![]() There's one more thing that we should clarify about streaming devices before we move on, and that's the role of “streaming platforms.” Keeping this simple distinction straight can help you avoid a lot of confusion. You can think of your streaming device as a computer, and you can think of the apps as programs (they are “applications,” after all!) that run on that program. But it's important to remember that it's the apps that provide the content, not the device. Some apps are free, so it's not as if you'll have nothing to watch if you buy a streaming device without having any streaming subscriptions. Streaming services - Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, and others - have their own apps, and it is within these apps that you choose what to watch and enjoy streaming TV. You use a device - a Roku device, or a Fire TV device, or some other hardware - and you run different apps on it. The relationship between these components is still pretty much the same, however. There are smart TVs, which work more or less like TVs with streaming devices built into them. Netflix has lots of competitors now so does Roku. Our options for streaming have expanded greatly since then. ![]() They could navigate menus inside of the Netflix app, choose something to watch, play, it, pause it, fast-forward, rewind, and so on. Users could fire up their Roku and open Netflix (using their regular Netflix account). The little Roku device could stay plugged into a TV all of the time. The first streaming device, which was made by Roku, solved the problem. Netflix users could stream movies and TV shows on Netflix's website, but it wasn't easy to watch Netflix on an actual TV screen - you either had to use a computer monitor or hook your whole laptop or desktop up to your TV. Let's go back to 2007, when Netflix first started streaming over the internet. A brief history of streaming devicesĪ good way to illustrate what streaming devices are and how they work alongside streaming services is to revisit the history of streaming devices. The streaming content you crave comes from streaming apps like Netflix, and the streaming devices you use are just ways to access those services and watch them on TV. One of the most important things to understand about streaming devices is that, by and large, they're not in charge of providing the shows, movies, and live TV that you actually watch. That means smart TVs and streaming devices that are designed to stay plugged into a TV pretty much all the time. But we're going to focus here on streaming devices that help you watch stuff on your TV screen. Really, all devices that can stream video are “streaming devices” - your computer, smartphone, and tablet all qualify. Others plug into your TV and use its screen to display the stuff they're streaming - in pretty much the same way that a Blu-Ray player plugs in and displays what it's reading off of discs. Some streaming devices have screens built in: a smart TV, for instance, is a streaming device. Let's get started! What is a streaming device, and what does it do?Ī streaming device is, as the name suggests, a hardware device that can play videos (and other things) over the internet. And, of course, we'll do what the title promises: break down your buying options so that you can make an informed choice and buy a streaming device that you love. In our complete buying guide to streaming devices, we'll explain how streaming devices play host to “streaming platforms” and, in turn, to “streaming services.” We'll help you understand what role these devices play and how they work with other major players in the cord cutting ecosystem. But before we dive in and choose one, it's important to understand how these devices work, what they do (and what they don't), and how they work alongside streaming services to solve problems cord cutters face. They can even cut cable! These streaming devices seem to be at the heart of the cord cutting revolution, and, to an extent, that's true. But, in many cases, it's the streaming devices that we hear about first: a friend as a “Fire Stick” or a family member loves their “Roku,” and they can watch all sorts of things on it. In some ways, it would make the most sense to consider our streaming device options after we decide which streaming services we want.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |