Google Chromecast is probably one of the best hardware products Google has ever released. I mean, I am still amazed by the things I can do with my tiny Chromecast. The Chromecast remains connected to my TV and I can use my phone to cast anything to it. My favorite use of Chromecast is playing YouTube videos with the help of my Google Home Mini. I mean, I can just yell at my Google Home Mini from across the room and play any video that I want to. It is one of the best accessories I have ever owned. You might be thinking by now, if I am so happy with my Chromecast then why I am writing a Chormecast alternative article? Well, as it happens, there are a couple of reasons for it:
One of the biggest drawbacks of Google Chromecast is that it does not have any native user interface. This makes the Chromecast a little hard to use for normal users. I mean, first time I got my hands on it, I only used it for playing music and YouTube videos. I also hate that I need my smartphone to cast media from apps like Netflix, HBO NOW, and more. This problem is compounded by the fact that barring the popular apps, not many third-party apps support Chromecast.
Cons:
Cons:
- No YouTube
- No Dolby Vision
If you price is no restriction for you, you can also check out the new Apple TV 4K which promises to bring 4K Dolby-HDR content to your TV. One of the best things about Apple TV 4K is that it is being powered by the same A10X fusion chipset which is found in the iPad Pro. What this means is that the not only the Apple TV is crazy fast, it also is powerful enough to let you play iOS games without any problem. Apart from the TV-specific features, this is probably the biggest strength of Apple TV. Another good thing about Apple TV 4K is that it comes with built-in 32/64 GB of storage so you can easily download and store movies inside the Apple TV 4K itself.
- Support for 4K video and HDR video with Dolby Vision
- A10x fusion chip is crazy fast
- The most mature App Store of all the platforms
- Siri works everywhere
- You can play games too
Pros:
Nvidia Shield TV is a streaming box for users who love games as much as they love their movies. With Nvidia Shield TV, you can enjoy the ultimate visual experience with 4K HDR quality and the most immersive sound with Dolby ATMOS and DTS-X surround sound pass-through. The Nvidia Shield TV comes with Android Play Store support, allowing users to install apps like YouTube TV, Netflix, Hulu, Sling TV, and PlayStation Vue giving you access to all your favorite movies, TV shows, and sports channels that want to watch. Just like Chromecast, the Nvidia Shield TV also supports casting media and photos from your Android device to TV which is a nice thing.
When it comes to gaming, the Nvidia Shield TV allows users to use Nvidia GameStream to cast their games from their PC to their TV. If you don’t have a powerful PC rig, you can use the Nvidia GeForce Now cloud gaming service to directly stream and play games on your TV. The NVIDIA Shield TV is a very powerful and versatile product and if you want a device which can handle all your gaming and TV needs, this is definitely worth checking out.
While this product is not really competing with the Chromecast, I found this product to be intriguing enough to include on this list. Just like Chromecast allows you to cast media from your phone to your TV, the AirTame allows you to cast from your Windows, Linux, and macOS devices to the TV wirelessly. This product is great for educational and professional purposes as it allows users to wirelessly cast their device’s screens to TV making it far easier to give presentations or lectures. You can even use your iOS and Android devices to cast presentation on the TV using the AirTame’s mobile apps. The stick also allows users to stream to multiple screens. While Chromecast is meant more for fun, the AirTame is meant for work purposes and you should definitely check it out.
