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The Best Android Streaming Device

Last updated on June 1, 2023

We looked at the top 8 Android Streaming Devices and dug through the reviews from 57 of the most popular review sites including and more. The result is a ranking of the best Android Streaming Devices.

Best Android Streaming Devices

Our Review Process

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It’s a widely accepted fact today that consumers are cutting ties with the traditional cable television industry and opting for alternative devices. These gadgets allow them to not only watch the shows they love for a lower cost, but also have access to a slew of other benefits now offered by many Android streaming devices. These Android streaming devices are being developed to give the user a powerful technology that can stream their personal content, like home videos and pictures, to their favorite 4K HDR movies and even the ability to play video games without a traditional console.

But with this highly competitive market, it is easy to feel overwhelmed by all the tech specs and sales pitch angles that each major company is displaying to you. Let’s start the process of finding the right Android streaming device for you by asking the most important question first – why are you purchasing an Android streaming device?

The first piece of hardware that we need to break down is the streaming device itself. A lot of newer TVs can play gorgeous 4K and 4K HDR (High Dynamic Range).  If you have either one of these TVs or think you might get one in the future, it would behoove you to focus on devices that can stream content at that rate. The NVIDIA Shield TV is one of the most capable devices in this regard due to its hardware. The hardware is more than capable of streaming games, shows, movies and any of your personal videos or pictures that you want to see on a big screen or show to your friends and family.

Beyond the internal hardware specs, you need to think about what the Android streaming device looks like when it’s sitting on your entertainment center. The NVIDIA Shield TV looks like a space ship out of a science fiction movie. While it looks beautiful to some users, others may see it clashing with the vibe of their home decor. If you fall into the latter category, you may want something smaller, cleaner, or even completely invisible. A TV stick-type device plugs in to the back of your television conveniently hiding it from view and leaving you with less of a cluttered look.

Imagine you’ve finished a day of work, and you finally kick your shoes off and sit down to catch up on the news or a new episode of your favorite TV show. Obviously, one of the first things you’ll be reaching for is the remote control. Android streaming devices can often be controlled with the user’s cell phone, but it turns out that most consumers still prefer having a dedicated remote for their TV. Knowing this, a lot of great development has gone into the remotes used to operate Android streaming devices.

The first thing you’ll notice is that there are fewer buttons on most of these streaming remotes. Most of them have a microphone that also lets you talk into the device instead of having to move your cursor around selecting one letter at a time, which most of us have experienced enough to know the frustration in the old system. The user interface of remotes has also become easier to use.

The Roku Ultra HD/4K/HDR Streaming Media Player boasts one of the smoothest interfaces in the industry, as it will zip through all your menus and listen to your voice commands with ease. This Roku Ultra model also has a fun feature that allows you to find your remote after you inevitably lose it in your couch or set it down in another room. Just push the remote finder button on your Roku Ultra, and finding that remote will be a breeze.

With a good idea of what hardware considerations there are in making this purchase decision, you should also figure out what else you see yourself using this device for. A common feature that draws people in to these Android streaming devices is the ability to play your personal media on your TV. Chances are you’ve taken photos or videos that you want to show off to your family and friends on a bigger screen. A smart Android streaming device can handle this task in a number of ways.

With some Android devices, you can easily stream content directly from your smartphone. The NVIDIA Shield has USB ports on the back as well, meaning you can plug in an external storage device and seamlessly stream any of the downloaded content that you have stored digitally. That’s very handy when you start to think about the idea of always having to jump through hoops to get that content from your hard drive to your TV.

One last function to think about is the ability of your Android streaming device to allow you to play video games. There are many consumers that might enjoy playing a video game from time to time, whether it is an educational game that helps children with basic math and spelling or one of your favorite games from childhood. But even if you enjoy playing an occasional video game from time to time, some people are put off by the cost of traditional gaming consoles, not to mention the expensive games that come along with them.

There are a few Android streaming devices, like the NVIDIA Shield TV, that come with a dedicated video game controller. This allows you to play a large variety of games without the hassle of a console. With a little tech know-how, you can set up your Android streaming device to play emulations of your favorite childhood games as well. These emulators will play, sound and feel exactly like the old games you remember, but you’ll just be using the newer controller to play them. If you aren’t sure you want an actual gaming controller, you can use a device that provides access to a plethora of games from the Google Play Store; other options also has Bluetooth capabilities that allow you to connect a wireless keyboard or other Bluetooth accessories to further enhance your personal experience.

Our Picks For The Top Android Streaming Devices

View All Recommendations
Product Overview
Our Take
Pros
Cons
 Top Pick

Amazon Fire TV Recast DVR

Don't Waste Your Money Seal of Approval

Amazon

Fire TV Recast DVR

This Android streaming device works like a digital video recorder, allowing you to record live shows to watch later on. In fact, the machine can even record two shows for you at the same time, which is perfect if you and your spouse have different tastes in entertainment. You can even use this streaming device with Alexa.

Overall Take

Record Your Favorite ShowsYou won't have any monthly fees to worry about when you opt for this premium Android streaming device.

Pros
" Easy set up. As for setup on a Fire TV device, there wasn't any on my end. I simply had to power on my Fire TV Edition TV and I immediately began to see local channels in the On Now..."
Cons
"The other limitations I haven’t mentioned yet pertain to out-of-home streaming. Currently, the Recast only supports remote viewing on iOS devices, Android mobile devices, and Fire tablets, so you can’t watch local TV on a Fire TV Stick while out..."
 Runner Up

Xiaomi Compact Portable Android Streaming Device

Xiaomi

Compact Portable Android Streaming Device

Not only will this Android streaming device put more than 400,000 shows and movies at your fingertips, but it also allows for accessing up to 7,000 apps from Google Play. You'll find sound and picture quality are hard to beat, giving you a viewing experience like no other.

Overall Take

Over 400,000 MoviesThis Android streaming device uses a quad-core processor to deliver quick results.

 Strong Contender

NVIDIA Shield Voice Control Streaming Media Player Android Device

NVIDIA

Shield Voice Control Streaming Media Player Android Device

This Android streaming device is the biggest, fastest and most capable option that exists today. This pick can play 4K HDR movies with ease and can also act as a Plex server or KODI box. It can even be shipped with a native video game controller, eliminating the need for a special gaming console. It comes with a remote control that is easy to use. ...

Overall Take

Fast PerformanceThis Android streaming device is designed to work with Alexa.

Pros
" Speed is unrivaled by most streaming boxes."
Cons
"Controller isn’t console-quality"
 We Also Like

TiVo HDMI Wi-Fi Android Streaming Device

TiVo

HDMI Wi-Fi Android Streaming Device

This Android streaming device works with Google Assistant, allowing you to use your voice to find your favorite program. Of course, there is the option of using the provided remote if you prefer. With this device, you'll have a host of popular streaming apps at the ready, including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Hulu.

Overall Take

Economical PickWhen shopping on a budget, you'll find this Android streaming device is the most affordable.

Don't just take for granted what one reviewer says. Along with our own experts, DWYM analyzes the top expert reviews of the leading products and generates a score you can actually trust.
15

Products Considered

We identified the majority of the android streaming devices available to purchase.
8

Products Analyzed

We then selected the leading and most popular products for our team to review.

View All Product Rankings

57

Expert Reviews Included

In addition to our expert reviews, we also incorporate feedback and analysis of some of the most respected sources including: Tutu Review, 9 Top Best, The Tech Lounge, MXQ Project, AV Forums.

127,701

User Opinions Analyzed

We also incorporate user reviews from the leading retailers including

Our experts reviewed the top 8 Android Streaming Devices and also dug through the reviews from 57 of the most popular review sites including and more. The result is a ranking of the best of the best Android Streaming Devices.

DWYM is your trusted roduct review source. Our team reviews thousands of product reviews from the trusted top experts and combines them into one easy-to-understand score. Learn more.

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Look for the DWYM seal for products that are the best in their category.

The Best Bang For Your Buck

TiVo HDMI Wi-Fi Android Streaming Device

User Summarized Score

8.4
7,668 user reviews

Our Take

This Android streaming device works with Google Assistant, allowing you to use your voice to find your favorite program. Of course, there is the option of using the provided remote if you prefer. With this device, you'll have a host of popular streaming apps at the ready, including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Hulu.

What to Look For

  • The NVIDIA Shield TV is the largest device on our recommendation list, but the folks at NVIDIA have done wonders to make the newest version much smaller than its predecessor while still packing the best hardware on the list. It has an edgy and modern look that invokes opinions from people, both good and bad.
  • TV sticks completely hides behind the TV, but their super small form factor makes them lack some external ports that are common in the other devices. This means they look as clean and minimalist as possible, but limit the user to interfacing mostly within the options and menus put forth by Amazon. For hardcore Amazon Prime users, this might be an ideal product.
  • The streaming devices that land in the middle of the road are the ones that are small and rectangular with rounded edge and mostly just unassuming. They can blend in nicely without drawing too much attention.
  • Some options have their own dedicated remote. The remote has a 3.5mm jack to plug in your headphones, allowing you to listen to your media without interfering with others or having others distract you while you struggle to hear over the sounds in the room.
  • The NVIDIA Shield TV has highly rated remote controls as well. Other options are better suited for being operated by a Bluetooth mini-keyboard device (or your phone).
  • The NVIDIA Shield TV is the most full-featured and most expensive Android streaming device on our list. This is for a good reason. This device can be used as a Plex Server, it can run Kodi and seamlessly allow you to play video games. It streams at the fastest rates for your 4K and 4K HDR media, only limited by your internet speed if streaming online.
  • TV sticks give you a large offering of content at your fingertips with minimal setup or effort. You can have access to Amazon Prime videos, Netflix, YouTube, ESPN, NBC, Hulu, HBO and Sling TV.
  • Similar devices are very friendly to the plug-and-play crowd of people that would rather not fuss with researching and tweaking their device to do what they want. They have USB ports in the back that allow you to play your locally owned media, they may enable you to effortlessly stream Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video, Sling TV, HBO Now, Showtime, The Roku Channel, Starz, CBS All Access, YouTube, Pandora, ESPN, PBS Kid, and much more. Some of these programs will still require you to pay for a subscription. This type of device just puts all those subscriptions right at your fingertips without having to grab new remotes.

Android Streaming Device Rankings

1. Amazon Fire TV Recast DVR

Overall Score: 9.4
Reviews Included: 11

2. Xiaomi Compact Portable Android Streaming Device

Overall Score: 9.3
Reviews Included: 1

4. TiVo HDMI Wi-Fi Android Streaming Device

Overall Score: 9.1
Reviews Included: 1

5. Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Streaming Media Player

Overall Score: 9.0
Reviews Included: 21

6. Matricom G-Box Q² Android TV Streaming Media Mini PC

Overall Score: 9.0
Reviews Included: 6

7. MINIX NEO 4K Android TV Box

Overall Score: 8.6
Reviews Included: 6

8. Pendoo Android X8 Mini Smart TV Box

Overall Score: 8.5
Reviews Included: 5

More to Explore

It’s easy to get frustrated when your smartphone takes a few minutes to load up or stream a high quality video from the cloud to your TV. But let’s not forget that the small computer in your hand (your smartphone) is calling out through a wireless internet network to get a server that lives halfway across the world to instantly stream a high quality video to your high definition television. It’s amazing that this technology not only exists, but gets better at an exponential rate.

As recently as 1950, Zenith Radio Corporation invented the first television remote control. It was called “Lazy Bones” as a humorous shout-out to how silly it was that we couldn’t be bothered to get off the couch to change the TV to one of the other three stations that existed. It took five years before a man named Eugene Polley was able to invent a remote that was wireless.

The “Lazy Bones” remote was actually connected to a short cable that allowed your controls to remotely operate the TV.  It’s been under 70 years since those days, and here we are talking directly to our remote controls with voice commands and all sorts of other useful things. Isn’t technology great?!

More to explore