If new streaming technology is in your future, now is the time to shop for the media player that best fits your entertainment preferences. Whether you’re in the market for an economical new “toy” or want a system with all the bells and whistles, here’s a short list of what we consider to be the best options for streaming media players.
Fire TV Stick 4K
With built-in Alexa and a newly-redesigned remote with dedicated power, mute and volume buttons, the Fire TV Stick 4K will take your streaming experience to new heights. It features Ultra HD, allowing you to enjoy video from Netflix, YouTube, HBO, Apple TV, Prime Video, Disney+ and others. The Alexa voice remote and simplified controller make content launch and control easy enough for a child (or a digitally-inept adult). Despite its small size, the Fire TV Stick 4K assures powerful performance, allows access to more movies and television episodes than you could probably watch in an entire lifetime, and provides plenty of storage for personal apps and games. Picture quality is great, as is the sound, and interacting with Alexa makes using it almost effortless.
Roku Express HD Streaming Media Player
The Roku Express is a great low-cost solution for families with multiple televisions who don’t need all the perks at every location. It can be combined with an Alexa device for convenient voice control, but on its own it’s well-suited for occasional use or for secondary televisions used primarily by kids. It’s an easy plug-in and set-up device with an included high speed HDMI cable. Just connect to the internet and settle in to watch a favorite streamed video or movie. Enjoy The Roku Channel, Hulu, Google Play and PlayStation Vue, and other favorites from across the spectrum of paid and free channels. In addition, a free mobile app can be used to extend the streaming ability to your personal android or iOS device, or to control the Roku Express media player or Roku TV. Automatic software updates are included.
Fire TV Cube
With Alexa as an always-available partner, turn on the lights, stream your favorite video, change channels, and control your live TV with easy voice commands. You can also check the weather, protect your privacy by easily disconnecting the microphones, channel surf, listen to music and interface the cube’s operation with a variety of other TVs, sound bars and A/V receivers.
AGPtek Mini 1080p HDMI Media Player
As a compact media player that’s designed for compatibility with most video decoding formats, AGPtek’s media player can also send clear, sharp video and audio directly to your HDTV, and also comes with an analog AV cable. The handy, standard-size remote allows easy menu screen navigation, and the list of supported functions is extensive. Connect an external speaker, copy or delete files directly in the USB drive, play subtitle files and loop videos. Keep it handy for travel and you’ll never be out of the loop when it comes to viewing your favorites.
