Best Media Streaming Device in Canada

The Roku Ultra is Roku’s ultimate streaming player, with expanded utility, better performance, and even better picture quality and sound compared to their other models.  

The Roku Ultra features 4K HDR, with Dolby Vision for superb colour and contrast and Dolby Atmos for 3-D sound with compatible surround sound setups. Roku also supports AV1, a streaming codec that can be used to offer improved image quality. With Roku’s expansive library of available content to stream, you can enjoy lots of TV and movies like you never have before. Additionally, Roku has included many features to maximize the viewership experience: an Ethernet port for guaranteed speed when streaming, a MicroSD connection for added memory, a USB port for watching downloaded movies and private listening through the remote.  

With the added features, the footprint of this device is significantly larger, so finding room for the Roku Ultra is important for the optimal setup. The included remote features added functions, including programmable buttons that allow you to instantly access your favourite streaming services at the press of the button, as well as features all the bells and whistles available on other Roku remotes. However, like the other Roku remotes, this one also drains batteries quickly.   

Users like the ease of set-up and versatility that this Roku offers, especially with the Ethernet cable which is a great way to ensure your internet stays strong while streaming in 4K. However, users have issues with private listening, ranging from incompatibility with Bluetooth headphones to audio that cuts in and out. Additionally, unless you need a feature that is offered specifically on the Roku Ultra, like the types of connections or Dolby Atmos, other Roku devices are significantly cheaper.  

Google’s Chromecast devices have been strictly casting devices until the Chromecast with Google TV, which adds significant improvements that make the Chromecast with Google TV one of the best streaming devices on the market: 4K UHD streaming, an excellent remote, and Google TV interface that can support over 6,500 Android apps. With these significant improvements, it seems like Chromecast with Google TV might be the streaming device to beat. 

This new Chromecast supports 4K HDR video formats including HDR10+ and Dolby Vision, as well as Dolby Atmos for an immersive picture in sound for your favourite shows and movies. Google has improved on its previous Android TV platform in major ways, renaming it Google TV and streamlining the watch experience, placing all your favourite apps and content in one place for one-click access. Speaking of apps, the only notable one excluded from the impressive range of the Chromecast with Google TV is Apple TV, so chances are you can access all your favourite shows through this Chromecast.  

One of the main improvements with this Chromecast is the remote, which might just replace your current remote as it can turn the TV on or off, change the volume or even change your TV’s input. Additionally, through the remote, you can use voice search for accessing your favourite content. The Chromecast with Google TV plugs into your TV’s HDMI cable, but unfortunately cannot be powered by your TV’s USB ports, instead of requiring users to power their Chromecast through an AC outlet.  

While there are many strictly upgrade with the Chromecast with Google TV, the device seems to have some downgrades from the Chromecast 3 for those living within the Google Home ecosystem. The big downside is only one account can be used on this new Chromecast at once:  previous models could pick up users via voice and play content available to each account. This means your Chromecast can only connect with one user’s devices, which makes it difficult to use the casting feature of the Chromecast from any device other than the main connection. While this is limiting, it does not detract too much from the vast improvements of the other aspects of this device.  

The Amazon Fire TV Cube combines a Fire Stick with an Amazon Echo Dot for an all-in-one media streaming device, smart speaker and Alexa hub. This versatile combination with the solid streaming quality of Amazon’s media streaming devices makes the Fire TV Cube our favourite streaming box on the list, well worth the larger footprint. 

The Amazon Fire TV Cube offers 4K Ultra HD content, with support for HDR10+, Dolby Vision, and Dolby Atmos, so you can achieve truly immersive sound and picture quality with the right setups. You can control the Fire TV Cube with the included remote, or Alexa for voice control, or even use Alexa for other digital assistant purposes even when the TV is off through Zigbee. This means after turning off your TV for the night, you can also turn off your smart home’s lights and lock the doors – without lifting a single finger! 

The hardware specs of the Amazon Fire TV Cube show several upgrades: more Ram for faster performance and more storage capacity to download even more of the applications Amazon offers, being two of the main upgrades. Additionally, connections to Micro USB, Infrared and full Ethernet support make this a more versatile, powerful Amazon Fire streaming device.  

Amazon’s Fire media streamers have access to tons of online content to watch, including harder to find services like Amazon Prime and Apple TV+. However, there are a few issues we have with Amazon’s interface, including ads that cannot be suppressed. 

Overall, the Amazon Fire TV Cube is a solid media streaming device that meets a smart home hub, that gives some excellent versatility and utility in the home. Users typically love watching their favourite shows on the Fire TV Cube, while using their voice to change the show or fulfill other voice commands.  However, one user said that this is a great device as long as you use its full potential – if the smart home capabilities and Alexa configuration seem unnecessary to you, you can make significant savings choosing a Fire Stick 4K or another media streamer.  

The Amazon Fire Stick 4K comes in at one of the lowest prices of streaming devices on this list but fortunately does not cut any corners. With 4K Ultra HD compatibility, tonnes of storage space and some of Canada’s favourite streaming services available, this little stick is quite the powerful media streaming device.  

Amazon’s Fire Stick offers fantastic picture quality in 4K Ultra HD, that can be further improved with access to HDR10+, Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos for peak visual and audio clarity. You can access a wide range of content through the Fire Stick, with some harder to come by services offered like Prime Video, and Apple TV+. You can take advantage of the wide number of apps and content provided with 8Gb of storage space on the 4K fire stick  

The Amazon Fire Stick 4K plugs into your HDMI port, but unfortunately requires you to plug in via AC to power the device. Additionally, this Fire stick features the ability to connect the device to Ethernet to ensure high-speed internet when streaming in 4K, but the Amazon adaptor is going to cost you $20.  However, due to the upgraded quad-core processor and Wi-Fi chipset, this device should maintain strong wireless connections anyway.  

Users are big fans of the Fire Stick 4K’s remote, which features Alexa voice support that can control your Fire TV stick, TV, cable box, and even other Amazon smart devices like the Amazon Echo dot. This instant integration is really handy for users who are in the Amazon Alexa smart home ecosystem. 

Overall, users really enjoy watching their favourite content on the Amazon Fire Stick 4K. Set up is unanimously easy, the device’s performance is extremely quick and consistent, and the picture quality is overall very good in both HD and 4K. However, there are a few nitpicks of the functionality: the interface prioritizes Amazon content, shows ads and is generally not as accurate as other interfaces. Overall, the Amazon Fire Stick 4K is one of the best inexpensive interfaces on the market, especially for its impressive 4K UHD compatibility.  

Users who want to go cheaper than the 4K Fire Stick can opt for Amazon’s Fire Stick Lite to save some extra cash.  

Apple TV is one of the first and most successful media streaming devices on the market, and with their latest 4K model, they have made many upgrades to the device. If you are integrated into the Apple Ecosystem, this streaming device likely will be the right one for you. 

This iteration of the Apple TV features 4K HDR compatibility, with additional compatibility to Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos – however, we expected HDR10+ compatibility as well, as many of the other streaming devices enable. However, this exclusion likely will not have a significant impact on your watching experience. We do like that during the process, Apple will tell you which formats are supported on your television, which makes set up even easier. Using the Apple TV 4K, you can stream content from streaming apps, watch movies from your iTunes library, Airplay content from your device, play games using the Siri touch remote, and even connect to your other Apple smart devices. Additionally, the Apple TV 4K comes with a year of free Apple +  

Apple TV requires some setup, as the device itself is larger than stick devices and is best suited for sitting on a shelf or TV stand if possible. The remote, small & narrow, is notorious for slipping between couch cushions, but Siri integration and a touch screen pad make it the best Apple TV remote that they have ever released. 

Set up with this apple device is supremely easy with an iPhone or other Apple device, and the interface is very easy to use overall. Users love the improved remote, the range of watching options, and Siri integration. Watching content on the TV seems to be smooth and fast, even when using advanced picture settings. However, some users are disappointed with the content available on Apple TV+. Additionally, due to the high price tag, we are not sure if the Apple TV 4K is right for everyone, as there are no features it possesses outside of its inherent Apple synergy that makes it a surefire better option than other devices. If you are fully engaged in an Apple ecosystem, this is without a doubt the easiest and most versatile system to use. However, otherwise, you can get similar results for much cheaper from other devices. 

The Nvidia Shield is also the best streaming device for gamers. 

If you are looking for the best visual experience in a media streaming device, our recommendation is the Nvidia Shield Android TV media Streamer. While significantly expensive, this device packs the most power of any streaming stick on the market, and users agree they can really see the difference in the picture quality.  

This device is 4K HDR-ready, compatible with Dolby Vision HDR and HDR10 for incredible 4K picture resolution, as well as Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital and Dolby Digital Plus for immersive surround sound. The Nvidia Shield’s build-in Android TV includes Chromecast 4K, giving you the same ability to stream content through your mobile device to Google’s titular device, with a great 4K upscaling in real-time. Powered by Nvidia’ Tegra X1 processor, you get excellent speed so you can be streaming in 4K in seconds. Additionally, Nvidia Shield can be a console through Nvidia’s cloud gaming service GeForce Now. 

Controlled by remote only, this device lacks any sort of voice control – which is honestly fine, and unless your home is already a smart home ecosystem, you will not miss this exclusion. However, there are many thoughtful inclusions you may be thankful for. With a built-in Ethernet connection, you can ensure you get the internet speed you need for 4K streaming.  

Users love the picture quality, speed and ease of use of this media streaming device. For performance, the best media streaming device is probably this or the upgraded Pro version. Great picture quality, excellent upscaling and fast performance definitely make the price tag easier to swallow.