To watch 4K content on a streaming device, you first need to ensure that both your device and your television are 4K compatible. This means that your streaming device should support 4K resolution and your TV should be a 4K Ultra HD TV.
Next, you will need a stable and high-speed internet connection to stream 4K content without interruptions. It is recommended to have a connection of at least 25 Mbps for streaming in 4K.
Once you have the necessary equipment, you can subscribe to a streaming service that offers 4K content, such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, or Hulu. Make sure to select a plan that includes 4K streaming.
Finally, navigate to the settings of your streaming device and enable 4K resolution, if it is not already set by default. This will ensure that you are watching content in the highest quality possible on your 4K TV. Enjoy your favorite movies and shows in stunning 4K resolution!
Best Streaming Devices in 2024
1
Rating is 5 out of 5
Roku Ultra | The Ultimate Streaming Device 4K/HDR/Dolby Vision/Atmos, Rechargeable Roku Voice Remote Pro, Ethernet Port, Hands-Free Controls, Lost Remote Finder, Free & Live TV
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Super-fast startup: Stream your favorite channels like Netflix, Apple TV+, Prime Video, and more in a snap
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Our best Wi-Fi: Enjoy fast, seamless TV streaming in any room in the house with our best Wi-Fi and Ethernet
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Cinematic streaming: Stream in 4K, Dolby Vision, and HDR10+, plus Dolby Atmos sound
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Our best remote: Roku Voice Remote Pro is conveniently rechargeable with personal shortcut buttons
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Hands-free voice controls: Say “Hey Roku” to play entertainment, power up your TV, and find your lost remote
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Private listening: Use wired or wireless headphones to crank up the volume without disturbing a quiet house
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No more juggling remotes: Power up your TV, adjust the volume, and control your Roku device with one remote
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Watch what you love: Stream a massive selection of free, live, and premium TV including 350+ free live TV channels
2
Rating is 4.9 out of 5
NVIDIA SHIELD Android TV Pro Streaming Media Player; 4K HDR movies, live sports, Dolby Vision-Atmos, AI-enhanced upscaling, GeForce NOW cloud gaming, Google Assistant Built-In, Works with Alexa
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The Best of the Best. The world’s most powerful Android TV streaming media player upgraded to Android TV version 11. Enhance HD video in real-time to 4K for clearer, crisper visuals using next-generation AI upscaling. 2x USB 3.0 ports for storage expansion, USB cameras, keyboards, controllers, and more. Plex Media Server built-in, 3 GB RAM, and 16 GB storage.Connectivity Technology : Bluetooth 5.0
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Dolby Vision - Atmos. Bring your home theater to life with Dolby Vision HDR, and surround sound with Dolby Atmos and Dolby Digital Plus—delivering ultra-vivid picture quality and immersive audio
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4K HDR Content. Get the most 4K content of any streaming media player. Watch Netflix, Amazon Video, Apple TV+, Disney+ and Google Play Movies & TV in crisp 4K HDR, and YouTube, Hulu, and more in 4K. Stream from your phone with built-in Chromecast 4K.
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GeForce NOW Cloud Gaming. GeForce NOW instantly transforms SHIELD TV into a powerful PC gaming rig. Play over 1000+ titles and nearly 100 of the biggest free to play games. The new GeForce NOW RTX 3080 membership unlocks GeForce RTX 3080 gaming servers in 4K HDR, the shortest wait times and longest session lengths, with RTX ON including ray tracing and DLSS graphics for supported games.
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Voice Control. The built-in Google Assistant is at your command. See photos, live camera feeds, weather, sports scores, and more on the big screen. Dim the lights and immerse yourself in your favorite show or music using only your voice. And control your SHIELD hands-free with Google Home or Alexa and Amazon Echo. Format/Container support: Xvid/ DivX/ASF/AVI/MKV/MOV/M2TS/MPEG-TS/MP4/WEB-M
3
Rating is 4.8 out of 5
Amazon Fire TV Cube, Hands-free streaming device with Alexa, Wi-Fi 6E, 4K Ultra HD
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Our fastest-ever streaming media player - Brings lightning-fast app starts with an octa-core processor and is 2X as powerful as Fire TV Stick 4K Max.
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Hands-free Alexa with built-in mic and speakers - Control your compatible TV, soundbar, and receivers with your voice, even from across the room.
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Seamlessly navigate between your entertainment - Connect compatible devices and easily go from streaming to your cable box, game console, or webcam.
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Smoother streaming with the latest in wifi tech - The first-ever streaming media player that features Wi-Fi 6E support.
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Picture quality that puts on a show - Feel every scene with true-to-life, cinematic 4K and support for Dolby Vision, HDR, and Dolby Atmos audio.
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Endless entertainment - Stream more than 1.5 million movies and TV episodes. Watch favorites from Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, Peacock, and more, plus listen to millions of songs. Subscription fees may apply.
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Designed to protect your privacy - Built with privacy protections and controls, including an off button that electronically disconnects the microphones.
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Manage your smart home right on screen - Use Alexa to start video calls, check the weather, get a live view of your Ring cameras, and more.
4
Rating is 4.7 out of 5
Roku Ultra LT 4K/HDR/HD Streaming Player with Enhanced Voice Remote, Ethernet, MicroSD with Premium 6FT 4K Ready HDMI Cable, Black
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Power, picture, performance: Roku Ultra LT has a quad-core processor and is great for smooth wired and wireless streaming. It's perfect for heavy streaming in HD, 4K, and HDR and delivers the kind of powerful performance you want on your home's main TV
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Smooth streaming: Get a connection that stands up to whatever you want to stream with dual-band wireless or use the Ethernet port for wired streaming
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Brilliant picture quality: Experience your favorite TV in stunning detail and clarity; whether you are streaming in HD, 4K, or HDR, you will get stunning picture quality that is optimized for your TV with sharp resolution and vivid color
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No more juggling remotes: Power up and adjust the volume on most televisions, control your player, and enjoy private listening with the enhanced voice remote and included headphones; use your voice to search across channels, turn captions on, and more in a touch
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Lots of extras: Roku Ultra LT is packed with features you will love, including microSD for extra channel storage; use the included headphones to pump up the volume on your shows without disturbing the house. Bundle Includes Premium 4K HDR 6FT HDMI Cable.
5
Rating is 4.6 out of 5
Tablo 4th Gen 2-Tuner Over-The-Air (OTA) DVR - Watch, Pause & Record Live TV, News, Sports & Movies Throughout Your Home Over Wi-Fi - Pairs w/Any TV Antenna - 50+ Hrs Recording - No Subscriptions
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WATCH, PAUSE, RECORD, & REPLAY LIVE TV: Enjoy live TV from major networks, including ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC(2), as well as a curated selection of free live streaming TV (FAST) channels
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WHOLE-HOME ACCESS: 1 DVR pairs with any TV antenna to let you watch TV on multiple compatible devices at once, including smartphones, tablets, as well as smart TVs & streaming players from Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Chromecast w/ Google TV(1)
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NO SUBSCRIPTIONS OR HIDDEN FEES: Pay once for the Tablo device and watch and record your favorite live, local TV shows, along with free streaming TV channels without contracts or ongoing fees(4)
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RECORD MULTIPLE SHOWS: 2 tuners within this device allow you to record one live TV channel while watching another for viewing flexibility
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WATCH, PAUSE, RECORD LIVE TV: Watch, pause, and record live TV, including ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC, as well as a curated selection of free live streaming TV (FAST) channels
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RECORD 50+ HOURS: Never miss a moment with 128GB of onboard recording storage; add up to 8TB of external USB storage(3) to record even more
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GET MORE TV CHANNELS: Access more than 60 additional free streaming channels you can’t get with your TV antenna alone, enhancing your endless free-TV experience(4)
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TIME-SHIFT VIEWING: Start watching in-progress recordings—perfect for catching the action from the beginning or skipping to the good parts
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EASY SETUP: Connect the Tablo DVR to ANY TV antenna; connect it to your home network via Wi-Fi or using the included Ethernet cable; download the Tablo app on your smartphone or tablet and follow the setup instructions(4)
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WI-FI CONNECTIVITY: The only OTA DVRs with Wi-Fi, Tablo devices let you position your TV antenna wherever it can get the best signal reception, then wirelessly streams live and recorded free TV content throughout your home to compatible devices.
6
Rating is 4.5 out of 5
Roku Express 4K with Voice Remote Pro - Roku Streaming Device 4K/HDR, Rechargeable Roku Remote, Hands-Free Controls, Lost Remote Finder, Free & Live TV - Amazon Exclusive
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Brilliant 4K picture quality: Stream in 4K HDR with sharp resolution and vivid color optimized for your TV
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Seamless wireless streaming: Enjoy a seamless streaming experience with fast Wi-Fi performance
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The ultimate Roku remote: Roku Voice Remote Pro is conveniently rechargeable and includes TV controls and personal shortcut buttons
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Hands-free voice controls: Say “Hey Roku” to play entertainment, control your streaming, power up your TV, and even find your lost remote
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Headphone Mode: Plug headphones into your remote to crank up the volume without disturbing a quiet house
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Find your lost remote: Say “Hey Roku, where’s my remote?” and your Roku remote will play a sound
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No more juggling remotes: Power up your TV, adjust the volume, and control your Roku device with one remote
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Upgrade to Roku streaming: All your favorite channels are front and center, plus your device is always improving with automatic updates
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Simple setup: It’s easy to get started with everything you need included in the box—just plug it in and connect to the internet
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Watch what you love: Stream a massive selection of free, live, and premium TV including Prime Video, plus free live TV channels and local news on The Roku Channel.
7
Rating is 4.4 out of 5
Echo Dot (5th Gen, 2022 release) | With bigger vibrant sound, helpful routines and Alexa | Charcoal
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OUR BEST SOUNDING ECHO DOT YET – Enjoy an improved audio experience compared to any previous Echo Dot with Alexa for clearer vocals, deeper bass and vibrant sound in any room.
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YOUR FAVORITE MUSIC AND CONTENT – Play music, audiobooks, and podcasts from Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify and others or via Bluetooth throughout your home.
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ALEXA IS HAPPY TO HELP – Ask Alexa for weather updates and to set hands-free timers, get answers to your questions and even hear jokes. Need a few extra minutes in the morning? Just tap your Echo Dot to snooze your alarm.
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KEEP YOUR HOME COMFORTABLE – Control compatible smart home devices with your voice and routines triggered by built-in motion or indoor temperature sensors. Create routines to automatically turn on lights when you walk into a room, or start a fan if the inside temperature goes above your comfort zone.
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DESIGNED TO PROTECT YOUR PRIVACY – Amazon is not in the business of selling your personal information to others. Built with multiple layers of privacy controls, including a mic off button.
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DO MORE WITH DEVICE PAIRING – Fill your home with music using compatible Echo devices in different rooms, create a home theatre system with Fire TV, or extend wifi coverage with a compatible eero network so you can say goodbye to drop-offs and buffering.
How to stream 4K content without cable or satellite TV?
- Use a streaming service: Sign up for a subscription to a streaming service that offers 4K content, such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, or Disney+. These services typically require a high-speed internet connection and a compatible device, such as a smart TV, streaming media player, or gaming console.
- Purchase a 4K Blu-ray player: Invest in a 4K Blu-ray player and purchase or rent 4K Blu-ray discs to watch movies and TV shows in high resolution. This option provides the highest quality picture and sound, but requires physical discs and a 4K Blu-ray player.
- Rent or purchase 4K movies and TV shows online: Many digital platforms, such as Apple iTunes, Google Play Movies & TV, Vudu, and Microsoft Store, offer a selection of 4K movies and TV shows for rental or purchase. This allows you to access 4K content without a cable or satellite TV subscription.
- Use an antenna for local channels: If you want to watch local channels in 4K, consider using an over-the-air antenna to pick up free broadcasts from major networks in your area. Some antennas now offer 4K reception for select local channels.
- Connect your device directly to the internet: To ensure a smooth streaming experience in 4K, connect your streaming device directly to the internet via an Ethernet cable for a more stable connection. This can help prevent buffering and other issues that may arise with a wireless connection.
- Check your internet speed: Make sure your internet connection can handle streaming 4K content without buffering or interruptions. Ideally, you should have at least a 25 Mbps connection for streaming in 4K, but faster speeds may be necessary for optimal performance.
How to check if your TV is compatible with 4K content?
- Check the specifications of your TV: Look for the resolution of your TV in the user manual or on the manufacturer's website. 4K resolution is typically 3840 x 2160 pixels.
- Look for the 4K Ultra HD logo: If your TV is 4K compatible, it may have the 4K Ultra HD logo on the packaging or on the TV itself.
- Check the HDMI ports: Make sure your TV has HDMI 2.0 ports, which are needed to support 4K content. Older HDMI versions may not be able to handle the bandwidth required for 4K resolution.
- Check for HDCP 2.2 support: High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) 2.2 is a copy protection technology required for streaming 4K content. Make sure your TV supports HDCP 2.2 to ensure compatibility with 4K content.
- Test with a 4K source: Connect a 4K compatible streaming device or Blu-ray player to your TV and play a 4K video. If the video displays in 4K resolution, then your TV is compatible with 4K content.
If you are still unsure about your TV's compatibility with 4K content, you can contact the manufacturer's customer support for assistance.
How to improve the picture quality when streaming 4K content?
- Upgrade your internet connection to a higher speed to ensure that your device can handle the higher resolution of 4K content.
- Use an Ethernet cable instead of Wi-Fi connection to ensure a stable and strong connection, which can lead to better picture quality when streaming 4K content.
- Make sure that your streaming device and TV are both capable of supporting 4K resolution to ensure the best picture quality.
- Close any unnecessary apps or programs running in the background on your device to free up resources and improve the streaming quality.
- Check your streaming service settings to ensure that you are streaming in 4K resolution and that your account plan supports 4K content.
- Consider investing in a quality HDMI cable to ensure a clear and stable connection between your streaming device and TV.
- Adjust your TV settings to optimize the picture quality for 4K content, such as enabling HDR (High Dynamic Range) if your TV supports it.
- Make sure that your TV's software and firmware are up to date to ensure optimal performance when streaming 4K content.
- Clear the cache and temporary files on your streaming device to improve its performance when streaming high-resolution content.
- If all else fails, consider contacting your internet service provider or the streaming service's customer support for further assistance in improving the picture quality when streaming 4K content.
