Not all streamers are created equally — even after they’re nearly an identical in design and worth, as with the Roku streaming stick and Amazon Fire TV stick (each retailing for $49.99). Each promise fast setup and simple streaming, so it is only a matter of seeing which lives as much as the claims.
We needed to vet every one totally to find the place one soars and the opposite flops. However how does one start to take action when these streaming sticks are comically comparable? I logged into my favourite streamers, queued up my shows, and began watching.
Plus, these units ceaselessly go on sale throughout buying occasions like Black Friday or Prime Day. With Amazon’s Big Spring Sale operating March 25 to 31, we count on to see main financial savings on the retailer’s units, just like the Fire TV stick, and competing merchandise are positive to additionally see some reductions. All that to say, in the event you’re searching for a proper time to purchase, it is now.
Roku vs. Hearth TV: Setup and design
Sure, these are completely different. We promise.
Credit score: Samantha Mangino / Mashable
With practically an identical designs, the setup processes for the Roku and Hearth TV sticks must be comparable, proper?
The Roku was a breeze. I plugged the stick into an HDMI port behind my TV to get began. It powers up by way of a USB charger, and since I’ve a USB plug on the again of my TV, I simply powered it up by way of that. This was so clutch because it stored all of the cords tidy. I simply wanted to begin up the distant and log in, and I used to be able to go.
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As a result of I’m impatient and infrequently unhealthy at following directions, I fumbled a step on the setup, however it finally proved to be foolproof and had no concern. The setup display screen asks you questions on which pre-download apps are for you, so I simply needed to log in to begin streaming. I used to be watching the newest Love Island inside quarter-hour of opening the field.
The Hearth TV Stick? That is a complete completely different story. The stick of the Hearth TV Stick is thicker than the Roku’s, a lot in order that I could not plug it instantly into my TV as a result of it crowded the opposite HDMI cables I had plugged in. Fortunately, Amazon contains an HDMI adaptor for this concern. Nonetheless, it means the Hearth Stick ended up peaking out of the aspect of the TV, which isn’t excellent in the event you’re attempting to create the last word residence leisure middle.
That little black tail peeking out on the fitting? Bane of my existence.
Credit score: Samantha Mangino / Mashable
To energy up the Hearth TV, I additionally used the USB plug as a result of I did not need to string the facility twine alongside the again. Sadly, when the Hearth TV Stick turned on, it knowledgeable me that the USB port wasn’t a sufficiently big energy supply, confounding contemplating it had no downside powering up the Roku.
As soon as I begrudgingly linked it to my energy strip, it turned on, and the second conundrum got here with the Hearth TV Stick.
Amazon presents the choice of organising its streaming system with the Hearth TV app or the included distant. I selected the app since I hate typing with the distant and on-screen keyboards. However even after following the directions, the app could not discover the system over the community, so I needed to set it up manually.
There’s extra to the saga. As soon as I linked my Hearth Keep on with my community, it powered on and went by way of one replace, which was annoying however acceptable. Till it went by way of one other replace… after which one other. I sat by way of 20 minutes of three completely different updates on the Hearth TV Stick. In that period of time, I used to be already streaming on my Roku.
It then took me by way of a number of screens providing free trials of apps I had no want for earlier than I lastly acquired to the house display screen and began manually including apps.
My companion, who left the room after I began the setup, got here in proper as I completed and remarked, “You are simply now ending?” My thought precisely.
Winner: Roku
Roku vs. Hearth TV: Ease of use
Credit score: Samantha Mangino / Mashable
Credit score: Samantha Mangino / Mashable
I do not love the house pages of both the Amazon Hearth TV Stick or the Roku. Each are stuffed with advertisements, however one is extra flagrant than the opposite.
Each units include plenty of pre-downloaded apps I did not want. it, I felt my physique tense up with the deep want to arrange each pages moderately than depart them in chaos.
Organizing the Roku residence web page was easy however tedious. I wanted to rearrange and delete apps individually, one after the other. The default clicking noises on the Roku was moderately grating on the ears, however fortunately, I found you may change the themes and settings of the house web page, which additionally modifications the sounds. Roku’s advertisements keep contained to at least one aspect whereas the apps are neatly organized within the middle.
Usually, I just like the Roku residence web page higher than Amazon as a result of I might politely describe the Amazon residence web page as a large number. Unsurprisingly, it prioritizes Amazon Prime programming and advertisements, so the house web page is suffering from simply that. There is no handy strategy to entry and look at all of your apps instantly on the house display screen. As a substitute, your app library needs to be clicked into, and even then, it must be extra organized. Nonetheless, in the event you watch Prime Video ceaselessly, you will love the Hearth TV Stick because it retains your most just lately watched Prime reveals bookmarked on the prime, clearly a ploy to maintain you watching Prime Video over every other streaming service.
Simply one of many many advertisements slowing down the Hearth TV Stick.
Credit score: Samantha Mangino / Mashable
The Hearth TV Stick can be so, so gradual. Typically it is painful! Transferring between apps and clicking by way of choices on the house display screen may be very buggy, with delays between clicks, which is past irritating. If the system wasn’t so slowed down by its personal advertisements, it may most likely go quicker. Plus, after the primary time I arrange the Hearth Stick, each time I powered it on, it required an replace. Only a complete slog while you need to get to the following episode of Bridgerton ASAP.
Each remotes simply connect with my full TV system, controlling the quantity. They’ve all the same controls, together with an arrow pad, play/pause, rewind/quick ahead, quantity, again, and residential obtainable as buttons. Every distant additionally has 4 buttons to take you on to apps.
The Amazon Hearth TV Stick contains Netflix, Prime Video, DirectTV, and Peacock, whereas the Roku distant contains Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, and Apple TV+. I by no means discovered myself utilizing the buttons, however in the event you do, you may select the one which prioritizes your most popular streamers.
The Hearth TV Stick’s benefit over Roku is its voice controls. Each Roku and Amazon Hearth TV Stick have voice management buttons, the place you may converse into the distant and ask it to seek for reveals, open apps, and even simply hit pause. Hearth TV Stick’s voice controls work barely quicker and smoother than Roku’s. In any other case, Roku’s system is constantly extra speedy, organized, and simpler to make use of.
Winner: Roku
Roku vs. Hearth TV: Streaming high quality
For all its faults, the Hearth TV Stick delivered a ravishing view of the Love Island villa.
Credit score: Samantha Mangino / Mashable
Many usability options may be ignored if it streams nicely, and due to that, the Hearth Stick nearly caught up right here.
I do not suppose my TV buffered as soon as throughout my complete time utilizing Roku. Even the primary time I loaded Paramount+ (a notoriously buggy app, in my view), the Survivor episode took a number of seconds to load. Nonetheless, when the episode began, it was crystal clear. All Roku apps are created equally as a result of it doesn’t matter what streaming service I used to be logged into, the image high quality was unbelievable with no buffering.
The Hearth TV Stick was general much less spectacular than the Roku; nevertheless, when it got here time to stream, it did not hassle me practically as a lot because it did in different areas. I gave it the identical check, loading up an episode to stream, and at first, it fumbled. Some temporary buffering rapidly dissipated, after which the image cleared.
After that preliminary buffering incident, the Hearth TV Stick streamed clearly. The primary distinction I famous was how every system navigated. The Roku, as anticipated, moved rapidly, whereas the Hearth TV Stick skilled fixed lag when attempting to choose a present to look at.
Winner: Roku
Our winner: Roku vs. Amazon Hearth TV Stick
For me, Roku may be very clearly the winner. Between its ease of use, fast navigation, and good streaming, it is a no-brainer.
The Amazon Hearth TV Stick definitely does the job, however on the similar worth because the Roku, you are paying the identical sum of money for a worse streaming system expertise.
The one circumstances I may see swaying you towards the Hearth TV Stick is in the event you’re down for all the Amazon expertise. If Prime Video is your main streaming service, Hearth TV Stick makes it simple to tune into your subsequent episode of The Boys.
However general, in the event you’re searching for a brand new streaming system, go for the Roku. Even when the Hearth TV Stick is cheaper with Prime Day 2024 forward of us, go together with the Roku; you will thank us later.
