Chromecast with Google TV vs Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max: How the two streaming sticks compare – Times of India

Getting a streaming stick is a one-stop solution to make your ‘dumb’ television smart. There are quite a few options in the market but the best two are — Chromecast with Google TV and Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max. Both are plug-n-play streaming devices that turn your not-so-smart television into a smart one. But which one of the two is the best? Let us compare the Chromecast with Google TV and Fire TV Stick 4K to find out which is worth your money.
Chromecast with Google TV vs Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max: Design
As mentioned before, both are plug-n-play devices but have different outer shells. The Chromecast with Google TV is in a bigger flat oval shape, while the Fire TV Stick 4K Max looks like a flash drive. Moreover, Chromecast has a ribbon cable with an HDMI connector, whereas the Fire TV Stick comes with an extension. Also, both need to be connected to an external power source, so you would need to have a free wall socket near your television.
Chromecast with Google TV vs Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max: Specifications and features
Chromecast with Google TV and Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max have almost identical specifications. Inside, the Chromecast with Google TV is powered by the 1.9 GHz processor, while a 1.8GHz chip powers the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max. Coming to RAM and storage, both have 8GB of internal storage, but Chromecast with Google TV comes with 2GB of RAM compared to 1.5GB RAM inside Fire TV Stick 4K Max. However, Fire TV Stick 4K Max comes with WiFi 6 while Chromecast with Google TV has WiFi 5 support.
The two streaming sticks support up to 4K video at 60Hz. Further, both support HDR10,, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision playback.
The new Chromecast adds the functionality of Google TV OS to your television. The Google TV OS is a home screen layer showing content from different streaming apps. Meanwhile, Fire TV Stick 4K Max does it similarly, but some users may find Google’s approach more intuitive.
Like every previous Chromecast, the Chromecast with Google TV allows you to cast content from a smartphone. That is also possible on Fire TV Stick 4K Max, but the process is at times tedious and may get tiresome for some. However, it is quite swift on a Chromecast.
The two streaming sticks make your TV smart in more than one way. So, a Fire TV Stick adds the functionality of controlling smart devices through Alexa, and you can also connect Amazon Alexa speakers. Similarly, with Chromecast, you can control Google Assistant-enabled smart home products and connect Nest speakers to your television.
Chromecast with Google TV vs Amazon Fire TV Stick: Remote Control
Now the Chromecast also comes with a remote since Google has added Google TV. Amazon’s Fire TV Stick 4K Max has a separate remote control. The Chromecast’s remote is oval, while Fire TV Stick’s remote looks like any other remote.
Google’s remote has two different dedicated buttons for YouTube and Netflix. Well, Amazon’s remote also has dedicated buttons for both the streaming services, but it has an extra one for Prime Video. Further, a button each to invoke Google Assistant and Alexa. However, there is no play/pause button on Google’s remote, but you can have that functionality with the D-Pad. The Fire TV Stick’s remote also has a D-Pad.
Chromecast with Google TV vs Amazon Fire TV Stick: Google Assistant vs Alexa
There is support for voice assistants on both the streaming sticks. Google’s Chromecast has Google Assistant, while Fire TV Stick comes with Alexa. From controlling playback and launching apps to controlling connected smart home devices; they are equally capable.
Chromecast with Google TV vs Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max: Price in India
The Chromecast with Google TV comes at Rs 6,399 in India. Meanwhile, the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max has a retail price of Rs 6,499, but it can usually be found for around Rs 3,000 to Rs 4,000 during sale time on the e-commerce platforms.