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If you’re in the market for an inexpensive streaming device, there are several options to choose from. For the most part, these products are made by brands we’re all pretty familiar with at this point — Amazon, Roku, and Google — but less fanfare goes to underdogs like Onn. Onn is Walmart’s house brand for budget-friendly electronics, and if you’re looking to spend as little as possible, the $15 Onn Full HD Streaming Device should be a top consideration.
Delivering up to 1080p HD, this plug-and-play peripheral has an HDMI connector locked and loaded. All you have to do is hook it up to your TV, connect to Wi-Fi, and enjoy a bountiful world of streaming apps and other great features. The Onn Full HD is less expensive than both the $35 Amazon Fire TV Stick HD and the $30 Roku Streaming Stick, which are the two other cheapest streaming gadgets on the market. But is the Onn Full HD just a happy price point, or does it have what it takes to stand up to the competition?
Affordable price meets surprisingly robust specs
Spec-wise, the Onn Full HD is pretty impressive for such a low-cost device. Not only does it push a crisp, clear 1080p HD picture with HDR10+ support for ultra-rich colors, but it’s also loaded with 1.5GB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage. Reviewers on Walmart’s site report a seamless setup, great picture and sound quality, and a smooth UI.
Regarding the interface, the Onn Full HD is powered by Google TV OS, which also features native Chromecast and Google Assistant support. That means you’ll be able to cast compatible apps from a phone or tablet to your TV, and can give voice commands to Google Assistant using the remote’s built-in microphone. We were also pleased to learn that the Onn Full HD connects to both 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi bands.
Entry-level streaming devices like the Onn Full HD are fantastic for bedroom TVs and other types of secondary screens. This isn’t to say you can’t plug it into your 55-inch 4K LG TV, but because the device is capped at 1080p for resolution, it won’t deliver full UHD visuals. The Onn Full HD also doesn’t support Dolby Vision or Dolby Atmos, but this is typical for entry-level streamers, and puts the product right in line with the Amazon Fire TV Stick HD and Roku Streaming Stick.
Walmart has even more streaming devices to choose from
If you don’t mind spending a little extra — and we mean just another $15 — the Onn 4K Plus Streaming Device is a solid step-up from the Full HD model. Not only do you gain 4K resolution, but you’ll also get Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos support, Wi-Fi 6 support, 2GB of RAM, and 16GB of storage. And if you want to splurge on the best of Walmart’s streaming arsenal, there’s the $45 Onn 4K Pro Streaming Device, which gives you 3GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, an Ethernet port, and a USB port for external media playback and additional storage. Not to mention it doubles as a hands-free Google Assistant smart speaker.
Walmart also sells the $20 Onn 4K Streaming Device, which bumps you up to 4K resolution, but doesn’t support Dolby Vision or Dolby Atmos. It also has the same 8GB of storage as the Full HD model. If you’re new to streaming, or simply don’t need all the power and versatility of Onn’s higher-priced options, the $15 Onn Full HD Streaming Device is an excellent choice for the 1080p crowd. Tech-savvy individuals have also had success with side-loading software onto the Full HD, making the device an even more formidable foe to the Amazon Fire TV Stick HD.
