

I would prefer the Fire stick.

Reasons:
1. Decent performance. Minimal Lag/stutter.
2. Slick UI is a delight to use.
3. Ability to sideload tons of Apps.
3. Wonderfully tuned Remote control.

[Torq]

I have a Sony Bravia smart tv at home since last four years. Have been very happy with video as well as audio. One problem though. No prime/hotstar etc. Briefly contemplated exchanging it for budget android. But then I would have to miss out on the fantastic bravia engine! I could connect laptop or cast from mobile but that means added complexity, which I didn't want to.
So finally took the plunge last Week and got myself a firestick 2019 edition. Very Happy now with all the extra apps available.

Also to note, firestick lite is also available currently on amazon which lacks TV controls and no Alexa support.

[Gsynch]

I have NVIDIA Shield TV, an Android TV OS-based streaming device which can play high-end PC games too. Not available in India but ordered through Amazon.com and has been working beautifully for the last 3 years plus.

Dolby Vision Atmos
4K HDR
AI Upscaling

https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/shield/

[raaj.bhalla]

I have been using Firestick on my two TVs. 4k and full HD versions and both of them work flawlessly.

You can even pair them with Echo speakers or devices and user multiple speaker setup. All the apps are there that are main stream.

4k stick has remote with volume controls which is very handy. It is Alexa enabled too and I can control my Alexa enabled devices through the remote as well.

If you are inclined towards chrome cast,then wait for 2020 version which will be with Remote and in three colors. It has been already launched in US for sure.

Apple TV is too expensive for any incremental benefits it might offer though I have not used it. I have macbook and iPhone but I still have Firestick for my content consumption.

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by Torq

I have a Sony Bravia smart tv at home since last four years.

There is a non-Android Bravia Smart TV? I bought Sony Bravia KDL-50W800C in 2015, it is an Android TV. So I never needed Fire stick for that, it has Netflix, prime, hotstar, and many more.

However, when I bought 55 inch Vu 4K TV with official Google edition Android in 2018 for my Udupi home, it couldn't run half the things properly. So I ordered Amazon Fire Stick for an Android TV.

Of course, two months later Amazon released the 4K fire stick.

[Crow]

I’ve observed that the privacy aspect of these streaming devices doesn’t get discussed as often. I worry that Amazon and Xiaomi would be using my streaming data to personalise ads, which I’m not comfortable with. Does anyone know if this happens? I’ve read multiple reports of smart TV manufacturers doing this, hence the worry.


On the subject though, Apple TV is the most obnoxiously priced device in this category. When the 1080p Apple TV was launched over 10k, the market didn’t have much competition. However in recent years we have so many options and none except Apple TV cost more than 15k. I’ve used and loved an Apple TV but we desperately need a price correction.

Finally, @blackwasp, please consider adding Xiaomi products to the post. Mi TV Stick is cheaper than Fire TV Stick and has 90% of its features. Similarly, the Mi Box 4K at 3.5k offers 90% of Fire TV Stick 4K’s features. I think Mi Box doesn’t have Dolby Vision but otherwise it has everything anyone would need (although I’m not sure about this last point).

[Engine_Roars]

I use two out of these 3 products, google chrome & Amazon Fire stick. Both have their own pros & cons but I feel more comfortable using Amazon Fire stick. I also have a smart TV at my in-laws place & I prefer my TV with Fire stick over the smart TV(Samsung). Amazon Fire stick's remote works flawlessly with the TV and I have not thought once of buying a smart TV yet. I can always buy a new Fire stick when this one goes bad instead of dealing with a smart TV which will be more expensive to repair & will need experts to do so.

Reason I prefer Amazon Fire Sticks are:
1. Don't need to overburden my phone by installing streaming apps which is required for chrome.
2. I prefer using one device i.e. Fire stick instead of handling two, phone & chrome.
3. Fire Stick user interface is a delight, no complaints.

[starter]

Originally Posted by Samurai

There is a non-Android Bravia Smart TV?

Yup, i have one which is non-android bravia.
It however had built in apps for netflix and prime.
I am however using a 4K firestick.

[dailydriver]

I have been using both Chromecast and Firestick for a while now.

Chromecast excels in its seamlessness, i.e, it is easier to cast the media available on one's phone to TV.

Firestick on the other hand has a host of inbuilt apps that are easy to access directly from the TV; the voice remote providing that extra bit of ease. Also, my TV remote can control the Firestick.

One area that Firestick fails in is in streaming media from apps other than Prime. Whereas Chromecast plays videos from all sources similarly, Hotstar, Voot and YouTube seem to lag and buffer a bit on Firestick. Plus, while Prime videos consume less data on TV, videos from all other sources, even when set to near equal quality, need lots more.

[smartindboy]

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[Sree73]

I'm using Chromecast for last couple of years. It's pretty easy to use and can stream video from most of the sources.

Do not have experience with Amazon Fire stick / Apple TV.

[libranof1987]

Originally Posted by Samurai

Of course, two months later Amazon released the 4K fire stick

Don't sweat over it.

I have a LG 4K TV which has everything except HotStar, Apple Tv and SonyLiv (comparing the top streaming websites). Since I cut the cord several years ago, I need HotStar and SonyLiv for cricket and Apple Tv just because I have a complimentary subscription and it does have some really nice content.

That was my use case for the Fire Stick; promptly got the 4K version. Despite there being quite a few shows/movies now available in 4K, my TV never runs the video on 4K. And I meet all requirements: TV has 4K, broadband is 100 mbps on both 2.4 and 5Ghz bands. The most I've got is 1080p HDR.

And streaming websites have only HD (/High) or Auto as quality options, no 4K.

[GTO]

Have Fire Stick, Chromecast & Apple TV at home. Use Firestick 90% of the time because:

- It has a remote control (when will Google understand its importance?).

- Don't need a phone loaded with the apps. Fire Stick works independent of your phone.

- Has all the streaming apps I want including Prime, Netflix, Hotstar, YouTube, Zee etc.

- Supports phone commands should you need it (e.g. as a remote control or choosing a YouTube video from your phone & then playing it on TV).

Chromecast is too basic, while Apple TV is grossly overpriced. Going by today's pricing, I can buy SEVEN Fire Sticks (currently 2400 bucks) for all the TVs in my house instead of a single Apple TV device.