I already have YouTube TV and stream thru a Firestick. I'm getting a new smart TV that has Google TV. Will I still need the Firestick? I'm a little confused.
OT - YouTube TV and Google TV
- Thread starter rockingamecock
- Start date
I've personally found external devices (Roku, Apple TV, etc) to be better for streaming than than the TVs internal apps, but it's probably a matter of preference.
Honest question: How are the external devices better? Just bought a second home and will be setting up TV/internet in the coming week.
I think it depends on the TV. I've got a Samsung smart TV and keep a chromecast (google TV) plugged in. The plug in operates much faster and smoother than the apps on the TV. Also have a cheap vizio that I just use the TV platform on. And it's faster than the Samsung, so I don't bother with the plug in on that one. But if your TV already has the google TV platform on it, I'd guess it's not going to be much different than plugging in a stick.
It's probably just personal preference. I've found the user interfaces on the streaming devices to more intuitive and user friendly. And the streaming devices remotes are designed specifically to be suited for streaming services, but maybe the newer tv remotes are better designed for that these days. Again, I'm sure it's personal preference.
Dedicated external hardware generally performs well no matter what TV it's attached to, especially at 4K. A cheaper TV that has a 4K display and builtin Roku may not perform as well, in terms of framerates. Also, some streaming services like Amazon Prime certify hardware to run their app, so if your TV' hardware gets decertified for being too old, the app could be removed with a future update. The external hardware is more future proof than the TV in that respect, and of course can be replaced with a newer model while continuing to use the older TV.
If you have a roku tv or maybe a fire tv then they are probably fine. But built in devices are not usually updated for the latest different streaming offerings and are usually more limited in what is available. My 4K Samsung 75 inch TV has a Roku ultra attached to it for that very reason. The Roku is far better than the Samsung software. I like the Roku interface better than the fire tv. So I have mostly roku sticks on all the other TVs. They work fine. Even on the TV at the dock.
Don’t use a fire stick on a firetv.It’s a pain in the you know what. I had to eventually take mine off.The only reason I had it setup that way was I had a flashdrive on my fire stick.