The best Android TV box of 2024

Bridging the gap between ordinary streaming media players and a more console-style experience, the NVIDIA Shield is probably the fastest and most powerful Android TV box. As you might expect from a company best known for its PC graphics cards, the processor here is NVIDIA's own Tegra X1+. This means it's put to 25% faster than the previous model. The Shield Pro will kick out 4K in HDR (High Dynamic Range), which means you'll get a wider colour palette. There's 16GB of expandable storage too.

But what makes this special is the bundled functionality. This comes with a built-in Chromecast and Google Assistant, and you can even have this as the centrepiece of your home cinema setup. High-quality video and audio streaming are a given, but you also get AI upscaling, Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos for amazing sound and visual clarity.

Of course, this wouldn't be an NVIDIA product without a gaming angle, and this platform offers thousands of Android games through the Google Play store and via GeForce NOW (NVIDIA’s own on-demand subscription cloud gaming service).

We have an overview of NVIDIA Shield for you if you want more detail. We think this is the best Android TV box on Amazon right now. But if you don't need that much raw power and want a more discrete solution, you're in luck.

Mecool has been around for a while now, and its products never fail to impress when it comes to functionality and value. While you can find cheaper Android TV boxes, in our experience, going below the £50 mark will only buy you a slow and frustrating experience. Here, though, we have the KM2. It's neat, has 4K resolution with HDR, and runs on Android TV 10. It's not the latest version of Android TV, but recent enough for solid performance.

Some extra surprises lie under the hood, with certification from Google and Netflix - which means content from both of these companies will look and sound as they should. The remote control is Bluetooth and also serves as the voice control interface. Dolby Audio is supported.

Google Assistant is here for voice control over your various home automation integrations like dimmable lights, as is the built-in Chromecast for easy access to content from mobile devices. You can even connect an external storage device to the UBS ports and play your content. The MECOOL KM2 might not be the most powerful machine here, but it certainly gives you a well-rounded box for the right price.

The Z11 Pro MAX from Formuler isn't dissimilar in size from boxes like the MECOOL M2, but rather than a budget offering, we like to think of this as the turbo-charged equivalent with some clear benefits over most compact Android TV boxes.

Firstly, there's a generous 4GB of RAM and a CPU (and GPU, for that matter) that can churn out 4K HDR10+ at lightning speed. Secondly, selecting what you want to watch is also a wider playing field than most with the usual range of apps, but this time joined by the popular MyTV3Online3 app for IPTV services. So, if you subscribe to an IPTV provider you'll be well supported for watching a whole range of live TV channels in one convenient place. There's more on IPTV in our jargon buster below.

So, if you're all about a space-saving design but don't want to cut any corners regarding performance and flexibility, the Z11 Pro MAX is a real contender. The remote is not Bluetooth, with more features than the standard edition.

When it comes to design, the Mi Box S is aiming for the Apple TV aesthetic. And it does a great job, with a refined, solidly-built box and equally well-considered remote control. Netflix is front and centre here, with a dedicated button on the remote control - but beyond that, this box is built to handle 4K HDR10 streams exceptionally well. Netflix 4K and YouTube 4K are smooth thanks to the ARMv8-A CPU with four Cortex-A53 processor cores.

Chromecast is built-in as well, as is Google Assistant for voice control via the remote. The Android TV OS is a slightly older version than we'd like, but then again, this doesn't cause any speed or accessibility issues for the Mi Box S. It supports screen mirroring of mobile devices, which is a great way to share much more than just video streams if you need to.

Amazon’s Fire TV Cube offers an almost unparalleled media 4K HDR streaming experience. It’s loaded with extra features, such as Alexa for voice control of your smart home devices or home entertainment setup. It boasts Wi-Fi 6 support, so 4K streaming is rock-solid.

Somewhat understandably, the Fire TV Cube's rendition of the Android TV OS is based on Prime Video and other Amazon services. Other streaming services are all there to be found, available through individual apps. When finding your favourite streaming apps, you'll see that the Fire TV Cube has one of the widest, well-supported catalogues around.

As Android TV boxes go, the Fire TV Cube transcends this label by quite a margin. It’s more like a central hub for your entire entertainment system and your wider smart home setup. You have completely hands-free operation via voice control, which means turning on the TV, searching for movies, changing the volume, and much more at the tip of your tongue.

These functions will be familiar to users of Alexa and Echo devices. But, this control goes further thanks to the Cube’s use of IR repeaters. These infrared emitters will allow external, non-smart devices to be powered on and operated via voice command. This includes speakers, AV units, consoles, Blu-ray players, and satellite boxes.

If you're looking for some of this Amazon-powered goodness but in a smaller package, take a look at the Fire TV Stick. And if you want to know more about it, we have a handy Fire TV explainer for you.

The Humax Aura is an Android-powered powerhouse. We particularly like the cleanly presented electronic programme guide. The built-in memory allows you to pause and rewind live TV. And you can record over 1,000 hours of HD programmes.

Adding to the flexibility of this system, the Humax can record four shows at once while you watch a fifth that you've recorded.

The box also has built-in Chromecast and WiFi, so there's no need for an ethernet cable, and the remote is packing Google Assistant for voice control. Sound-wise, this even has Dolby Surround, and it can pass through Dolby Atmos via HDMI if you have an Atmos speaker setup.

The design is the first thing we like about this Q PLUS Android TV box. It's very similar to many of the premium devices provided by BT and the like. It's also well-apportioned with RAM and storage - so you can power through those streaming channels and more without a hitch.

Another great feature is being able to attach your own expanded storage for recordings. We're impressed with the video playback credentials here - as it can play extreme high definition up to 6K. And that even includes playing thousands of Android-based games.

The star here though is the remote control design. It's small to hold but with enough buttons to access all major functions. And it's not crowded either. Despite not coming with the latest Android version, and the speed is slightly slower as a result, it's still a nice and usable Android TV box.

A fantastic value Android TV box from Nokia, the Streaming Box 8000 is ideal for all of your streaming needs, regardless of your chosen device.

A slick TV box, this small, discrete TV box fits perfectly well beneath a TV setup, and its TV remote is sturdy and easily navigable. Compatible with Bluetooth, Google Assistant, and Google Chromecast for quick transfer of your favourite apps, including YouTube.

There isn't a whole lot of storage on the Nokia Streaming Box, but since it's not a TV recording device, storage is hardly a concern. Since Android TV boxes are largely for streaming and even some gaming, you're only limited by the number of apps you're downloading, and with 8 GB, you can store plenty.

A speedy, easily accessible streaming box that's discrete and has access to thousands of apps and games, the Nokia Streaming Box 8000 is a bargain under £60.