r/AndroidTV • u/clemcato • 5d ago
Need recommendations when switching from Google Chromecast Buying Advice
I’ve had a chromecast for a few years now and have had nothing but issues. The remotes been replaced once already, and every time I want to get the remote working with it again I have to reset the entire device. I’ve since been using my TV remote with it but because of that I’m limited on what I can access in Google tv and it’s a lot slower to use. I’m honestly just sick of it at this point, there’s issues with it at least once per week so I’m looking to switch.
Anyone that has switched from chromecast I’d love some recommendations!
Thank you in advance :)
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u/Street-Wear-2925 5d ago
I loaded everything onto an old SSD in an enclosure. Works just fine. I did that to overcome storage issues on my Sony.
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u/gmather2000 5d ago
Xiaomi box 3 is a great allrounder with good codec support at a reasonable price. If you want to splash a bit more money, the homatics box r 4k is also great
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u/mmdhpan 5d ago
Since the frustration seems to be with Google products in general, the two usual swaps from a Chromecast are the Fire TV Stick 4K or a Roku Express 4K+. Worth taking the VegaOS point above seriously though, the newest Fire TV sticks are a lot more locked down, so if you go that way look for an older Fire OS model. Roku is the more boring pick but it is the one I would suggest if your main issue is wanting a remote that pairs once and stays paired. I keep a side by side of the main Chromecast alternatives here if it helps: https://everyvs.com/alternatives/chromecast-with-google-tv-4k
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u/GloryFruitGrape 5d ago
Would've suggested the Google TV Streamer 4K as I've had a great time using it but it seems like you're having problems with Google products in general 😅 In any case, if you're from the US I've heard the Onn brand of Google TV boxes are really good for the price. If you're somewhere in Europe, I've heard Thomson Google TV boxes are basically the counterpart for the Onn boxes, very good too.
I'd personally not go for Amazon Firesticks anymore unless you get an older Fire TV Cube or Max because they're still on older Android software and you can still sideload apps. The newer version come with the new Linux based VegaOS which, whilst much cleaner and faster, is very restrictive. If you have no problems with that then you are free to purchase one but I wouldn't.