Streaming sticks also feature some exclusive services, like The Roku Channel and Amazon's Fire TV app, which contain tons of free on-demand content and live TV channels. Related: Which Streaming Gadget Should You Buy: Roku, Fire TV, or Chromecast? (Many of these features, like voice control and universal search, are also available on Roku, Fire TV, and Android TV systems, the Chromecast with Google TV just happens to be the "smartest" option.) The Chromecast with Google TV is a stand-out device when it comes to smart features and personalization, with a universal watch list, content recommendations on the homescreen, a universal search that covers all your streaming services at once, and Google Assistant for smarthome controls and faster searching. But still, they work with all your favorite streaming services, so why go out of your way to drop $30, $50, or even $100 on a dedicated streaming device? The answer is simple-streaming sticks come with exclusive features and services, and they're often the first devices to gain access to new streaming platforms.ĭedicated streaming sticks take streaming to a whole new level thanks to their intuitive interface, voice controls, and personalization features that "learn" your preferences automatically. The Xbox and PlayStation use a lot of power and don't have some of the cool features of streaming sticks. It's also worth mentioning that, because most last-gen consoles boot from an HDD, their navigation menus and app load times are slower than current-gen consoles or streaming sticks. Don't worry, your last-gen console has several years of streaming left in it, but bugs, slow loading screens, and other problems will only grow over time. Other issues crop up if you stream from a last-gen console, as streaming services have little incentive to offer long-term support for the Xbox One and PS4. Consoles users also miss out on the streaming stick user interface, which makes it easy to find shows and movies thanks to personalization features and the ability to run a search on all of your streaming services at once. The Xbox and PlayStation also lack some of the features that are standard for streaming sticks, like a traditional remote control (unless you buy one for $30), smart home features, and platform-exclusive streaming apps (like The Roku Channel). Related: Everything You Need to Ditch Cable on a Budget Streaming sticks also wear down as you use them, but replacing a $60 Roku is a lot less painful than replacing an Xbox or PlayStation. Endless streaming could add wear to the console and shorten the lifespan of its internal components. And while the Xbox and PlayStation are supposed to endure hours of non-stop use, they aren't invincible.
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