A smart TV isn't the only way to get Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, or Disney Plus streaming in your living room. We're not talking about wiring your laptop to your TV each night, either.
It's much more straightforward - use a streaming device. Whether it's a streaming stick or set-top box, a streaming device is your gateway to turning your "dumb" TV into a smart TV in just a couple of minutes. Here are our top picks.
Dodo's NBN 500 Unlimited plan is our pick for the best NBN 500 plan for September.
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Dodo
FTTP, HFC
Editor's Pick
nbn500 Unlimited Plan
$62.99/mth
Min. cost $62.99
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Best streaming device overall:
Google TV Streamer
With its speedy performance and sleek aesthetics, the Google TV Streamer is a significant upgrade to the Chromecast with Google TV.
- Max. resolution: 4K
- HDR support: Dolby Vision, HDR10+
- Voice assistant: Google Assistant
- In the box: Google TV Streamer, Voice remote (with batteries), 1.8m power cable, power adaptor.
View on Big W
Read our review
Even though the Chromecast is dead, its spirit lives on in the Google TV Streamer. Using similar mechanisms as the fan favourite, the TV Streamer is faster, more responsive, and more user-friendly.
Usually priced at $159.99, this device gives you everything you need for a seamless streaming journey. It includes Google TV, has an improved remote, and runs on Android, so you have access to the whole Android TV app store. Kitted out with 4K, HDR10+, Thread, and Matter, this gadget isn't just a streamer; it is a smart home hub too. For under $150 (if you look at the right places), it is the best value and best performance you'll find in a streaming device.
Next best streaming device:
Amazon Fire TV Cube 4K
The Amazon Fire TV Cube 4K is everything a streaming device should be.
- Max. resolution: 4K
- HDR support: Dolby Vision, HDR10+
- Voice assistant: Alexa
- In the box: Fire TV Cube, Fire TV Alexa Voice Remote, power adaptor, and two AAA batteries
View on Amazon
Read our review
A huge step up from Amazon's Fire Stick range, the Fire TV Cube is a streaming device and the Amazon Echo device fused into one. Its powerful processor helps it load your favourite TV shows and flicks fast, plus you can easily catch up on live TV, news and sport.
With no need for a remote, you search for apps, pause, play and change the volume with voice commands. You do have to purchase HDMI and IR extender cables separately.
Best streaming device for Apple users:
Apple TV 4K
The Apple TV 4K streaming device perfectly complements the rest of the Apple ecosystem.
- Max. resolution: 4K
- HDR support: Dolby Vision, HDR10+
- Voice assistant: Siri
- In the box: Apple TV 4K, Siri Remote, and power cord
View on Amazon
Read our review
The Apple TV 4K rounds up entertainment nicely for Apple users. It can connect to most of the streaming services you love, plus more, with the ability to rent and buy TV series and films from the Apple TV store.
You can drop your favourite tunes from Apple Music, play your favourite Apple Arcade games, work out with Apple Fitness Plus, and even browse through your favourite happy snaps with the Photos app. Annoyingly,, there's no HDMI cord in the box, meaning you'll need to buy one separately to get started.
The vast majority of televisions sold these days are smart TVs, but cheaper smart TVs might not have all your favorite streaming apps, and can be quite slow. With that said, you might already have a better streaming device in your lounge room. If you own the latest PlayStation or Xbox, for example, you can access most popular streaming services via both consoles. You can even buy dedicated PlayStation and Xbox media remotes to make streaming feel a little more natural. Select Blu-ray players and even VR headsets, like Meta Quest and Apple Vision Pro, are compatible with most major streaming services.
What streaming platforms are available on streaming devices?
Streaming devices tend to support pretty much every streaming platform these days. Most of the big players run on Google or Apple infrastructure, so it makes sense for app developers to be visible in these app stores. That being said, some smaller streamers and local hardware companies haven't rolled out universal compatibility.
Foxtel in particular hasn't kept up. Kayo, Foxtel Now, Binge, and Hubbl are all a bit behind the curve.
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| Apple TV (2015+) | * | ||||||||||||
| Fetch TV | |||||||||||||
| Chromecast | ** | *** | |||||||||||
| Hubbl | |||||||||||||
| Amazon Fire devices | |||||||||||||
| PlayStation 4 | |||||||||||||
| PlayStation 5 | |||||||||||||
| Xbox One | **** | ||||||||||||
| Xbox Series X | **** | ||||||||||||
| Xbox Series S | **** |
* Foxtel Now is only available through Airplay, and not as a standalone app.
** Chromecast 1st Generation is no longer supported by Kayo. For optimal streaming using Chromecast, Kayo recommends Chromecast Ultra and latest 3rd generation.
*** Foxtel Now is streamed through the Foxtel GO app.
**** Kayo Sport is only available on Xbox One S (2016), Xbox One X (2017), Xbox Series S (2020), and Xbox Series X (2020) models.
Legend
Streaming Device Compatibility
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| Apple TV (2015+) | ||||
| Telstra TV 3 | ||||
| Fetch TV | ||||
| Chromecast | ||||
| Hubbl | ||||
| Amazon Fire devices | ||||
| PlayStation 4 | ||||
| PlayStation 5 | ||||
| Xbox One | ||||
| Xbox Series X |
Legend
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Netflix
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Stan
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Amazon Prime Video
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Disney +
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AMC+ Bundle
TV7-day free trial
From
$8.99/mth
or $83.88/yr
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Disney+
From
$9.99/mth
or $179.99/yr
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Amazon Prime Video
TV + movies + more30-day free trial
From
$9.99/mth
or $79/yr
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Netflix
From
$9.99/mth
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Binge
TV + movies + sport7-day free trial
From
$10.00/mth
or $79/yr
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Crunchyroll
TV + movies7-day free trial
From
$11.99/mth
or $119.99/yr
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Apple TV
TV + movies7-day free trial
From
$15.99/mth
or $129/yr
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Kayo Sports
Sport7-day free trial
From
$29.99/mth
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DAZN
From
$31.99/mth
or $149.99/yr
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Foxtel Now
TV + movies + sport10-day free trial
From
$35/mth
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Paramount+
TV + movies + sport7-day free trial
From
$7.99/mth
or $70.99/yr
Link not supplied
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Stan.
TV + movies + sport
From
$9.99/mth
Link not supplied
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HBO Max
TV + movies
From
$11.99/mth
or $119.99yr
Link not supplied
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BritBox
TV7-day free trial
From
$13.99/mth
or $139.99/yr
Link not supplied
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MUBI
Movies7-day free trial
From
$14.99/mth
or $119.88/yr
Link not supplied
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More streaming deals
Looking for something to stream tonight but don't want to pay full price? We've rounded up the best deals from Australia's major streaming services.
- Apple TV Plus deals: Get 30% off
- Binge deals: Stream Binge from less than $7 per month
- Disney Plus deals: Get 12 months for the price of 10
- Foxtel packages and deals: Save up to $55 per month
- HBO Max deals: Free HBO Max with Foxtel
- Kayo deals: 50% off Kayo Premium for six months with Optus SubHub
- Netflix deals: Free Netflix with Foxtel
- Paramount Plus deals: Save over $40 per year
- Prime Video deals: Score a 30-day free trial
Anula Wiwatowska
Offsite Editorial Lead | Instagram
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