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| Source: Roku.com |
The numbers don’t lie. When Netflix accounts for more than a third of US internet bandwidth, when streaming services are racking up Emmys by the truckload, when cable subscriber numbers dwindle while Amazon Prime Video sign-ups soar, it’s hard to avoid the fact that the age of streaming video is upon us.
That’s not to say we’ve all canceled cable; far from it. But we’ve found other services to supplement ESPN and HBO, better ways to fill time than aimlessly surfing 900 channels to find something to watch. This is the future, and it’s glorious.
But don’t get stuck watching your favorite movies and shows on the mess that is your TV’s app interface, or somehow sucked into the vortex of sadness that is weird Blu-ray menus. A few people might be fine using a game console like an Xbox One, and the hacking-inclined may be best served with a true home-theater PC, but most people just need a set-top box with one job and one job only: to get you as much content as possible, as fast and efficiently as possible. And to maybe have a cool remote and play games and stream things from your phone and look good all at the same time.
More than almost any other product category, picking the perfect set-top box is hard. There are a handful that all do the basics well, and each offers a few extra unique features — there’s no easy answer here. But, though it took many viewings of Clueless and a lot of searching through old Twin Peaks episodes and Adam Sandler flicks, I’ve finally figured out the best set-top box you can buy. So turn off your huge Scientific Atlantic cable box, plug in your new streamer, and enjoy TV the new-fashioned way.
THE BEST SET-TOP BOX, BY A HAIR
ROKU 3 (Amazon: $94.64)
One word: content. The Roku 3 doesn’t win because of its sheer number of viewing options — Six-Gun Cinema and Spud’s Cliffhanger Collection probably won’t do much for you – but because it’s the only option on the market that actually has everything you’ll actually want to watch. It has Netflix and Hulu, Amazon and YouTube, HBO and Showtime, WatchESPN and MLB.TV, and so much more. Ultimately, you’re buying a set-top box because you want to watch something. The Roku 3 has more to watch than any other box on the market.
Each source exists as a "channel" in Roku’s system, and is easy to add and organize to the purple grid on your Roku’s home screen. It’s a simple interface to navigate, and it’s not the fastest box on the market but it’s never pull-your-hair-out slow. There’s even a handy universal search of sorts, which will show you all the places you can buy or rent whatever Keira Knightley vehicle you’re in the mood for tonight — and you’ll be surprised how often it’s available for free somewhere.
Sure, content is king, but it doesn’t hurt Roku’s case that there’s a lot more to like about the Roku 3. It has a headphone jack in its remote, which means you can watch on TV and listen on your headphones without disturbing someone working or sleeping behind you. The box can also function like a Chromecast, letting you use your phone or tablet as a remote and send things directly to your TV. There are a few ultra-basic games, which are entirely forgettable but at least a better idea than another episode of Hoarders.
The Roku 3 doesn’t just have one killer app, it has thousands — all the movies, shows, and videos you won’t find on any other box. It’s a tenuous lead, and Roku could be eclipsed by an equal library and a better feature selection or a faster interface, but for now it’s the best box for the most people. It’s the set-top box you should buy.
ROKU 3 (Amazon: $94.64)
One word: content. The Roku 3 doesn’t win because of its sheer number of viewing options — Six-Gun Cinema and Spud’s Cliffhanger Collection probably won’t do much for you – but because it’s the only option on the market that actually has everything you’ll actually want to watch. It has Netflix and Hulu, Amazon and YouTube, HBO and Showtime, WatchESPN and MLB.TV, and so much more. Ultimately, you’re buying a set-top box because you want to watch something. The Roku 3 has more to watch than any other box on the market.
Each source exists as a "channel" in Roku’s system, and is easy to add and organize to the purple grid on your Roku’s home screen. It’s a simple interface to navigate, and it’s not the fastest box on the market but it’s never pull-your-hair-out slow. There’s even a handy universal search of sorts, which will show you all the places you can buy or rent whatever Keira Knightley vehicle you’re in the mood for tonight — and you’ll be surprised how often it’s available for free somewhere.
Sure, content is king, but it doesn’t hurt Roku’s case that there’s a lot more to like about the Roku 3. It has a headphone jack in its remote, which means you can watch on TV and listen on your headphones without disturbing someone working or sleeping behind you. The box can also function like a Chromecast, letting you use your phone or tablet as a remote and send things directly to your TV. There are a few ultra-basic games, which are entirely forgettable but at least a better idea than another episode of Hoarders.
The Roku 3 doesn’t just have one killer app, it has thousands — all the movies, shows, and videos you won’t find on any other box. It’s a tenuous lead, and Roku could be eclipsed by an equal library and a better feature selection or a faster interface, but for now it’s the best box for the most people. It’s the set-top box you should buy.
BEST COMPANION TO YOUR OTHER STUFF
APPLE TV (Apple Store: $99.00)
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| Source: thatgeekdad |
There’s an ace in Apple’s sleeve when it comes to set-top boxes, and it’s called AirPlay. It means you can take almost any video, any photo, any song, and with exactly two taps start it playing from your TV through the Apple TV. It’s painless to set up, simple to use, and works extremely reliably. It turns a set-top box into something more than just a Netflix device; it becomes a receiver for your music, a presentation tool, an almost game console. It’ll even let you mirror your phone or tablet’s screen on to your TV, giving you the easiest external monitor setup you’ve ever had.
That’s why, if the Apple TV had the same content library as the Roku 3, it might be an easy choice. There remains an Amazon-sized hole in the ecosystem, however, and the YouTube experience on Apple TV only barely qualifies as usable. There’s plenty here if you’re an Apple device owner and an iTunes diehard, but anyone outside the Apple bubble will be left wanting for things to watch and listen to.
It’s been more than two years since the Apple TV got a true update. If Apple ever decides to invest time and resources back into its little black box — expanding the content library, making the white-text-on-black-screen interface a little faster and more navigable — the Apple TV could easily be the box to buy. But for now it feels a little bit unfinished.
RUNNER UPS THAT WERE SO CLOSE.....
AMAZON FIRE TV (Amazon: $99.00)
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| Source: Amazon.com |
Amazon did so many things right with the Fire TV. Its interface is fast, its voice search (just hold the button on the remote and say “movies directed by Christopher Nolan”) and universal search are both incredibly useful. But it’s missing a few important content sources, like HBO Go, and its search doesn’t include lots of sources like Roku’s does. If you’re an Amazon Prime subscriber, there’s a lot here for you, otherwise the Fire TV gets expensive in a hurry. Amazon was late to this game, and the Fire TV should get better quickly — but right now it’s a lot of unfinished good ideas.
GOOGLE CHROMECAST (Amazon: $34.91)
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| Source: thatgeekdad |
With the Chromecast, the cheapest streaming device you’ll find anywhere, there is no remote. There’s no box, even. There’s just a tiny dongle you plug into your TV, and your phone or tablet. You use your device to find whatever you want to watch, across a handful of apps, and then tap a button to stream it to your TV. It’s a nice idea, with huge potential, but the uses are limited right now, and connection is finicky enough to make you give up sometimes. Plus, there’s something nice about kicking back with the remote and flipping through the options with someone on the couch next to you. The Chromecast is a fun toy and a hacker’s playground, but not yet a polished device.
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