If you’re looking for a device to stream content on your television then there are a number of different options out there.
We’ve been testing and reviewing the very best streaming devices over the last 12 months and have whittled down the best we’ve tried for the EE Pocket-lint Awards.
These are the top entertainment streaming boxes and dongles to access video and audio content through. We put together a list of our favourites and then these were considered by a panel of elite judges to select the winners.
Best streaming device: Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max
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Amazon’s Fire TV line-up has been a great way to stream content for years.
The Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max is one of the latest iterations and is not to be confused with the Fire TV Stick 4K as it’s the very best of Amazon’s devices.
With specs and features that include Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HLG, Dolby Atmos support and Wi-Fi 6 capabilities too it’s a serious piece of kit for streaming your favourite content.
The Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max was selected as the winner of the best streaming device for this year’s awards and it’s well worth considering as your next purchase.
Read the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max review
Highly Commended: Sky Stream
Sky Stream is a small device that boasts everything that Sky TV has on offer but without all the hassle of the satellite dish. This little box of tricks gives you everything you’d experience from Sky TV but over your internet connection. You need a good broadband connection in order to use it but it’s a great alternative to Sky Glass and Sky Q too.
Sky Stream also has a rolling contract option so you don’t need to be tied into long contracts. It’s also packed full of apps along with access to all manner of Sky and terrestrial television options, so there’s no end of content to watch.
For all these reasons and more, Sky Stream was chosen as our Highly Commended option for this year’s awards.
The best of the rest
Our favourite devices from the last year have included more than just the winner and highly commended devices. There are a number of other streaming devices that are worth considering.
The Apple TV 4K was one of our choices for the shortlist as it’s a great option for anyone already ingrained in the Apple ecosystem. This is not a cheap device, but it does deliver a great user experience and good performance to boot.
Chromecast with Google TV is a great alternative to Amazon’s Fire TV Sticks. This Chromecast is a complete offering with all sorts of highlights including 4K HDR support, Google Assistant integration and a user-friendly design too.
On the more affordable end, there’s the Roku Express 4K, which has great features at a surprisingly good price. It offers things like AirPlay and Google Cast, plus a broad selection of services and 4K HDR all for less. Another great streaming device and certainly one to consider.
As an alternative, the Roku Streaming Stick 4K offers both 4K and Dolby Vision visuals along with access to all the usual streaming services. It also has both AirPlay and Spotify Connect, so plenty of streaming capabilities.
What are the Pocket-lint Awards?
The EE Pocket-lint Awards take place annually to celebrate the best of tech from the previous 12 months. Products need to be fully reviewed by the Pocket-lint team to be considered for the Awards, with judging taking place towards the end of the year. Through a process of longlisting and shortlisting, the panel of expert judges scores the devices to result in the overall winner and a Highly Commended runner-up.
The Pocket-lint Awards was run for 19th time in 2022.