Best streaming stick: Fire TV or Chromecast?

[Red5ive 30]

I'm coming away from Windows media centre and am finally sellting on Emby as a replacment over plex.

One thing I was holding onto was an ageing xbox 360 in the bedroom, I was hoping to still use it with a client app. Plex have one, though it is well out of date and emby only exists as a plugin for media centre, which I am replacing.

 

So I have decided to bite the bullet and get rid of the 360 and replace it with a streaming stick, but which one is best out of Fire TV or Chromecast? Which will be more 'future proof'?

Has someone used the apps from Plex and Emby on both, how do they compare?

 

Cheers for any input!

 

[Luke 38502]

Given how cheap they are I don't think either device will be future proof. But when they cost under $70 you can purchase based on what you need and then replace it in a couple years.

[chef 3788]

I own both types of devices. What I really like about the Fire stick is that it has a remote for quick access, where as Chromecast will need youR phone out, and app started for remote features.

 

Both are great, but you can cast to fire stick from emby, youtube, netflix, as well.

 

My money's on the fire stick.

Edited October 14, 2019 by chef

[WilhelmStroker 96]

I used both, chromecast was annoying as there was no normal remote or UI, amazon stick was annoying because it forces amazon content down your throat. Now using a roku stick and that's much nicer.

[arche 176]

I started out with chromecast, then went to firestick because I wanted a remote. I now use both 4k roku and firestick. I prefer the firestick as the roku's remote has a slow response time if you don't use it within a certain amount of time (not sure why). Chromecast was nice to start out with, but with Emby, I've always had issue's when my phone went into standby and would have to reconnect to chromecast before changing anything on the tv. 

[Red5ive 30]

Was leaning towards the Firestick but see that it does not officially have the NowTV app, though seems like that could be side loaded yes?

 

Apps I would need, being in the UK, are NowTV, Netflix, Amazon video, BBC iplayer, itv hub, UKTV Play, All 4 and My Five, along with Emby and Plex of course.

[WilhelmStroker 96]

I use all of those on my roku stick.

[JaScoMa 33]

I bit the bullet and purchased a nVidia Shield Pro.  Works way better than my Roku's ever did; but at double the price though.

[Red5ive 30]

If I went with Roku which one should I go for,? Seen some good prices on secondhand 3800 or 4K models.

[WilhelmStroker 96]

I've got https://www.roku.com/en-gb/products/streaming-stick-plus which works fine for me, but I don't have 4k content. 

[kikinjo 179]

Firestick definitely, but if u want a really good device add some more and get a shield because it supports DTS and many more stuff stick lacks But for Firestick price it is a really good device.

[Red5ive 30]

Firestick definitely, but if u want a really good device add some more and get a shield because it supports DTS and many more stuff stick lacks But for Firestick price it is a really good device.

Need to be able to run NowTV on it though which might be a deal breaker if it cant be hacked on.

[WilhelmStroker 96]

Theoretically it should be possible to cast now tv to the shield but I coukd never get that to work.

[chef 3788]

[Red5ive 30]

Seen that you *should* be able to side load the NowTV apk but seen on a couple of forums that either NowTV or Amazon are actively blocking it for rival reasons.

 

Any UK based FireTV stick users care to test for me? There will be a virtual beer in it for you 

[WilhelmStroker 96]

Would love a virtual beer but sold my fire stick a while ago due to amazon being in your face and a poor UI. Given the partnership between Roku and Now TV (the now tv boxes and sticks are rokus) you'll have a much better experience with a Roku for now tv.  Now TV are very shitty when it comes to sideloading their apps....

[Red5ive 30]

Think that decides it then, off to get a Roku 4k stick.

Thanks everyone for your input!

[WilhelmStroker 96]

The only app I miss on the Roku personally is the BT sport app but as they have an xbox app that's not a massive issue. I mainly got my Roku as my xbox is on insider build and I had massive issues with both Plex and Emby so I wanted something a bit more stable.

[chemoul 1]

@@ebr not trying to hijack this thread, but is there actually a feature comparison of Emby app functionality between Roku, Firestick and Shield?

Anything that will work on one but not the other?

[ebr 15352]

The only difference between Fire and Shield are device capability differences (e.g. TrueHD or DTSHD).  The Roku is almost caught up in other main features except for recording management which is on our near term radar.