Roku vs. Amazon Fire TV Review 2022 – Which Streaming Device Is Better?
In this post regarding Roku vs. Amazon Fire TV Review 2022, we discuss review and comparison of Roku VS. Amazon Fire Tv. Roku and the Amazon Fire TV Stick, also known as Firestick, are two of the best streaming devices on the market today, especially for people who want to cut the cord. No matter if you’re a Netflix addict or a fan of anime, there are a lot of streaming services and content for both. Still, there are some differences between Roku and Firestick when it comes to how easy they are to use and what features they have.
What Are Streaming Devices?
A streaming device enables a program to gather data and present it to the user in the form of a continuous stream of converted audio or video. This can be accomplished, for example, by connecting your TV to the Internet so that you can view a movie, listen to top 40 tunes, or listen to a top-rated podcast on your device. Streaming technology is offered in a variety of formats.
They might be embedded inside a smart TV or game device, comparable to modern Xbox and PlayStation models. You can also utilize a different streaming device, such as an Amazon Firestick or a Roku stick, to watch video. Simply putting a streaming device into an HDMI port on your television allows you to watch movies, TV shows, news, live events, games, and more.
Why Use a Streaming Device?
You can watch movies, news, TV series, podcasts, and music without having to download them to your hard drive if you use a streaming service. This frees up a significant amount of cabinet space in your cabinets.
Real-time access is another benefit. You may be able to watch or listen to media right now rather than waiting for the file to fully download, depending on your internet speed. On your streaming device, you can also save a choice of apps. Take your entertainment system with you everywhere you go so you don’t miss an episode of your favourite TV show when you’re out of town and stuck in your hotel room.
Looking for a low-cost and simple way to view Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, YouTube, Disney Plus, Apple TV Plus, HBO, and other streaming video services on your TV? Roku and Amazon Fire TV are two fantastic possibilities. The most popular streaming device has long been Roku, but Amazon’s Fire TV system has recently gained traction. Amazon’s Fire TV system has recently gained traction. ” data-s-object-id=”article-body; annotation”>Amazon’s Fire TV system has recently gained traction.
We’ve spent a lot of time at CNET trying gadgets from different platforms, and they’re all great. The majority of the Roku and Fire TV devices we tested scored an 8.0 (excellent) or higher grade.
So how one can you select? To begin, understand they’ve extra similarities than variations.
- Both are super-affordable, beginning at $30 for Roku and $40 for Fire TV.
- Both have entry to roughly umpteen zillion TV apps, together with the entire main ones. Most apps look and behave principally the identical on each.
- The newest fashions of Roku and Fire TV are just about equally fast, responsive, and dependable as long as you’ve got a solid internet connection.
- Both (apart from the most cost-effective Rokus) provide remotes with TV volume and power buttons to control TVs, so you possibly can ditch the remote that got here together with your TV.
- Both have a number of fashions, beginning with fundamental streamers as much as 4K-compatible variations with voice, gadget control, and headphone jacks built into the distance.
(Image Source: Roku)
A Roku might be a better alternative if keeping track of things is vital to you. This is because, like your smartphone, Roku allows you to arrange all of your apps on the home screen. If you use Netflix more than any other app, for example, you might want to put it in the first row so you don’t waste time hunting for it.
Aside from your apps, the Roku home page also shows all of the tabs on the left side of the screen. You may either check through the Featured Free category for entirely free movies and TV series, or you can search for movies and TV shows by going all the way down to Search. You can also hunt for a film by actor or director if you don’t remember the title.
Roku has developed itself as a serious competitor to both Amazon and Google in recent years. The Roku Streaming Stick+, which supports 4K and HDR10, was also the first 4K streaming stick to be released in the UK. It’s a lot smaller than the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K, so it’ll fit into your TV’s HDMI port much easier.
Roku and Amazon are distinguished by the fact that Roku does not generate its own television programming. Instead, Roku launched a free, ad-supported TV streaming channel in the United Kingdom and the United States. With a Roku streamer, anyone can watch over 10,000 movies and TV shows of varied quality. There isn’t any heavy-handed promotion of what to watch because Roku doesn’t have its own programming to push. As a result, the content material searching platform is significantly cleaner – and more ordered – than Amazon’s. Navigating through a range of streaming apps and menus is likewise straightforward and speedy.
On Roku, you can watch Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Apple TV, Google Play, HBO, Hulu, Showtime, YouTube TV, Sling TV, Fubo, and NBC. Now TV (UK), Vudu (US), and Google Play are also available, which are not available on Amazon’s Fire TV devices.
In addition to voice controls, the free Roku software that serves as a distant control allows you to add control and stream video from your smartphone or tablet. There are some smart options, such as the ability to listen to music quietly using headphones so that other family members are not disturbed.
Unlike the Fire TV, there is no HDMI extension cord included in the box. Roku’s website offers one for free, but it isn’t the best option. Because it is fueled by your TV’s USB port, the Stick+ is more handy than the Fire TV.
Roku has a strong basis and a wealth of supplementary capabilities, but Amazon Fire TV outperforms Roku in terms of voice commands, Prime Video content, and general efficiency.
Fire Stick
(Image Source: Amazon)
Amazon Fire TV additionally affords handy residence display screen navigation, however differently. Instead of permitting you to rearrange your apps, The Fire Stick exhibits you an inventory of your frequent and up to date apps. You may also maintain down the mouse button to enter an inventory of grasp apps.
Below your favorite apps, Fire Stick exhibits your suggestions based mostly in your beforehand seen motion pictures and TV exhibits. It additionally exhibits you new movies from Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Hulu, or no matter channels you’re subscribed to. So, if you wish to keep up to date on new movies or uncover motion pictures from any style, the Fire Stick could be a greater choice for you.
Best Remote Control: Amazon Fire Stick
Both Roku and Fire TV embrace distant controls to your TV, so that you don’t should switch between the TV distant and the streaming gadget distant.
(Image Source: Amazon)
Roku
The microphone button on the Roku remote gives you the ability to search for movies and play them by speaking the names of the titles into the microphone. In addition, Roku has shortcut buttons for popular channels like as Netflix and Disney Channels. These shortcut buttons will actually come in handy, but unfortunately, they cannot be reprogrammed to switch between different stations. Therefore, if you don’t use the channels on your Roku remote, these buttons may be even less useful to you than they already are.
Fire Stick
While the remote for the Fire Stick does not include the shortcut buttons that are included on the Roku remote, it does contain a button that allows you to mute the sound. In addition to this, the remote that comes with the Fire Stick can control any soundbar, in contrast to the remote that comes with Roku, which can only control soundbars that support HDMI.
It is possible that the remote for the Amazon Fire Stick is very smooth, and it may feel higher in your hand. The Roku remote is cumbersome and has large, traditional buttons that can be difficult to press due to their size. In addition, the remote for the Fire Stick appears to attach simpler, which means that you may be further away, and you don’t even have to level the remote on the display screen. This allows for a greater viewing distance.
Best Voice Control: Amazon Fire Stick
It is going to be such a hassle to reach for the remote control, especially if you are already comfortable on the couch or on your bed. The good news is that each Roku and Fire TV Stick will enable you to manage your television by giving voice commands. However, which streaming media player is better for you—a Roku or an Amazon Fire Stick—depends entirely on the voice assistant that is already installed in your home.
Roku
Roku works with each Google and Alexa, however, Google doesn’t work with the Amazon Fire Stick. So, when you have Google Home sensible residence speakers, Roku is the higher choice for you.
However, you need to say “Roku” every time you ask Google to launch apps or play motion pictures on a Roku gadget. For instance, you may say, “Google, open Hulu on Roku,” or “Google, pause Roku.”
If you don’t have Google or Alexa, you may nonetheless launch apps and seek for content material utilizing the microphone button in your Roku distant or through the use of the Roku cell app. You can discover completely different genres, actors, or play TV exhibits on a selected channel. Just say, “Play Happy Feet on The Roku Channel,” and Roku will play the film for you.
Fire Stick
(Image Source: Amazon)
The Fire Stick is an excellent streaming device if you already own an Amazon Alexa smart home speaker. Connect Alexa to your Fire TV Stick and you’ll be able to watch whatever you want without ever reaching for the remote.
Simply say, “Alexa, watch Friends,” and the Fire Stick will automatically begin playing the game. The Fire Stick even has a fascinating feature that lets you rewind a video by simply saying “Rewind 20 seconds.”
You may also ask Alexa to perform various things with your Fire Stick. You may also control additional smart home gadgets with your remote, such as smart light bulbs. You may also ask Alexa weather-related queries, and the answers will be presented on your TV. Alexa may be able to respond to you through your television speakers. So, when it comes to Roku vs Fire Stick, it all comes down to the type of speaker you have. On the other side, the Fire Stick features better voice controls.
Best Apps: Roku
Roku
Aside from streaming motion pictures and TV exhibits, Roku and Fire Stick allow you to play video games as well. Roku permits you to play along with your video games along with your family and friends or by your self. You can try the Games web page on their web site and discover a whole lot of video games obtainable.
Likewise, you may switch to the Apps tab on the identical web site and flick through hundreds of various apps. There you will discover film guides, film and TV present channels, and even digital sceneries to play on your TV.
While Roku doesn’t help as many video games and apps because the Fire Stick does, you do get entry to The Roku Channel. This free app has a wide array of ad-supported motion pictures and collections. You may also discover lots of movies for kids and different free reside channels, similar to ABC News, WealthNation, and extra. So, in the event you’re into motion pictures and exhibits greater than video games, you would possibly need to go along with Roku.
Fire Stick
You may view cable channels on a Fire Stick, such as Cinemax and HBO, and you also have access to films that Amazon Originals has produced in their own right. However, in order to take advantage of these benefits, you will need to sign up for Amazon Prime.
Additionally, Fire Stick comes with its own website where you can download apps and games to use on your television. In addition, in contrast to Roku, Fire Stick allows you to play a greater variety of games, some of which are significantly more well-liked than the games that can be found on Roku. Consequently, if one of the primary reasons you want a streaming device is to play video games, you should probably go with a Fire Stick rather than another option.
Content discovery
The flip side is that Amazon’s Fire TV interface is better at suggesting what to watch without making you jump in and out of different apps. Keep scrolling past the app list, and you’ll find row upon row of suggested movies and shows to watch. Most come from Amazon’s own Prime Video service, but you might also get recommendations from other apps, such as Netflix or HBO Now. While this approach can feel inscrutable—mostly because Amazon doesn’t let you customize the recommendations that appear—it is helpful for those times when you’re feeling indecisive.
Roku’s content finding efforts are far more conservative. On the home screen, there’s a “Featured Free” section that highlights free movies and TV episodes to watch, but that doesn’t help you find out what’s new on Netflix or Hulu. While Roku offers editorially chosen “zones” for various genres, getting to them requires searching and drilling through numerous menu layers. As a result, you’ll likely spend more time in your favourite apps rather than exploring what else is available.
Voice control
There is no disagreement on this point. While both systems allow you to search with your voice, Fire TV’s voice remote allows you to instantly start movies and music in more services than Roku, including Netflix and Amazon Prime. It also helps you tune in to live channels on some streaming services, and if you have an Echo speaker, you can start watching movies and shows without touching your remote. (Roku lets you to control Echo and Google Home speakers without having to use your hands, but the syntax is clunky and the controls are limited.)
The Alexa assistant on Amazon’s Fire TV remote can also control smart home devices, answer common questions, and check security camera feeds, which Roku players don’t have.
Design
For streaming units, physical design isn’t normally that significant; after all, one small black field or stick looks pretty much the same as the next. The Roku Premiere, on the other hand, is not only unsightly, but also inconvenient to use.
Rather than a stick or a powerful field, the Premiere is a small, light-weight cylinder the size and weight of a little cigar. It does not, like a dongle, immediately plug into an HDMI port. As a result, the power of a regular HDMI cable causes it to raise and dangle. You can tape the Roku Premiere down using the included adhesive strip, but moving it after that would be difficult. On the other hand, the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K is a streaming stick. It immediately connects to an HDMI port.
However, the system is a little on the large side (most streaming sticks are roughly three inches long), and it requires an extra power supply to work correctly. Neither of the design choices is correct. But it’s still better practise than cramming the Premiere into a small space.
Interface
The Roku Premiere has a significant advantage over the Fire TV Stick 4K in terms of user interface. Roku has had the best user interface in the streaming game for years, with only the Apple TV giving it a real run for its money.
(And a 4K version costs $180, so it’s not exactly a savings account.) Roku’s menus are straightforward, clear, and easy to navigate, allowing you to customise your home screen with your favourite apps and a number of interesting themes. The system is both fascinating and simple to operate.
On the other hand, the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K is all about Amazon Prime content. Are you a member of Amazon Prime? Because when you switch on the Fire TV Stick, the first thing it does is play a video about how much better your life will be if you do. After the first two rows of apps, the home screen is nothing but an endless stream of Amazon suggestions.
Almost every page includes a huge list of Amazon-curated TV and movies, and the music and photo apps, as you might expect, default to Amazon. It’s useful, but it comes across as overly robust. Check out our guide on how to use the Fire TV Stick if you’re having problems.
Search
Roku’s search is excellent; in fact, if it weren’t for Apple’s surprisingly nuanced speech recognition, Roku’s search would be unrivalled. You can trawl through tonnes of different sources using either text entry or your voice, and they can then direct you to the finest place to watch practically any piece of content material imaginable — or show you strange behind-the-scenes clips that you didn’t even know existed.
Amazon’s search, on the other hand, is significantly more straightforward. True, it can find dozens of apps, but only if you’ve already installed the first. As a result, its primary function isn’t to find items to watch; rather, it’s to put you in the direction of the most cost-effective source to purchase it. Once more, Amazon’s singular focus on content material cripples the Fire TV Stick, as there are a number of extra steps involved in finding non-Amazon sources.
App library
When it involves the sheer variety of out there apps (not counting video games), the Roku units, with entry to thousands of apps (or channels, as Roku calls them), win by a landslide. You can even use the official Roku app to pick content material in your smartphone.
Chromecast apps (“Cast Enabled” apps) additionally quantity within the 1000’s now, however, assist for the casting platform between PC, Android, and iOS units vary, which will be irritating. The excellent news is that, not like Roku and Amazon Fire TV, any Android or iOS app will be Cast-enabled if the developer chooses, making for an ever-growing choice.
Speaking of creating that choice, Amazon and Google not too long ago ended their feud over video companies, and the most recent replace to the Amazon Prime Video app now supports Chromecast natively. Conversely and maybe extra importantly, now you can obtain the YouTube app on Amazon Fire TV. This announcement, however, Roku continues to be king of the app mountain.
Verdict – Roku vs. Amazon Fire TV Review
Amazon and Roku have each received a significant number of five-star reviews for their streaming services, but which one should you choose?
Prime Video members, as well as those who enjoy Alexa, will undoubtedly be interested in Amazon Fire TV. The UI is arguably Prime-centric, but it’s fast, simple to use, and offers a large number of streaming apps.
The 1080p Fire TV Stick with Alexa is less expensive, but it’s not the best value; for an extra £10/$10, you’ll get the format-friendly Fire Stick 4K, which supports Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos sound. We believe it is currently the greatest streamer on the market.
If you don’t like Prime Video, Roku’s slicker, more neutral interface will entice you. Although it just has basic voice commands (rather than a “good assistant” like Alexa), the Streaming Stick+ is nevertheless a cutting-edge gadget that is simple to use and offers excellent value for money.
F.A.Q – Roku vs. Amazon Fire TV Review
What’s the Difference Between a Roku Streaming Stick and an Amazon Fire Stick?
Though there are some significant differences between the Firestick and Roku, they will only influence your decision based on personal preference. Amazon Prime customers, for example, may favour Firestick, whereas cord-cutters may prefer Roku because of the numerous free channels accessible.
Roku vs. Fire TV Stick: Which Is Better?
Overall, Roku is superior. There are many devices to pick from, more features, it is easier to use, and there is a lot of free material.
Which is better for a smart TV: Roku or Firestick?
There are a lot of TVs on the market that have Roku or Firestick built-in, but it’s difficult to compare them because there are so many different brands and types. TVs come in a variety of resolutions, from 720p to 4K UltraHD, and audio quality varies due to different built-in speakers.
Is there a Roku monthly fee?
Roku does not charge a monthly subscription. There is a one-time hardware fee, but after that, you may be able to use Roku for free.
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