Are you tired of how much you pay monthly for cable providers? Do you wish you could pick and choose what you want to watch or listen to? Or watch, play video games, listen to music and connect your other electronic devices to your TV all in one set up? If yes, then you should consider streaming devices. Here we will explain what a streaming device is, what you can do with it and how/where to choose the best one to fit your needs.
PLAN - PRICE
Description
Amazon Fire TV Stick
Includes streaming stick, 1st Gen Alexa Voice remote, power adapter and 2 AAA batteries; can access over 500,000 movies and TV episodes from Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, HBO, Showtime, NBC and more; access to millions of websites such as Youtube, FB, Reddit, etc.; launch and control content with the voice remote; up to 1080p HD picture quality; measures 3.4" x 1.2" x 0.5" so you can bring your movies and shows with you when you travel.
Roku Express HD Stick
Includes streaming stick, remote, high speed HDMI cable and 2 AAA batteries; can access 500,000+ movies and TV episodes from 1,000+ top channels from Netfilx, Amazon Prime, HBO Now, Showtime, CBS, Youtube and more; other channels also available with no subscription fees on The Roku Channel; free Roku mobile app for private listening, voice search, etc.; up to 1080p HD picture quality; measures 3.3" x 1.4" x 1" so you can take it with you anywhere.
Apple TV 4K
For the Apple lovers who want to connect all Apple devices together; includes streaming media box, Siri voic remote and power adapter; can purchase 32GB or 64GB capacity; A10X Fusion chip for ultra fast performance & graphics; can view photos and videos from your iPhone and iPad to your TV; compatible with Netflix, iTunes, Hulu, and thousands more apps in the App Store (note: there are limitations with Amazon Prime); up to 2160p HD picture quality; measures 1.4"H x 3.9"W x 3.9"D; 16 oz. weight.
Google Chromecast 3rd Gen
Works with Google Home so you can stream and control content with your voice; compatible with Chrome, iOS, Mac, Android and Windows devices; you can connect your phone to the TV and still txt or call without interrupting what's playing; enjoy TV shows, movies, songs, videos from 1,000 apps such as Netflix, Youtube, Pandora, HBO Now and more; up to 2160p HD picture quality; measures 2" x 2" x 0.54".
NVIDIA Shield TV Gaming Edition
Includes streaming box, remote, gaming controller and 2 lithium metal batteries; fast performance to be a streamer, game console, media server and smart home hub; 4K HDR picture quality and Dolby Atmos and DTS-X surround sound pass-through lets you create your home theatre; limitless content for movies, TV shows, games and music on Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, HBO, Youtube an more; Google (Home, Assistant, etc.)and Amazon (Alexa) ecosystem compatible; measures 8.3" x 7.9" x 4.1"; 8.8 oz. weight.
Our review process:
Devices Considered
Hours Researched
Experts & Consumers Surveyed
FAQs
What is streaming?
Streaming is a type of technology for transmitting or receiving data, usually video or audio material, over the internet as a steady and continuous flow, which you can view and playback immediately while the rest of the data is still being received. This type of technology differs from the original “downloading” method of transmitting or receiving data from a few years ago. With downloading, the end-user must wait for the entire content to be downloaded before watching or listening to it and the content is stored somewhere on your hardware. With streaming, no data is required to be stored on your hardware because the content is transmitted through the internet continuously – this means, as long as the internet is up and running, you can listen to or watch content immediately. You can stream content by using a streaming device.
How does a streaming device work?
If you own a Smart TV, a newer video game system (such as Xbox One) or certain Blu-ray players, then you already have a streaming feature built into those electronics. If you don’t own any of those electronics, then you will need a streaming device. A streaming device can come in two forms, a box or a stick.
- HDMI Stick. This is essentially a USB for your TV and it’s so small that it fits in the palm of your hands and hides behind your TV. Installation is easy, you just plug the stick into your TV, turn your TV on and set up the device through the instructions on your TV and then you can start watching whatever you choose immediately. However, it does have its limitations. A stick can only let you watch TV, it doesn’t have the capability to connect to your other electronic devices or other interactive elements.
- Media Box. A media box has the capabilities of a stick plus more powerful features that allow you to do more than just watch TV. Some features include being able to connect to your phone, computer, entire entertainment system or video gaming.
From a technical standpoint, both a stick and media box work the same way in that they both are set up to connect or talk to your WiFi to be able to get onto the internet. Depending on what you want to do, such as watch something, listen to music or video gaming, your WiFi retrieves the content from the internet and then transmit it back to your streaming device. Your streaming device then delivers it to your TV or other interactive electronics.
Why choose a streaming device?
If you ask this question to people who own streaming devices, you will hear three main reasons or answers:
- It is much cheaper than paying the monthly bill for cable providers.
- The most interesting original programming today is not on conventional TV, broadcast or cable, but networks (Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, etc.) reached on demand over the internet.
- You can take a streaming device and watch what you love anywhere vs. the cable box from your cable provider needs to stay at home connected to your cable outlets.
The only drawback for switching from your cable provider completely to a streaming device is that you will lose the Sports channels. Currently streaming networks have channels that only highlight sports and rarely have full game channels. Only MLB (Major League Baseball) and WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) currently offer subscription-based service. So, if you’re a sports fanatic but still want to switch to a streaming device, you may want to see what your options are with the cable provider for just having sports channels or go to a local bar, restaurant or a friend’s house to watch games.
Considerations for selecting a streaming device:
Choosing the right streaming device that fits your needs can be overwhelming since there are now many devices to choose from and you may not know what you’ll be getting. That’s why we’ve done extensive analysis and found there are four things to consider in helping you understand what to look for:
- Viewing preferences
- Streaming device capabilities
- Price point
- Installation requirements
What are your viewing preferences?
When you subscribe to a cable provider, you pay for a specific monthly plan and get specific channels that are included in your plan. Whether you watch all those channels or not, you are stuck with it. What if you could choose what you want to watch? Well, you can do just that with streaming networks. Here are the top 5 highly rated streaming networks out there today, the programs they are strongest for and what streaming device you can view them on:
- Netflix
- Strongest for: although Netflix has some classic TV shows, they are strongest for original series/movies (comedy, drama, etc.) that includes recent and older releases.
- Streams on: almost all devices
- Hulu
- Strongest for: many current series from the broadcast networks (NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX and the CW) and some original series.
- Streams on: almost all devices
- Amazon Prime
- Strongest for: original drama series, children’s TV shows, recent and classic cable shows/series (from HBO or Showtime), and imports (British comedies).
- Streams on: most devices (except Apple TV).
- Acorn TV
- Strongest for: British drama, plus series from other English-speaking countries.
- Streams on: Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Roku and Samsung Smart TV. It could also be added through Amazon.
- Crackle
- Strongest for: specific original series, comedy shows, feature films, anime and older TV shows.
- Streams on: most devices
What capabilities do you want the streaming device to do?
If you just want to simply watch TV and nothing else, then a streaming stick or a Blue-ray is the best option for you. However, if you want more than that such as streaming from your computer or cell phone onto your TV, then you will need a streaming media box.
Then there’s gaming. Every media box now has gaming capabilities, but the games you can play on the media box are very limited and you can only play generic or basic games such as Tetris. If you want the full gaming experience with streaming capabilities, then you’ll want devices such as Xbox One, PS4 or the ultimate media streamer for gamers – NVIDIA Shield.
How much are you willing to pay?
When it comes to streaming devices, the prices can generally range from $50 – $200, depending on feature capabilities and storage capacity. A stick is in the lower end of that price range and a media box is in the higher end, with the gaming box at the highest end. This is because of what we mentioned earlier in that a stick only allows you to watch TV vs. a media box can connect to other electronic devices and more interactive elements.
Along with the streaming device, you will also need to factor in the price of a streaming network subscription. Here is the price breakdown for the 5 streaming networks we mentioned above:
- Netflix: $9.99 a month for a standard plan
- Hulu: $7.99 a month for a regular plan or $11.99 a month for commercial free
- Amazon Prime: $99 a year including other benefits, streaming music and free 2-day shipping
- Acorn TV: $4.00 a month
- Crackle: free
In summary, even if you buy the highest end of a streaming device + the subscriptions for all the streaming networks mentioned above, the total cost you are paying is less than $60 a month. For many, this is cutting their monthly cable bill at least in half!
Tip: try streaming services free before subscribing. Each streaming network offers a free trial (be sure to cancel if you decide you don’t want it). When you’ve subscribed, set up your account on the computer and create a “queue” or “watch list”. There are so many offerings and it’s easier to browse and make selections on a computer rather than on the device itself.
What are the installation requirements?
Whether you’re buying a streaming stick or media box, you’ll need to do these steps and have the following requirements:
- First, there’s the internet. You’ll need a high-speed internet with a minimum of 1.5Mbps for streaming and 5Mbps providing better results. If you are unsure of your speed, check with your internet provider.
- Second, you’ll need to check your TV for an available HDMI port. Newer TVs will have HDMI ports. If you have a very old TV (more than 10 years) and don’t have the HDMI port, it may be time to upgrade and replace your TV. Click HERE to read a TV buying guide.
- You’ll also need an HDMI cable for media boxes because almost no media box device comes with one. You won’t need this for a streaming stick because it’ll just plug into the TV HDMI port. Media boxes will come with a power cord. You’ll need to plug the power cord into the media box and then into your power outlet.
- A streaming stick and media box will come with a remote. Make sure there are batteries in the remote as you will need this to set up the streaming device, logging in (or create an account for the first time) to the streaming network of your choice, and to connect to your other electronic devices. Once you’re set up and logged in, you are all set!
Tip: remember that to watch from your streaming device, you’ll need to switch the input of your TV. Look for the “input” button on the TV remote and select the input port your device is plugged into.