Can anyone help me pick the right Amazon streaming device?

[alexis92]

Hey everyone!

This isn't strictly Rainmeter related, and somehow interrupting the long-running streak of birthday-wish posts in the Lounge thread didn't seem right, so I'll ask this here if that's okay.

I've been looking into getting either an Amazon FireStick or Fire TV Cube, but it's been hard deciding between them for me. I have done some research and looked into it, of course - I Googled buyer's guides and comparisons and whatnot (like this one [link removed]), but I think I'd much rather hear from someone who's actually used either of these.

From what I've found, the Stick seems to be capable of just about everything the Cube is except the full voice control, so that has me leaning towards the Stick. I'd love to hear from someone with experience with either of these though!

TIA

[alexis92]

1. Fire Stick vs. Roku vs. Apple TV vs. Chromecast vs. Kindle Fire HDX 8.9"
The Amazon Fire Stick has been getting rave reviews for its ability to stream content from Netflix, Hulu Plus, Pandora, YouTube, MLB.TV, HBO Go, CBS, ABC, and many other popular media services. It’s priced low enough that it’s hard not to consider buying it just to have the option to watch any movies or shows at anytime. However, there are still some issues. You can only download apps from Amazon Appstore and you cannot transfer files to your Fire Stick. That means if you need to use another app on your computer you’ll have to send them over. There are no HDMI ports on this device so you have to connect to it via microUSB port. If you have a big screen TV you may want to get the bigger version, the Fire Stick Ultra. It comes with two USB ports to connect external devices to and it also has an ethernet port so you can share internet connection through the device. But if you don’t have a big screen TV then the Fire Stick is the best choice. The Fire Stick comes in two sizes, 4GB and 8GB. And since it’s cheaper than competing models you might want to go ahead and grab the smaller size.
2. Roku 2 vs. Roku 3 vs. Roku Streaming Stick vs. Roku Premiere+
Roku has been making great strides lately in terms of their hardware line-up. Not too long ago they released the Roku 2 (with dual tuners) and the Roku 3 (which was able to play 1080p content). Now they have introduced the Roku Streaming Stick which allows you to stream content directly to your TVs without having to hook it up to a cable box. To make sure you’re using the best option you should check out our guide below that details what each model does and how well it performs.
3. Google Nexus Player vs. Apple TV
Both these options offer good performance but for different reasons. The Apple TV offers great features like AirPlay, iCloud integration, and iTunes integration. However, it doesn't come close to supporting high definition video playback. On the other hand, the Nexus player has a better overall user interface, is easy to set up and navigate, has access to a library full of thousands of free apps, supports 1080p resolution video playback, and can even access local files. This makes it a much better option if you're looking for something cheap and simple to plug into your TV.

Wow. Thank you so much, I've come to the conclusion that picking up the firestick might be the best option for me. I'll let you know how my experience is!