All that casts is not Chrome/Are you SMART if your TV isn’t?
With the change in the streaming patterns of the consumers, the features in the TV remain the same, the built-in interfaces are often lacking and only certain streaming applications are available on external streaming boxes.
So the best solution is a media streaming device to make your not-so-smart TV smart.
It is an accessory to your TV with minimal hardware and easy to use functions at your fingertips from your Smartphone and/or remote that may be boxed along with the media streaming device.
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Powered by USB cable, Google Chromecast is one of the media streaming devices that plugs into your TV’s HDMI port and can be controlled by your Smartphone, computer and Google devices.
It can be used to cast your compatible applications directly to your TV thus acting like a mirror device for your android phone or computer’s screen which casts the audio along with video.
It is compatible with most TV and movie applications such as Netflix, YouTube, Now TV, BT Sport, All4 and BBC iPlayer.
At the same time, Chromecast works with a number of music streaming apps like Spotify, Soundcloud and Google Play Music.
The newest update to the Google Cast Family is the Google Chromecast 3.
With the third generation streamer with 60 FPS for a 1080p video which its predecessor maxed out at 30 FPS for the same video quality.
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It is believed to be 15% faster than its previous version.
Then why look for Chromecast Alternatives?
Despite the small size and affordable price, people are diverting to other Chromecast alternatives because of the absence of UI, no 4K support or physical remote.
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Sad fact is that Chromecast does not support many third-party apps except the popular ones.
The new additions in the Google Cast Family is without much change except in the speed of the intended frame rate and subtle redesigning of the product.
Here are some super awesome alternatives for the Chromecast:
9 Best Alternatives to Chromecast That You Won’t Regret
1: Amazon Fire TV Cube
The Amazon Fire TV Cube, the latest Chromecast alternative from Amazon is a popular streaming device which is powered by Alexa.
Your entire entertainment system can be controlled with the Cube making your remotes useless.
The Cube has snatched the crown of streaming devices with it’s loaded trendy tech and fancy features.
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Through voice commands it can not only perform basic functions like turning on your TV or swapping between apps but also performs advanced functions like switching inputs to other connected devices like Blu-ray players, consoles used for gaming and Audio Video receivers.
Alexa, using its artificial intelligence, detects your input command patterns thus recognizing your schedule and preferences and tuning in to meet your needs with its learning abilities.
Indeed making it a one-stop-shop solution for your TV needs and comfort.
The Cube’s Unique Selling Point is the home theater control hub functionality making it an excellent streamer.
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Being capable of 4K and HDR playback, it also comes with an Ethernet adapter for efficient data connection, a completely different feature compared to the other Fire TV devices.
2: Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K
As the name suggests, the Amazon Fire TV Stick brings 4K media streaming to your TV along with HDR and Dolby ATMOS audio.
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It stands out among all these media-streaming devices, not just because of the low price but because it comes with an Alexa voice remote which can control a range of functions and other compatible smart home devices.
Besides Amazon Prime Video, it can stream content of all the other apps that you subscribe to. It supports Netflix, Hulu, HBO Go and more with easy install of apps.
It is easy to navigate through a bunch of movies and shows because of the in-built user interface of the Fire TV 4K.
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The remote is voice control enabled which can power on the TV, control the volume on the TV and swap channels at faster rate and better streaming quality.
This is as a result of the new quad-core processor which outperforms the Fire TV Stick by about 40%. The browsing of websites like YouTube, Facebook, etc. is also possible. Thus, making it a very good alternative to the Chromecast.
3: Roku Streaming Stick+
Roku’s streaming device gives Chromecast a tough competition with its 4K and HDR streaming in a compact device at an affordable cost.
The simple easy-to-use yet versatile hardware and interface makes its responses fast and a popular choice in streaming devices.
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Its video quality is as good as its competitors. It allows you to stream 1200 channels and is responsible for Sky’s Now TV box. It supports all major streaming services.
With its best features-to-price ratio, it’s the best streaming stick in the market with a remote that can control the TV’s volume and power.
It enables 4K HDR video and Dolby ATMOS audio with no Ethernet required, just the inbuilt powerful dual-band wireless support will suffice.
TV or any display device with a USB and HDMI port is the only need to set up the Roku Streaming Stick+. You don’t need your phone as it comes with its own User Interface.
4: Apple TV 4K
To add to the Chromecast competition, the Apple TV 4K along with Dolby Vision and ATMOS support for the iPhone ecosystem.
It has a clean and simple OS interface which provides a new 4K HDR-touting Ultra HD television experience.
It is compatible with other Apple devices and has deep rooted connection to all the iDevices.
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It is accompanied with a small remote to control the device. It is the perfect streamer with few future-facing technologies.
It is powered with the same fusion chipset, that is a 10x found in iPad Pro which makes it amazingly fast and it lets you play iOS games without any issues.
You can download and view movies or TV shows inside Apple 4K as it has an in-built storage of 32/64GB.
The Blu-ray movies and other content is available at cheaper rates because of Apple’s integration with major studios and marketing .
To top it up is the Apple integration of the intelligent assistant Siri, which offers faster and easier search.
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The videos and photos from your Apple device can be cast using AirPlay on the Apple TV just like Chromecast.
5: Roku Ultra
A superior alternative to the Chromecast, Roku wouldn’t be the king of the streaming world if it weren’t for the unique selling points that it has.
That is proved by Roku Ultra with a series of extra features making it the best streaming stick in the media streaming devices.
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The 4K and HDR compatibility makes it a strong competition for the best streaming video player.
It is power pact with quad-core processor making it capable to cast the quality expected in an HDR video with proper brightness and shadows.
It has an ultra wireless performance and excellent speed. This is what distinguishes Roku Ultra from its predecessors.
Even with the solid 4K HDR performance, it is easy to use and setup.
Of all, mainly it comes with a feature remote which supports voice search, has an optical audio out port, has the lost remote finder option and has the MicroSD support slot for additional storage.
The audio out port acts as a headphone jack so you can watch TV without disturbing anyone around.
The Ethernet port which is required for the constant streaming of the 4K content is something what was absent in the Roku Streaming Stick+.
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This feature is so that your streaming doesn’t suffer because of buffering while watching your desired TV shows or movies in 4K.
It has access to thousands of channels of content. It also supports all major streaming services and comes with an simple to navigate user interface.
6: Samsung AllShare Cast
Samsung AllShare cast not only allows you to cast your media content streamed from your compatible Samsung devices directly to your TV but can also cast your official presentations thus adding to the enterprise quotient which is a distinct feature which is missing in the other media streaming devices.
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It can stream the content intended from a supported device using the HDMI port using a USB cable or wirelessly using the Wi-Fi network to your TV.
You can stream your content in HD, be it videos or music and even for that matter your professional presentations seamlessly.
It is an easy to use device with extremely easy installment and assembly.
It gets connected fast to the Samsung device(Smartphone or Tablet). This makes it surely a good alternative to the Chromecast.
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7: NVIDIA Shield TV
There’s this streaming box especially for the Gamers with premium gaming features. NVIDIA Shield TV uses its 4K HDR quality and the powerful sound enhancing Dolby ATMOS and DTS-X surround sound to give you an awesome visual as well as audio experience.
Alike to the competitor Chromecast, you can cast of videos and photos on your Android device to the TV directly.
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It has an in-built voice search feature making it easy to search from the many apps available.
It gives access to Android Play Store and PlayStation Vue for games as well as allows users to install apps like Netflix, Hulu, Vudu, Amazon Video, UltraFlix, YouTube, Sling TV to view your favorite content like movies, TV shows and sports channel.
Many options like HBO Now, Twitch, CBS, Fox, Vimeo are available for HD Streaming. NVIDIA GameStream is another feature enabled in the NVIDIA Shield TV to cast your games to the TV or the PC.
If your PC doesn’t have powerful graphics, there’s nothing to worry about because you can use NVIDIA GeForce Now cloud gaming service to cast your games to your TV.
Thus, this makes NVIDIA Shield TV the perfect alternative to Chromecast to suffice your streaming and gaming needs.
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8: Matchstick
The cheapest alternative to the Chromecast is the Matchstick which gets plugged into the HDMI port of your TV.
It uses the app called Fling to cast the streaming content from your Smartphone directly to the TV.
The Smartphone can be used without any interruption once the streaming of the media content has been completed.
It is based on the Firefox operating system and is an open platform device.
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It is considered to be the most reasonably priced of the other competitors making it a price wise more desirable device.
9: AnyCast
AnyCast is one more alternative to the Chromecast which casts anything to the big screen by mirroring your Smartphone, be it android or iOS, allowing you to cast images, movies, TV shows, browser, or anything on your phone’s display screen.
It allows streaming of content from YouTube, Netflix, Hulu, Quickflix on to your TV screen directly.
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It is not just limited to streaming content, it can be used on the professional front to view Word Documents, Excel sheets, or even a PowerPoint presentation on a bigger screen instead of using your computer.
It is an easy install and setup which uses the HDMI port with a USB cable. It does not require any apps to be downloaded on your phone.
Its primary function is to mirror the screen which is similar to how flash drives work.
It is the best alternative to Chromecast if it is to be used to cast your Smartphone to any bigger screen and its available a half the price of the Chromecast.
Final Verdict:
So to summarize, Matchstick is the cheapest and the most affordable alternative to Chromecast available for streaming devices by using your Smartphone.
The AnyCast media streaming device is also an affordable alternative to Chromecast as it casts your Smartphone to any bigger screen.
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If you belong to the Samsung Family such as the Samsung phones or Tablet, AllShare Cast might be the perfect option.
Likewise, if you are the member of the Apple or iPhone Family, Apple TV 4K is the best alternative to Chromecast.
The complete all-in-one experience, if desired Roku Streaming Stick+ or Roku Ultra and the Amazon Fire TV Cube or Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K is the way to go.