Are you more dark chocolate or white chocolate? Lemonade or horchata? Fire TV Stick or Chromecast Google TV? For the first two questions I would say “both options are good”. For the third…let’s see.
The Amazon and Google systems are great options for turning a “dumb” TV into a smart TV. You can even go a step further and mount a smart monitor to work and enjoy content in your spare time. You may be a little confused and not sure how to choose, so let’s see the strengths and weaknesses of the Fire TV Stick and the Chromecast Google TV so you know which one best suits your needs.
Pros and Cons of a Fire TV Stick
Let’s start with the Amazon device. There are many models of Fire TV, but I’ll talk about that later and now I’ll focus on something they all share: the system. The first few times you’ll notice it’s a bit saturated, but eventually it’s easy to navigate.
You have a giant banner at the top that shows us new Amazon Prime Video productions, as well as a central area with divisions. In “Start” you will see the applications you have downloaded, in “Search” you can download new applications and in “Live” is one of the main competitive advantages with Chromecast with Google TV.
And that’s it, Here you have several integrated TNT channels that you can see directly, even if your television does not have an antenna. You also have the option of placing a series of shortcuts to your favorite apps so that they appear in the top area and you don’t have to search for Disney+ or Netflix, for example, among a sea of apps.
Speaking of which, aside from these two streaming services, it is compatible with Twitch, DAZN, Filmin, YouTube, Crunchyroll, and Apple TV+, among others. All are doing very well, but there are a few absences: HBO Max and SkyShowtime. Yes, there are ways to install both HBO and SkyShowtime on a Fire TV, but it’s not as user-friendly as going to the Store and downloading the app.
Besides, Another disadvantage of the Fire TV Stick is that the menu contains many advertisements.. It’s not just that you’re bombarded with Amazon services, but random ads pop out of anything. I understand that it is a strategy to be able to lower the price of the device, but in the end it makes the interface dirty and heavy.
But OK, In its favor, the Fire TVs have a large community and that it always finds solutions and, therefore, it is a device that we can greatly customize by installing applications such as Kodi or Plex. Here you will have to bother to install apps via APK, but it is worth it.
And another shortcoming of this system is that it is not easy to send content from the mobile, tablet or laptop to the television. Do you have Miracast, yes, but you already need to install other apps and it’s not as simple as having a YouTube video on your mobile and sending it to TV. To do this with the Google app (or with Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV+, etc.), you must have the app installed on Fire TV.
As for the design, the Cube is the most different, but if we focus on the Stick, they can stick to the TV because they look like a “big USB stick” and separate them a bit with the supplied extension cord. That they stick together is something I like, because in a more minimalist setup you won’t see anything dangling from your TV’s HDMI port.
And, obviously, image quality will vary from device to device. Depending on the model, we will have FullHD or 4K resolution, the latter being compatible with Dolby Vision. Compatibility with HDR10, HDR10+ and HLG is something common to all devicesand that’s something to consider.
The strong point of a Fire TV Stick: there is a model for every type of user
Personally, there are several things I like about Fire TV, but I think the best thing is that They adapt perfectly to our needs thanks to the wide range of options. It is true that you have to do a master to understand the versions (Fire TV Stick, Fire TV Stick Lite, Fire TV Stick 4K Max, Fire TV Stick 4K, some separate controls and the Fire TV Cube, which is totally different and the competition from the Apple TV 4K), but this allows it to be better suited to everyone.
Let me explain: maybe what you need is the one with the best image quality, but you don’t want to go for the Cube because the built-in speaker advantage gives you exactly the same. So yours would be the 4K model or the 4K Max. Or the other way around: you have to power an old “stupid” TV that you are going to hang in the kitchen. In this case, the Lite or the “standard” Stick are perfect.
I just wanted to point out a big advantage over its rival, but in the case of the Fire TV, I also have to talk about the price. And that’s it, the price isn’t a huge competitive advantage over Chromecast
Advantages and disadvantages of Chromecast Google TV
There’s less to say about Chromecast with Google TV, and overall it’s a rounder product for one reason: it allows for that customization we see on Fire TV, but it also supports more streaming platforms. . And…well, we’re here to see the content, aren’t we?
Google TV is also compatible with Kodi and Plex, as well as the aforementioned apps on Fire TV Stick, including Amazon Prime Video. Also, HBO Max and SkyShowtimne have native apps, so you don’t need to install APKs or anything like that.
What I like is that you have multiple user profiles on Google TV, and depending on which one is selected, the system recommends series or movies based on what you’ve seen before. You also have a button to “continue watching” things you left off halfway through.
The best thing about the interface is that you have no ads. Yes, there are series and movies that appear in the big news bar, but they belong to all streaming services (not just one of them) and there are no ads of products, which is coming to the Fire TV Stick.
Stadia would also be one of the positives, because with a Chromecast we had an entertainment center full of videos, series, movies and video games, but we already know how the Google system ended and if you bought a Chromecast for Stadia, it’s a big lossbut if you see this report now, you will not have it in mind, so it will not be considered positive or negative.
And something I miss in a Google TV This is direct access to the system level of TNT channels. Yes, you have great apps that you can download, but the inclusion of these channels in the Fire TV system is one of the strengths of Amazon’s product.
As far as options go, there’s not a galaxy of devices: we have the 4K model and the Chromecast Google TV HD which came out a few months later. The main difference between the two is that, the price, since both have the same design and identical remote control and, in the Amazon offers, we can find the HD model for 31.99 dollars and the more advanced model for 54.99 dollars. In this case, slightly more expensive than the Fire TV Stick 4K Max.
The strength of Google TV is clear: Chromecast
Now the main benefit of a Google TV system (and here we also include Google TV and Android TV which come pre-installed on TVs) is that It’s still a Chromecast. Whether or not the app is installed on the device, you will be able to cast almost anything from an Android or iPhone to TV.
And this is something that is not limited to streaming video applications, since we can also do it with the screens of some mobile phones, Google Photos or Chrome windows on a PC. It is a very comfortable experience, intuitive for the user and perfect for certain moments.
In the end… is a Chromecast Google TV or a Fire TV Stick better?
If you’ve come this far, It will be clear to you whether you need a Chromecast with Google TV or a Fire TV Stick, but if you still need a little push… I have to tell you that there is no strictly better option than another. It will all depend on what you need.
My case is that of a user who uses Chromecast a lot. I cast Movistar+ football from my PC browser to Chromecast, cast lots of YouTube videos and also watch photos on TV from Google Photos. Also, I like that the system is a bit cleaner. I don’t mind having to download apps via APK, but clearly if it can be installed natively, so much the better.
However, I like the Fire TV remote better, especially the option with customizable buttons to open the apps you want, I like the design and I’m clear the best part is the price and the number of options for each user to have their ideal Fire TV Stick.
And something you should also keep in mind is that if you have speakers from one brand or another, you might want to pair them with the player from that same house to maximize compatibility and have more functions. In the end, this is a strictly personal matter and in the main, which is to play content from applications, both are excellent.
In Xataka Android | Android TV special: these are the best apps you can download
In Xataka Android | How to change the launcher on Android TV and which are the best
Table of Contents