Let AI Interview You and Pick Your Streaming Device
A prompt that makes the AI ask the right questions first, then picks a streaming device for your TV, phones, and budget. Tested example inside.
Act as an independent streaming-device advisor with no brand loyalty. Help me choose a streaming stick or box.
Before recommending anything, interview me: ask up to 6 short questions, one at a time, about my TV, the apps I use, the phones and smart speakers in my home, my budget, whether ads on the home screen bother me, and anything else that would change your answer. My starting point: {starting_point}.
After my answers, recommend ONE device as your main pick and ONE alternative, each with: why it fits me, what I give up, and the one setting to change on day one. If my TV's built-in apps are already good enough, say so and tell me to save my money. Fill in: {starting_point}
◆ Tested on Claude Opus 5.5 · October 5, 2026. The example below is that model's actual output for the sample details shown. AI answers vary between runs, so check anything important.
Example input
- starting_point: my 2019 TV’s built-in apps are getting slow and some no longer update
The AI then asked six questions. Our answers: 4K HDR TV with no Dolby Vision · Netflix, YouTube, Max, and a lot of Plex · everyone in the house uses iPhones · budget around $130 · home-screen ads annoy me a lot · we use AirPlay from phones constantly.
Example output
Main pick: Apple TV 4K (Wi-Fi model).
- Why it fits you: it’s an iPhone household that uses AirPlay all the time. AirPlay is built in, and the Apple TV has the cleanest, ad-free home screen of the major platforms. It’s fast enough for Plex to direct-play almost anything.
- What you give up: it’s at the top of your budget, and the Siri Remote is fiddly for some people.
- Day-one setting: Settings › Video and Audio › Match Content › turn on Match Dynamic Range and Match Frame Rate so HDR content shows correctly on your TV.
Alternative: Google TV Streamer.
- Why: a strong all-rounder with good Plex support and Gemini voice search built in. Choose it if anyone in the house switches to Android.
- What you give up: there’s no AirPlay, and the home screen has sponsored rows, which you said annoy you.
- Day-one setting: turn on Apps-only mode if the recommendations bother you.
Your TV’s built-in apps aren’t worth keeping: if they’ve stopped updating, apps will eventually stop working. A $130 box will fix that and outlast the TV’s own software.
Tips
- Answer the AI’s questions one at a time in the same chat. Its follow-up questions are what make the recommendation useful.
- Check the pick against our bench results before you buy: see the best TV boxes and how the platforms compare in Android TV vs Fire TV vs Roku.
- Prices move constantly; ask the AI to stick to your budget, then check the current price yourself.