Introduction and picks #4 and 5
Update: A new year, a new class of streaming video boxes. While you may remember last year's top two first-place picks, we promise not to cheat you out of a victor this year. And with a half-dozen new entries, from the new Apple TV to the second iteration of the Chromecast, there was plenty of plastic to wade through.
If you're only here because you want to cut the cord and stop the rich, monopolistic cable overlords from siphoning your hard-earned dollars every month, I only have one thing to say to you: You've come to the right place.
Look, we believe that paying for great TV shows and movies shouldn't cost more than your groceries, and that there's no better way to save some green every month than ripping that money-sucking cord out of the wall and delivering that long-winded "you're fired" speech to the cable company.
We're here to help you make that next buying decision the best one possible by ranking the five best set-top boxes from worst-to-best and, in very clear writing, tell you which one will feel right at home in your home entertainment center.
So how did we narrow down the field? We looked at the amount of content available on the system - not only the number of apps available, but the quality, too - as well as its feature-set, usability and potential to grow in the coming year.
From the insanely powerful 4K-ready Roku 4 to the recently released app-heavy Apple TV, all the players have come out for the final showdown, but only one can leave with the crown.
5. Apple TV (Fourth Generation, 2015)
Coming in at the end of the list is the beautiful, but ultimately barren, Apple TV. The latest iteration of Steve Jobs' passion project has made plenty of steps in the right direction by opening the Apple TV App Store to all developers instead of a select few, and have quite improved the old remote with a slick, new, Siri-enabled masterpiece. There's now universal search that allows you to search multiple sources like Netflix, YouTube and more with a single inquiry and an intelligent search algorithm that can parse even the most language-dense requests. Want to see which action films star Chris Pine or great '90s films for kids? All you need to do is ask. Add to that a pretty impressive ability to mirror your screen on iOS and you have all the makings of a 2017 winner.
We say 2017 because Apple's box isn't ready for the prime time spot: Siri, while really knowledgeable about movies, doesn't have that same intelligence about music, games or anything else really. And while it's great to see some big name content providers on an Apple system for the first time, there's just no chance of Amazon allowing a native version of Prime Instant Video on the player. The system we see today is in its adolescence. It could be the next iPhone, but right now it's like an iWatch - a cool, incomplete idea for a new product.
Quick verdict
Overall, buying an Apple TV feels like you're agreeing with and reinforcing Apple's desire to charge you at every possible turn. It's one paywall after another, and unless you're already bought into that mentality, it can be a tough pill to swallow.
If you're entrenched in the Apple ecosystem (you buy movies and shows from iTunes, subscribe to Apple Music and/or stick to phones and tablets running iOS), then the Apple TV will be a supremely good addition to your living room that will only improve with age. On the other hand, if you're looking for a fully functional system that already has one of the best voice search algorithms, a fully stocked streaming app library and 4K-ready hardware, you might want to consider something else.
Read our Apple TV review
4. Amazon Fire TV (Second generation, 2015)
There's a soft-spot in our hearts for the Amazon Fire TV - a set-top player from the e-commerce giant that single-handedly thrust the concept of cord cutting into the limelight.
It scores full points for having some of the best internal components this side of a game console (which, we'd be remiss if we didn't tell you that both the PS4 and Xbox One make for fantastic streamers, too), and plays very nicely with everything sporting the name Amazon in the title.
The Fire TV is snappy, fun and probably the best bet if all you want from your system is content from Amazon Instant Video. It has more games and apps than you can shake a Fire TV Stick at, but most of them aren't worth the five to ten seconds it takes to download. And worse, while it works wonderfully with an Amazon Prime account, take it away and you're left with a lifeless plastic shell that can access Netflix and peruse the endlessly expensive Amazon Video Store.
Quick verdict
The new Amazon Fire TV is the perfect Ultra HD box for Amazon Prime faithful without the smarts in their 4K TV; however for anyone else it's merely an okay streamer. It's slick and responsive, but the Amazon bias means you won't get the most from the box without Prime.
Read our Amazon Fire TV review
Our top 3 picks
3. Nvidia Shield Android TV (2015)
If you want to your streaming video player to dabble in gaming, there is no better option than the Nvidia Shield that sports Android TV. What we liked about it is that it turns out powerful video game-ready internals also make for a pretty smooth streaming experience, especially considering that the Shield is one of only a few players on the market that can process 4K video. What really seals the deal, though, is that instead of a remote, the Shield comes with a controller that syncs up effortlessly and can play any number of Android TV or PC-quality streaming titles from GeForce Now, Nvidia's game-streaming service.
The only downsides on this one is that it's more expensive than the competition - $175 (£150) - and Android TV feels a bit on the stagnant side compared to other platforms.
Quick verdict
The Shield is one part set-top box and two parts gaming system. The latter is better and more functional than the former, but even the former is not without its benefits. There's a lot of potential in the Shield, thanks to its killer specs. But until Google gets Android TV's act together by curbing its urge to push first-party content and working with developers to create more native apps, it will stay in the bullpen.
Read our Nvidia Shield review
2. Chromecast (Second generation, 2015)
Too often, there's a discrepancy between a product's price (what it costs) and its value (how much it's really worth). Thankfully, Chromecast isn't one of those products: it's worth every penny.
Coming in $35 (£30, AU$49), the petite, USB-powered Chromecast offers all of the functionality of boxes three times its size at a quarter of the price. It completely outshines its closest - the Roku Streaming Stick and the Amazon Fire TV Stick - and is ultimately the best bang for your buck. Plus, if you're an Android user, you'll even be able to mirror your screen via the built-in cast functionality.
The product's biggest weak spot is that it requires you to sit next to your phone, tablet or PC at all times. The Chromecast, like an obedient cyber pooch, will just sit there and wait for you to tell it what to do and lacks any user interface of its own. And while most apps come with Google Cast built-in, some will have to come through a web browser with mixed results.
Quick verdict
The new Chromecast isn't perfect. But it's as close as it might ever be. Major improvements, like the new 802.11ac internal Wi-Fi antenna, and recent app additions, like HBO Now, Spotify and Showtime Anytime, feel like they add a new level of depth to a deceivingly deep product. The new wireless antenna is nothing short of astounding, creating a near seamless streaming environment with less lag and less buffering time than almost anything – even full size set-top boxes – on the market.
And at an insanely low price point, it's tough to pass up. Google did a great job pricing and positioning the Chromecast as the easiest and cheapest way to get apps like Netflix, YouTube, Spotify and Pandora into your living room without breaking the bank.
The other obvious downside is that the Chromecast doesn't include a remote. It's a tough fix, especially at this price point. But the option to use a good ol' fashioned IR blaster would've been appreciated, even if it seems like overkill to the majority of tech-savvy streaming video fans. A few more apps, including more support for games, would be appreciated, too.
Read our Google Chromecast review
1. Roku 4 (2015)
When it comes to channels, more is always better. Sure, I may never watch a spaghetti western on the Six Gun Cinema channel, but it's great that Roku gives me that option. And if the niche movies aren't your scene, you'll find every major player here as well - Netflix, HBO Go, Amazon Instant, Google Play Movies & TV, Hulu, Sky News, ESPN, MLB.TV, Spotify, Pandora...the list goes on and on. But, best of all, you're not limited to one ecosphere: Roku is the agnostic Switzerland of streaming sets. It doesn't care whether you download a video from Amazon, Google Play Movies & TV, or spend your money somewhere else, all it wants to do is get you the content you want to watch.
We're not saying the Roku 4 is perfect - it has some sections of its interface that push a streaming video platform called M-Go, and the extra hardware gives it a noticeable heat and noise problem the Roku 3 didn't have. But between the almost ludicrous amount of content available out of the box and the subtle tweaks like a remote with a built-in audio jack for private listening, the Roku 4 is the epitome of the cord-cutting movement and everything the competition should strive to beat.
Quick verdict
If your current streaming situation fits the bill, the Roku 4 is easily the best home entertainment investment you can make in 2015. The device caters to a modern, must-own-everything-immediately crowd that already owns a 4K TV set and comes with a price tag that's slightly higher than other products in the category. That said, you get what you pay for – a high-end, quad-core ARM processor doesn't come cheap.
More than anything else though, the Roku 4 cemented my love for Roku's operating system that does its best to put the consumer ahead of the business. It's not flawless in its attempt (the M-Go TV and Movie store on the home screen are evidence of that). But, the universal search function that scans 20 different sources for content in every inquiry shows that Roku wants to put your streaming needs ahead of a bottom line.
Roku has become one of the rallying cries of the cord-cutting movement, and the fourth iteration of the streaming box doesn't shirk that responsibility.
If high-end specs aren't what you're looking for, and you have the patience for an aging system, save yourself some dough and pick up the video streaming-only Roku 2 or casual game-ready Roku 3 instead. If you want a top of the line player to match your top of the line TV, however, the Roku 4 is the unequivocal best choice in streaming boxes.
Read our Roku 4 review
What's your favorite set-top box? Should Amazon Fire TV or Apple TV be the king of the castle or was Roku the way to go? Let us know what you think in the comments below!
The post buying guide: Best streaming video boxes: the top 5 living room media players reviewed appeared first on Nexttac Technology.