Best Android TV box: Our pick of the top Android TV devices

There’s no generally accepted definition of what an Android TV box is as they come in all manner of shapes and sizes. Regardless of the form they take, however, these versatile devices can be used to stream content to your television, play locally stored files, video games and more.

With numerous options out there, many of which are from brands you’ve never heard of, picking the best Android TV box for you can be a daunting experience. That’s where we come in. With the help of our buying guide and recommendations based on extensive testing, you will be able to safely navigate your way to finding the perfect Android TV companion.

Best Android TV boxes: At a glance

How we test the best Android TV boxes

We test Android TV boxes by connecting them to a 4K OLED TV, running through the setup process and installing as many apps as we can from a range including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Now TV, BBC iPlayer and All4. We then run through a range of different films and TV shows and programmes, both at 4K and 1080p resolutions, in order to assess picture and audio quality.

While we do so, we take a good look at the interface, and at how easy it is to navigate, change settings and search for specific content. We also keep an eye on performance, looking at whether the interface feels snappy and how long it takes for a programme to start playback and switch to a high-bitrate HD or 4K stream. Finally, we take a careful look at the remote and any voice control features, plus any added entertainment or gaming features, to see if these make for a better package overall.

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The best Android TV boxes you can buy, tried and tested

1. Nvidia Shield TV Pro: Best Android TV box overall

Price when reviewed: £189 | Check price at Amazon

Nvidia’s Shield TV has long been considered the king of Android TV boxes, and the Shield TV Pro is the best-ever version. It’s getting on a bit but its Tegra X1+ processor onboard is still comparatively speedy, powering an AI-enhanced 4K upscaling technology that works, improving both the clarity of HD pictures and the vibrancy of colours for a 4K screen. The chip also handles real-time transcoding, so if you have a NAS drive full of files in different formats, you can stream them without a hitch. Throw in support for Dolby Vision HDR, Dolby Atmos and DTS:X surround sound, and the Shield TV Pro is a regular AV powerhouse.

Running an NVIDIA variant of the official Google TV OS, you have access to all the software on the Google Play store, including Netflix, Amazon Prime, iPlayer and the other usual suspects. And while the 16GB of onboard storage space is limiting, you can always upgrade it using a USB 3.0 external drive.

The Shield TV Pro’s other big selling point is games. Not only can the Tegra X1+ handle many of the biggest games on the Google Play store, but it will stream games directly from Nvidia’s GeForce Now service, so you can play through your PC games library on your TV (provided the games in it are supported by the service).

Read our full Nvidia Shield TV Pro review

Key specs – Core spec: Quad-core Tegra X1+ processor, 3GB RAM, 16GB storage, 802.11ac Wi-Fi; Operating system: Android TV on Android 9.0 Pie; Core apps: Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Plex, GeForce Now; Voice-enabled remote: Yes

2. Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max: Best Fire TV alternative

Price when reviewed: £70 | Check price at Amazon

You’re spoilt for choice when it comes to Amazon streaming sticks that function like Android TV boxes. There’s the new Fire TV Stick HD, which is limited to 1080p but only costs £40, the pricier Fire TV Stick 4K (£60), and our pick of the bunch, the second-generation Fire TV Stick 4K Max.

With 16GB of storage, a 2GHz quad-core processor and 2GB of RAM, it’s the tech giant’s best-endowed stick and delivers a sensational 4K HDR streaming experience thanks to support for all the major HDR formats and incredibly snappy performance.

All your favourite services are present and correct, including Prime Video, Netflix, Apple TV and the key UK TV catch-up services (BBC iPlayer, ITVX, Channel 4 and My5), while the Xbox and Luna apps enable you to stream games through your TV without a console. Wi-Fi 6E support is a big boon for those with compatible routers and Dolby Atmos audio means you’re getting as immersive an audio experience as possible regardless of your sound system.

Read our full Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max review

Key specs – Core spec: Quad-core processor, 2GB RAM, 16GB storage, Wi-Fi 6E; Operating system: Fire OS 8; Core apps: Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, BBC iPlayer, ITVX, Channel 4, My5; Voice-enabled remote: Yes; HDR: Dolby Vision, HDR10, HDR10+, HLG

3. Google Chromecast with Google TV 4K: Best official Google TV option

Price when reviewed: £50 | Check price at Amazon

Buying Android TV devices can still be a minefield, with too many cheap boxes running strange ‘TV-optimised’ builds of Android that are anything but. That changed with the Google Chromecast with Google TV. It’s effectively a Chromecast with a remote control and runs the Google TV interface, which means access to the Google Play store, nearly all the major UK TV apps and a slicker, more reliable experience than you’ll get with most of the budget, no-brand competition.

The Chromecast with Google TV supports 4K resolution, HDR10+, Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, so audio and visual quality is up there with the best 4K devices from Roku, Amazon and Apple. The remote supports voice search – though you have to watch that your thumb doesn’t obscure the mic – and the UI makes finding your favourite shows or navigating between apps easy. If you want an affordable Android TV unit you can rely on, this is the one to buy.

Read our full Google Chromecast with Google TV 4K review

Key specs – Core spec: Quad-core ARM Cortex-A55 processor, 2GB RAM, 8GB storage, 802.11ac Wi-Fi; Operating system: Android TV 12; Core apps: Netflix, Google Play Movies and TV, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, Disney+, Google Play store; Voice-enabled remote: Yes

How to choose the best Android TV box for you

What is an Android TV box?

An Android TV box is a small set-top box, roughly the size of Apple TV, running either Google’s Android TV software or – more frequently – a reskinned version of standard Android. In theory, this makes an Android TV box an incredibly flexible device for streaming content to your TV from the internet or a NAS drive or playing back media stored locally on the device itself.

What should you look for in an Android TV box?

Frankly, it’s a chaotic market, with the specs, features and boxes themselves changing regularly. If you’re buying one of the myriad Chinese-made boxes, we would advise looking for one with a quad or eight-core processor, 2GB to 4GB of RAM and 16GB to 32GB or more of storage – often confusingly labelled “ROM”.

Dual-band 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi plus 4K support is also useful, but don’t get too excited by claims of 6K or 8K support: until more TVs and streaming services support higher-than-4K resolutions, they’re virtually meaningless and it’s doubtful that the boxes have the horsepower to process all those pixels.

The other thing to watch out for is software. Only a handful of Android TV boxes run what Google calls Android TV – most simply run a version of Android with the manufacturer’s bespoke TV-focused interface. The latter may or may not have access to the Google Play store and may run preinstalled versions of popular video-streaming apps.

Generally speaking, boxes running genuine Google Android TV are easier to use and more reliable. However, even on these, you might have problems running Netflix or Amazon Prime without employing esoteric workarounds. If you don’t like getting your hands dirty with sideloaded apps or reconfiguration, we suggest sticking with an Amazon Fire TV Stick or Nvidia Shield TV. If you’re happy to tinker, though, you will find some bargains – and fun – to be had.

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