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Chromecast w Google TV or Firestick 4k or Alternative

  • 20-02-2021 2:25am
    #1
    FileNotFound
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,004 ✭✭✭


    Not sure if this has been discussed before.

    I have both Fire tv stick 4k and the new Chromecast with Google tv. I have wondered if there are real alternatives and am debating which is really better value.

    Firestick 4k
    - Often on sale so reduced price makes it good value. Full price no real advantage over CcwGTV
    - Home screen is very full and not very customisable.
    - Sideloading anything can be done by a few ways, all a bit fiddly.
    - Amazon app store is limited.
    - Has all major services apps available.
    - No ability to button map remote.
    - Poor cast from phone (in comparison to Ccwgtv)


    Chromecast with Google TV
    - Has the old school chromecast ability, easy casting.
    - Not seen it on sale yet, so pricey compares to on sale Fire 4k
    - Playstore (Well android TV compatible part) so a decent choice (assume more will come)
    - Has all Major services and Apps, pushes YouTube a lot.
    - Can change homescreen to apps only which cleans it up. This does stop voice control working though.
    - Sideloading can be done via Google drive.
    - Remote limited but button mapping improves functionality.
    - Faster and smoother than Fire 4k when scrolling.

    Overall I got my Fire stick 4k on sale so think it was great value. And when I got the CcwGTV I was disappointed to find limited version of app store and actually had to Google how to get developer access.

    I think the Chromecast has the edge mostly due to its ability to cast, otherwise any improvement on Fire 4k is wiped out by price gap.

    I have read today that apple TV 4k is being added to CcwGTV so that is another plus.

    Any thoughts (I purposely ignore Roku as lower price models are muck in my opinion).


Comments

  • #2
    quazzy
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,315 ✭✭✭quazzy


    I recently purchased CCwGTV and i think its a great bit of kit. I only use Netflix and Disney+ at present and its working well.

    The only issue I have with it is related to the Sound processing.

    I have a SONOS BEAM (connected over HDMI ARC) and it is only passing Stereo PCM to my BEAM not Dolby Digital so im missing out on 5.1 surround sound from the apps.

    The on board Netflix app from my Samsung TV will output 5.1 DD fine but when the CC connects to my TV it will only pass on PCM Stereo.

    There seems to be several posts on the Google Forums about this but there doesn't appear to be an easy solution as yet. It's not a deal breaker but its definitely worth considering if people are looking to use Surround Sound in their setup.


  • #3
    ShauntaMetzel
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 238 ✭✭ShauntaMetzel


    All streaming devices have their own pros and cons. Likewise, Firestick is better if you want to watch more Amazon Prime and want to connect it with Alexa devices. But honestly, I am not much happy with its interface and search features. In this regard, I am in favour of Roku. It doesn't matter if you want to go with Roku Box or Stick. For me, both are equally good options. It is also easy to connect different devices and applications with Roku. If you are confused between the Roku and Firestick, then probably this source https://www.firesticktricks.com/roku-vs-firestick.html can help select the right option.

    On the other hand, if we talk about the Chromecast, then it can be a wonderful choice if you own a Google TV. I think it is the better choice if you have Chromecast, remote and Google TV altogether. It supports different HDR formats, including Dolby Vision, HDR10 and HDR10. You can also read this article https://www.tomsguide.com/us/best-streaming-players,review-2140.html to find a variety of streaming devices with their pros and cons.


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