In the world of $50 streaming sticks that absolutely can get the job done and get it done well, it's perhaps a little hard to recommend something that costs three or four or five times as much. While those in the Apple ecosystem can make use of some of the extra features, it's not just for those with iPhones and iPads. Who it's for: Anyone, really (and our Editor at large, Caleb Denison, who is a recent convert), so long as they have the cash to spend.

And that's what you want if it's something you're going to use almost every day. Why you should buy this: It's the simplest, most consistent experience you can get, with a relatively open-ended shelf life.

So without further ado, let’s get into it. We get paid to make some tough decisions here, though. And at that level, it’s really more about ecosystem and personal choice than anything else. Elsewhere, we’ll get into picks that are more comparable in price and function. They’re also the most expensive - by quite a good bit.

Our top two picks are in a class of their own. And that's not even counting features like Chromecast or AirPlay 2, which make it simple to stream any sort of content you want from any Android, iOS, Chrome, or Mac device. But the most popular choice by far is still a streaming device, such as a set-top box or streaming stick that you connect to your TV with a simple but effective HDMI input.īut the major players in the streaming device game - Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV, Google TV, Roku - are all fighting for your money, so we're here to make sure you throw it at the right streaming device for you and your budget, which typically ranges from as low as $30 to as high as $200.įurther compounding the issue is that if you have a smart TV from the past several years from any of the big TV brands, there's a pretty good chance that you might not even need to plug in any other sort of smart streaming device, thanks to the built-in operating system and a plethora of available streaming apps. There now are so many ways for you to get all the shows and movies you want on all your favorite streaming services, be it Netflix, HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, Disney+.

Mac blu ray player external