SmartStream

The Dish-owned subsidiary AirTV has launched a new device that can stream free local television to smart TVs, media players, tablets, and phones in your home or on the road.

It is now possible to stream almost any TV show using dedicated apps. HBO Go, NBC, and other “TV Everywhere” apps provide unlimited access to stream new TV series’ episodes and movies if you already subscribe to the channel and sign in with the cable, satellite, or telecom provider. With more and more people switching to live TV streaming services, apps can now be authorized if you subscribe to the channel on Hulu Live TV, Playstation Vue, Sling TV, DirecTV Now, and others, though not all channels are offered by all live TV streaming services.

Apple is throwing its hat into the arena of original programming in hopes of capturing a piece of a very lucrative market pioneered by Netflix and more recently capitalized on by Hulu and Amazon. Details have been emerging about production deals for which Apple has budgeted $1 billion.

The Tablo Dual OTA (over-the-air) DVR can record local broadcasts and stream local TV to devices both in your home and while you're on the road. In my hands-on testing I was pleasantly surprised.

The Apple TV 4K has upgraded to 4K HDR capabilities and Apple's upgrading your movie library to go with it. If you have a 4K HDR TV, this may be the best streamer for you.

This past year has seen the maturing of many features that were formerly only hopeful ideas. Streaming 4K, streaming live broadcast TV, cloud-based DVRs, and voice control are all readily available.

The new Xbox One X launched in early November so I have had a couple weeks to test it. With streaming 4K HDR capabilities, 4K HDR gaming, and a built-in 4K/Ultra HD player, this game console has all the 4K content you could want in one device. However, Microsoft is pushing gaming at the expense of simplified streaming and movie/TV/video playback.