The Nvidia Shield TV, a $ 200 Android -
based streaming box with excessive processing power, appeals to a scattershot of audiences.
Not exact matches
Skitter TV,
based in Atlanta, Georgia, is making a bid to offer live,
streaming TV on Roku and other set - top
boxes.
Also announced was Steam Link, a small set top
box that allows the
streaming of games from your PC, Mac, Steam Machine, or Linux -
based computer on the same home network.
The Steam
Box plays games natively as well as
streaming, and they seem to be focused on expanding the native install
base.
The end result is that the old and slow processor inside my Apple TV delivers better than a relatively new Mac, PC, Roku
box, or Xbox 360 that's
streaming Netflix content or Web -
based video.
Those small details — and Apple TV 4K's ability to perform as a HomeKit -
based smart home hub, a feature this review will not focus on — don't add up to a better value, but they do make for a superior
streaming box if you're willing to pay a stiff premium.
This is nice if Plex on a HTPC is the primary way you watch videos, but there's an advantage here even if you use a
streaming box: YouTube is terrible on Apple TV and Roku, because they force a web -
based interface on those platforms.
But at Google I / O 2016, the Chinese hardware maker had a surprise for the American market: a 4K - ready Android TV -
based set - top
box for all your video
streaming and gaming needs.
The Seattle -
based company started with TV -
streaming boxes and standalone Echo speakers.
It's an Android -
based set - top
box that combines Sling TV
streams and over-the-air channels into a single interface.
That means apps for TV
streaming boxes, smartphones, tablets, and web -
based interfaces for everything else.
Compared to game consoles and other
streaming boxes, general computing devices (such as Windows PCs) have even more stringent requirements, including hardware -
based decryption for protected content.
Out of the
box, FuboTV's
base package supports two
streams at a time, the same as DirecTV Now.
I realize I'm daydreaming here, but imagine a single set - top
box that does it all — pulls down live OTA broadcasts, aggregates every
streaming service under the sun into a single interface, has a cloud -
based DVR and even full - fledged casting abilities like Chromecast.