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Roku Express 4K Plus with Ethernet Adapter
Best wired streamer overall
$37 at Amazon
Price alerts on for Roku Express 4K Plus (Black, 2021)
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Chromecast with Google TV plus Ethernet Adapter
Best wired streamer runner-up
$50 at Best Buy
Price alerts on for Chromecast with Google TV (Snow)
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Apple TV 4K
Best high-end wired streamer
$105 at Amazon
Price alerts on for Apple TV 4K (2021) 32GB, Black
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Nvidia Shield TV
Best wired streamer for gamers
$140 at Amazon
Price alerts on for NVIDIA Shield TV
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Roku Ultra LT
Cheapest Roku with built-in Ethernet
$48 at Amazon
Price alerts on for Roku Ultra LT
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It’s annoying to experience stuttering interruptions, buffering warnings or shows and movies that simply won’t load on your big screen. If your home network is having issues, the problem could be your Wi-Fi. Connecting your smart TV or streaming device with Ethernet instead, via a Cat 5 network cable, frees up your wireless for other devices such as laptops and tablets. Ethernet is also more stable and usually faster than Wi-Fi and it doesn’t have issues with walls, interference or distance (well, not in a house).
The bad news is that you’ll need to run wires from your router to your TV for streaming, but if you’re stuck at home it makes a good weekend project, and Ethernet cable is cheap. During high-use times you might be OK running a temporary wire that you can remove later.
There’s a catch, however. While many game consoles and smart TVs have built-in Ethernet ports, most of the best media streamers are Wi-Fi-only, although some work with a cheap adapter. Here’s a list of the best wired streaming device options that either have built-in Ethernet ports or work with Ethernet adapters. Note that all of the products below also work via Wi-Fi.
Read more: Netflix, Amazon Prime, HBO Max: Ditch the Spinning Wheel of Streaming Dread
Sarah Tew/CNET
Roku Express 4K Plus with Ethernet Adapter
Best wired streamer overall
The top spot on this list used to be occupied by Roku’s most expensive player, the Ultra, but the $40 Express 4K Plus has replaced it. Roku is our favorite streaming system as it has all the major streaming apps, the simplest interface and a content-agnostic platform that doesn’t push any particular media-streaming provider, like Amazon Prime Video or Apple TV Plus, over another. The Express 4K Plus also streams in 4K HDR, though this Roku device lacks Dolby Vision.
Unlike the Ultra, the Express 4K Plus doesn’t have a built-in Ethernet port on its small dongle-sized body, but you can easily add one with a $10-to-$15 adapter from a retailer like Amazon (we tested it with a cable from a company called UGreen and it worked fine). This combo isn’t as elegant as a built-in adapter, but it would be around $50 cheaper than the $100 Ultra.
Note that the price below does not include the adapter.
Read our Express 4K Plus review.
$37 at Amazon$40 at Best Buy$40 at TargetYou’re receiving price alerts for Roku Express 4K Plus (Black, 2021)
Sarah Tew/CNET
Chromecast with Google TV plus Ethernet Adapter
Best wired streamer runner-up
Google makes a cheap adapter that lets you connect a wired Ethernet cable to its Chromecast streamers, including the excellent new Chromecast with Google TV. The combo costs a total of $70 — $50 for the Chromecast and $20 for Google’s adapter. We like Roku’s system better than Google TV but it’s very close, and in some ways, particularly Google Assistant voice support, this media streaming device combo is a better choice than the Roku Ultra and a close second to the Express 4K Plus.
Note that the price below does not include the adapter.
Read our Chromecast with Google TV review.
$50 at Best Buy$50 at Target$29 at eBayYou’re receiving price alerts for Chromecast with Google TV (Snow)
Sarah Tew/CNET
Apple TV 4K
Best high-end wired streamer
Although the Apple TV 4K costs more than twice as much as the options above, it’s the better choice for people who can appreciate its advantages. Those include compatibility with Dolby Vision HDR, flexible upconversion, superior voice command features, a better remote and a slick user interface. The Apple TV 4K is so good for media streaming, it even makes sense if you’re not an “Apple person.”
Read our Apple TV 4K (2021) review.
$105 at Amazon$105 at Best BuyGet Price AlertsYou’re receiving price alerts for Apple TV 4K (2021) 32GB, Black
Sarah Tew/CNET
Nvidia Shield TV
Best wired streamer for gamers
Your Xbox or PlayStation has an Ethernet connection and plenty of streaming video apps, but the Shield is more versatile and includes a real remote control so you don’t have to navigate Netflix with your game controller. In addition to streaming in 4K and HDR with access to thousands of Android TV apps, it offers a robust library of games — from GeForce Now and Google Stadia cloud gaming, PC streaming including Steam Link to numerous native console-level and Android games — built-in Google Assistant complete with smart home control, NAS access, Plex server capability, HDHomeRun integration and more.
Read our Nvidia Shield TV review.
$140 at Amazon$150 at Best Buy$150 at eBayYou’re receiving price alerts for NVIDIA Shield TV
Roku
Roku Ultra LT
Cheapest Roku with built-in Ethernet
Available only at Walmart, this is technically the cheapest current device with Roku’s streaming system and an Ethernet port. The savings compared to the actual, non-LT Ultra isn’t much, however, and it lacks that device’s slick extras like Dolby Vision, programmable keys, fast app launching and the remote finder.
$48 at AmazonGet Price AlertsYou’re receiving price alerts for Roku Ultra LT
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