Sony's Playstation Vue and AT&T's DirecTV Now promise a streaming alternative to cable TV programming. These bundles and the FCC's proposal to open access to cable channels without a cable box are changing the way we get our TV programming.
Spotify has made a name for itself as one of the leading streaming music services and this week will add video to its Android and iPhone apps. Officially, video will roll out on the Android app first, followed by an update to the iPhone app in the coming weeks.
With the Sonos Controller app's latest update, a public beta of Apple Music is now available for streaming to Sonos speakers. The update also adds Trueplay speaker tuning, which optimizes sound quality based on the acoustics of where a speaker is located.
The newest Chromecast model has hardware and software improvements. Do you need to upgrade to the second-generation Chromecast or to the Chromecast Audio?
The fourth generation Apple TV finally brings true apps to your TV but doesn't offer 4K. Still, new features may make it your top choice among the new media streamers.
AT A GLANCE Plus
4K streaming to UHDTV
Agnostic search finds titles in multiple services
Notifications when specific movies become available
Minus
Remote mic is inaccurate
Search can’t find specific episodes of specific seasons
THE VERDICT
If you own a 4K TV, this is a slam-dunk. If not, the advances in hardware are still enough to step up from a Roku 2.
One must wonder if Roku waited to release its fourth-generation media streamer until the aptly named Roku 4 was capable of streaming 4K content. The newest Roku box can connect to compatible UHDTVs to stream 4K movies, TV shows, and videos from Netflix, Amazon, YouTube, M-Go, and a growing number of 4K streaming sources. And though 4K streaming is the Roku 4’s main appeal, improvements in hardware and the software interface make it the best Roku box yet.
This fall brings lot of streaming news with the release of new Chromecast and Roku models as well as new features to Hulu, YouTube and Amazon Prime. It may be time to upgrade.
The next generation of Fire TVs is coming in October along with updates on the existing models. Amazon is upping the ante with great new features and capabilities.
The NVIDIA Shield follows the Nexus Player as one of the first stand alone media players with Android TV. A sleek, angled device, the Shield’s focus may be on gaming but it performs as one of the best streaming devices available. Still, it is limited by Android TV’s app selection and interface.