In case you were looking forward to change your normal TV experience to smart TV, you would require a set top box.
The market is flourishing with media streaming devices from various companies. In such a scenario, choosing a media streaming set top box suiting your requirements can be a daunting task. However, when shopping for a streaming device, you are most likely to come across four major streaming devices – Apple TV, Roku, Chromecast and the latest Amazon Fire TV.
Today, we are going to compare Chromecast to Amazon Fire TV in terms of their specs, features and price.
Price
Comparing the two media streaming devices in terms of price, Amazon Fire TV is available in the market for a price of $99. In comparison, Google’s Chromecast media streaming stick is available for a cheap price of $35. Chromecast is way less expensive than the latest release from Amazon. However, the price of Chromecast media streaming stick should not be taken as a parameter to judge its capabilities.
It is the size of the media streaming stick, which makes the device cheaper in price. The streaming stick is no bigger than a thumb drive.
Portability
In terms of portability, Chromecast being a smaller device has an upper edge to the Amazon Fire TV set top box. Chromecast can be carried anywhere due to its smaller size and lack of use of cables. The media streaming stick is convenient to carry around, in comparison to Fire TV set top box. However, the Fire TV can also be carried to another place easily in a backpack, but Chromecast is more convenient to carry.
Channels
In terms of channels offered, both these media streaming devices offer almost similar channel list to the potential user. However, there are certain exceptions as well. The Chromecast media streaming stick does not offer channels such as Amazon Instant Video, Bloomberg TV and ESPN.
In comparison, Amazon Fire TV, being the latest release in the media streaming devices, offers almost all the channels, except HBO TV. Regardless, the manufacturers have promised HBO TV on the Fire TV set top box by the end of the year 2014.
Features
In terms of features, Chromecast may not come equipped with a remote control, but the streaming stick is compatible with tablets and smartphones. The streaming stick works smoothly with both Android and iOS based handsets.
On the other hand, Amazon Fire TV comes equipped with decent remote control functions, offering the user with a superb set top box experience.
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