If you’re considering downsizing from a full satellite or cable TV service to a skinny live TV bundle — a cheaper service with fewer channels that you’ll stream through an Internet connection — you have three offerings available currently, with more on the way. Prices start at $20 to $40 per month, although you can also choose service tiers that will cost $60-plus. But making the switch involves more than just picking a skinny service. You need to understand the skinny bundle TV hardware requirements before you can make the switch.

Each service will work with certain pieces of hardware, and it’ll be incompatible with certain hardware setups. Additionally, there’s the process of understanding how the skinny TV hardware differs from what you need to run a full cable or satellite subscription.

We’ve put together a list of the five key things to understand about the hardware involved and the other differences if you want to downsize from a full cable or satellite pay-TV service to a skinny live TV bundle.

1. You Need Fast Internet & Lots of Data

A subscription to a reduced pay-TV service requires you to stream your programming over an Internet connection. (It’s also called a skinny bundle or an over-the-top service, or OTT.)

So you need a fast Internet service that’s reliable both in terms of speed and connection. If your Internet runs slow sometimes, you’ll be very frustrated with trying to stream video over it. And you’re going to want an Internet connection with a high monthly data cap, 1TB for example.

2. There are no Subscriptions or Contracts

With a skinny bundle, you can sign up and then cancel at any time. There’s no contract to sign as with a full service and no penalties when you quit, in large part because the service provider is not giving you any hardware. You have to provide your own hardware and Internet connection.

3. Local Channels are still Limited

The current skinny TV bundles only offer local channels in a few large cities. More cities are added to the services every few months, so maybe you’ll get lucky and live in an area with local channels. If you aren’t that lucky though, you can use an over-the-air antenna to receive your local channels. Some over-the-air antennas can be set up and used indoors, which is good for those living in an apartment.

4. DVR also has Limitations

As it remains in its infancy stage, the skinny bundle TV services are still trying to figure out how to incorporate support for DVRs. Some are considering providing support through third-party DVRs, such as TiVo. Some skinny services are using or have plans to use a cloud DVR service, but cloud DVRs are extremely slow versus the traditional DVR boxes. (A cloud DVR would store your shows at a third-party location, away from your home. You then will download the programs when you’re ready to watch them.)

Changes are still in the offing in this area. But understand that if you love the DVR you have with your full cable or satellite TV service, skinny TV providers cannot yet duplicate the best parts of this feature.

Skinny bundle services do provide video-on-demand (VOD) services for certain channels, so you can download and watch shows that you may have missed live, similar to a Netflix service or to a full service. But there are limitations as to which channels and programming have VOD available within the skinny bundles.

5. BYOH: Bring Your Own Hardware

Generally, you do have to provide your own hardware at your own expense with the skinny bundle. We’ll discuss the hardware options in more detail, but understand that there are some upfront costs when switching to a skinny TV bundle.

With a full subscription, the service provides a set-top box, a satellite dish, free installation, or whatever else you need to receive and decode the signal. Sometimes you’ll be renting this provided hardware, resulting in a recurring monthly charge, which is another reason why your full service satellite or cable bill can seem so high. So purchasing a bit of skinny TV bundle hardware up front may save you some money in the long run over the monthly rental fees.

When you’re ready to pick a streaming hardware option, just be sure that your skinny TV bundle service supports the hardware you have. Some services only work with certain types of hardware. Here are the options to consider.

Amazon Fire TV Stick: If your skinny TV service will work through an Amazon Fire TV Stick, it’s easy to set up and use. Plug an HDMI cable into your TV’s HDMI port and plug the other end into the Fire Stick. Some versions of these sticks will plug directly into the HDMI port. Switch to the input channel on the TV to match the HDMI port you’re using. Then follow the on screen instructions to connect to the Internet via WiFi and begin streaming. The latest Amazon Fire TV Stick ships with a remote control.

Check Price on Amazon

Apple TV hardware: As with the Fire TV Stick, you’ll connect the Apple TV hardware to the TV’s HDMI port via an HDMI cable and follow a similar setup process. You can connect Apple TV to the Internet via an Ethernet cable or via WiFi.

Other Options: You may be able to incorporate hardware or devices you already own to stream these skinny TV services. Beyond working with the aforementioned Amazon Fire TV stick and Apple TV, Sling TV will work with Amazon Fire TV sticks, Apple TV, Google Chromecast sticks, Roku players, smartphone connections, the Xbox One gaming console, and Windows and Mac computers. As another example, PlayStation Vue runs on the PlayStation gaming console. Some Smart TVs can make use of apps through which your can run the skinny TV service. You’ll just have to check with each skinny TV service provider to see whether it can support the hardware you want to use.

Five Things to Know about Switching from Cable to Skinny TV

Plex is a popular multi-platform media player that works with Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Windows Phone, set-top boxes like Roku, Apple TV 4 and Amazon Fire TV, smart TVs from Vizio and Samsung and NAS devices from popular brands like Synology, Drobo and QNAP.

Plex basically works like this: 1) set up your media on a Plex server on a PC or NAS and 2) stream the media to a mobile device, set-top box, game console, home theater PC (HTPC) or smart TV.

What separates Plex from something like iTunes—and why it has gained such a loyal following—is not just its platform- and format-flexibility but its eye-catching user interface and exhaustive (and frequently overwhelming) under-the-hood customizations.

If you’re using iTunes (and most people are), it’s pretty easy to transfer your library (or other music libraries) straight over to Plex. Plex will do all the transcoding (changing media into appropriate formats for streaming) on the fly and pretty it up in the Plex UI.

Apps or “channels” also make Plex more than a media server for user generated content. You can add popular apps like Apple Movie Trailers, PBS and Vimeo (no Netflix or Hulu, though).

While Plex is free*, you can spend $4.99 per month for Plex Pass ($40 per year or $150 lifetime) to get additional features such as mobile and cloud syncing, movie trailers, music videos, Gracenote music organization and more.

*Mobile apps are free with limited functionality, but there’s a $5 in-app purchase required to unlock full functionality.

Also, if you have Plex Pass, new features are frequently rolled out. In late December 2015, synchronized lyrics from LyricFind were added for Plex Pass subscribers, just in time for embarrassing holiday sing-alongs.

Plex Pass Subscribers now get synchronized lyrics

Let’s take a look at Plex Pass and what you get for $5 a month.

Plex Pass Movie Trailers

It might seem like a small thing, but having movie trailers play automatically before your movie is pretty cool.

Plex Pass will pull in trailers from new and upcoming movies in theaters and also Blu-ray (if you choose), and you can select the number of trailers that play (up to 5). You can’t select the exact trailers to play, but it does choose ones that are appropriate to the main feature.

Choose whether you want new or old movie trailers to play

Plex Pass Premium Music Library (Gracenote)

With Plex Pass, you have the option to set up a library with Gracenote metadata, which includes artist bios and reviews, as well as automatic playlists, similar to a Pandora-type radio station.

Gracenote Premium Library also includes a feature called “sonic fingerprinting” which is a fancy way of saying that it will figure out the metadata for a music file that has incorrect tags or none at all.

You have the option of downloading upcoming concert information for the artist as well as using existing tags and/or iTunes information like playlists, ratings, play count and original date added to library.

Gracenote metadata includes liner notes, reviews and upcoming concerts

Plex Pass subscribers also get music videos from Vevo automatically added to either regular music libraries or Premium (Gracenote) libraries. Videos appear next to tracks as a small display icon and also under the artist page.

Plex Pass Mobile and Cloud Sync

Your home network is where Plex normally operates, but if you want to access your media library outside of the home, then a Plex Pass is required.

Sync media for offline viewing/listening

Using Mobile Sync is easy. Similar to streaming services like Spotify, you find the track or album that you want to have for offline listening and press the sync button, either on your mobile device or the main server (via the web browser UI).

To play offline media on your mobile device, choose “Location” from the top navigation menu and select your mobile device instead of your main media server.

This is not much different from what you can do with iTunes and your phone, so if all you need is Mobile Sync, then free Plex is probably all you need.

Using Cloud Sync requires a little more work but it’s also fairly straightforward. First, you’ll need a cloud storage account from one of these providers: Dropbox, Google Drive, Amazon Cloud Drive, Box (paid version) and/or Copy. Second, link up one or all of your cloud storage accounts with Plex under Cloud Sync in Accounts (https://plex.tv/cloudsync/providers).

After you’ve done that, you can easily sync media to the cloud from the main media server. (You have to sync from Plex. Adding media files directly to your cloud storage won’t work.)

Depending on the limitations of your cloud storage account and your mobile data plan, Cloud Sync is probably one of the most powerful features of Plex Pass, basically allowing you to exceed your phone’s storage capacity and create your own streaming service a la Spotify.

Other Plex Pass Features

• Plex Home: Allows you to create multiple switchable user accounts that you can share libraries with and also set content restrictions for (i.e. for children).
• Camera Upload: Allows you to wirelessly upload photos from iOS/Android/Windows phones to your Plex server (no videos).
• Early Access, Free Apps and Forums: Allows you first dibs on new features, early access to apps like the new Plex Media Player (for HTPC setups like a Mac Mini) and access to the members-only support forum.

Plex Pass: Good Deal?

Plex Pass is a good deal if you have a large media library and plan to use Cloud Sync. For $5 a month, it’s cheaper than a streaming service like Spotify or Netflix and offers you both music and movies. However, unlike a traditional streaming service, your experience with Plex is heavily dependent on your own media library, aside from the very limited online content choices.

If you’re an avid buyer of music and movies or are simply satisfied with the media you already have, then Plex Pass is more suitable for you. If you’re not sure, you can still test basic Plex features mostly for free, and the Plex experience feels way ahead of something like iTunes, which seems stuck in time.

The best deal is the $150 lifetime pass, but then you’re banking on using it for at least 4 years (at the $40 / year rate). Over the past year, Plex has been introducing new features like Gracenote, Plex Media Player and the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One apps, so a lifetime pass is a good investment in this maturing ecosystem.

Plex Pass Review: iTunes on Steroids

Three-and-a-half years after the previous generation’s release—an eternity in the tech world—the 4th generation Apple TV set-top box was announced with typical Apple fanfare back in early September and then appeared on store shelves in late October 2015.

Apple TV 4 ($149 for 32GB; $199 for 64GB) has all the things you might expect from a 3+ year wait: a flashier platform (aka tvOS), installable apps, a more powerful dual-core A8 processor (vs. the old single-core A5), faster Wi-Fi (802.11ac), more storage (32GB and 64GB options) and a souped-up, Lightning-rechargeable remote dubbed the Siri remote which features a clickable glass touchpad and a voice control button a la Roku or Amazon.

3rd Gen (l.) meet 4th Gen (r.)

Apple stuck with the same basic look of the device, all black with the Apple TV logo on the top and nearly the same dimensions: an identical 3.9-inch x 3.9-inch square but slightly taller at 1.3 inches vs. 0.9 inches of the ATV3. Like Amazon did with its 2015 Fire TV (5/10), Amazon has also discarded the optical output from the previous generation, but the rest of the connections in the back are the same.

This all sounds like a recipe for another runaway Apple success, and yet something’s just not quite right about the end product. What went wrong? It has to do with expectations.

Our Expections

The changes above are evolutionary. We expected those. But we thought we’d see a couple notable upgrades:

Cable TV+Broadcast Networks Subscription App

Even as late as a couple years ago, the new Apple TV was actually supposed to be, well, a TV. Okay, we get it, it’s not, but then we were promised cable a la carte, plus broadcast networks. Okay, we get it, the cable companies are being difficult. So what about a Sling TV app? No?

The rumors now say 2016. So we wait.

[pullquote]This all sounds like a recipe for another runaway Apple success… What went wrong? It has to do with expectations….[/pullquote]

4K Ultra HDTV Support

Yeah, 4K support will be in the next one. But what about now? 4K isn’t pie in the sky or Blu-ray. It’s here, and it’s getting pretty cheap (just watch the Black Friday sales this year). And worse yet, those other guys have 4K.

Big whoop, you say? Maybe. If you’re betting on potential, then Apple hits it out of the ballpark. The new platform, tvOS, looks like it can grow exponentially beyond what its competitors have to offer. The gaming aspect of the Apple TV looks like it could revolutionize the gaming industry, especially if Apple is willing to take feedback from the gaming world.

But right here, right now? It’s not better than the Roku 4 (8/10) and only marginally better than the 2015 Fire TV (5/10), but costs more than both and doesn’t have Amazon Instant Video or 4K.

tvOS: The Good and the Bad

tvOS is flashy in a good way. It’s awesome to look at. Apple does eye candy better than anyone right now.

Did I say flashy? Apple dispensed with that hideous old-school tiled screensaver of the previous generation and cooked up a super-fancy animated 3D landscape screensaver called Aerial that totally outdoes the screensavers on the Chromecast and Fire TV.

Press the Menu button twice and you can instantly gaze at the awesome screensaver whenever your heart desires.

App Switching Just Like the iPhone

You can also do cool things such as app switching (like on iOS) by double-pressing the Home button. Also like iOS, you can swipe up to close an open app.

The Home Sharing app (aka “Computers”) has a much improved cosmetic experience, as images of your music and movie collection scroll past the screen.

Hey, there’s an App Store! Roku’s had this for a while, but Apple’s does look so much better. Plus, previously purchased universal iOS apps that are compatible with tvOS actually do appear under the “Purchased” tab, which is cool.

That’s the good. Now here’s the bad.

Everything is a joy to look at, but it’s not a joy to use. And we expect only joy from Apple.

Your nightmare: the onscreen keyboard

When you set up an app, entering email addresses and passwords is heart-wrenchingly bad. Instead of the old, mildly frustrating grid featured on ATV3, you now have the Sisyphean task of scrolling across a single row of letters to input characters.

It follows Apple’s design principle of simplicity. And yet it’s terrible. It’s so pokey you may lose the stomach to install more apps because then you know you have to painfully enter your log-in credentials.

Roku’s on-screen QWERTY keyboard may not look simple, but it gets the job done.

Well, you say, why not just use Apple’s Remote app or Bluetooth keyboard, like you could with the old Apple TV?

Good idea, except you can’t. Not yet, anyway. (You can use Bluetooth headphones now, which you couldn’t before.)

Maybe it’s all a ploy to get us to use voice control. Surely good ol’ Siri can do it. Nope, sorry. She won’t enter letters for you, email addresses or anything that might make entering text without a keyboard easier.

App Store on Apple TV

Speaking of installing apps, the Apple TV 4 comes with only iTunes, Music and Photos apps installed. You have to manually install old standbys like Netflix, Hulu and YouTube. It just seems like it would have been easier to remove them, if you really didn’t want them there.

By the way, it would have been nice if Apple had figured out a way to stop this whole authenticating apps business that some apps have (Hulu, PBS). It’s on other set-top boxes, too. And it’s annoying. For the love of streaming, there must be a better way.

As for the App Store, the pickings are slim right now, and that’s understandable given how early it is. In the category section, there are only “Games” and “Entertainment.” But after the hoopla surrounding shopping apps during the September product announcement, you still have to wonder what happened (especially since shopping is a new category on iOS). The only high profile shopping app that I saw was Gilt, the same one demonstrated at Apple’s Special Event back in September.

Maybe we’ll see some more shopping apps in the near future, but the holiday shopping season has already arrived.

Siri, Why So Quiet?

Apple TV 4 now has universal search, a welcome improvement that has been a mainstay of Roku set-top boxes for a while. Universal is relative, though, since it currently only scans Netflix, Hulu, HBO, Showtime and of course iTunes.

Siri, where is… Oh, I give up.

Siri’s voice search does a good job, but I didn’t find it any better than Roku’s or Amazon’s. You must perform universal search from the home screen because searching within an app is app-only.

You can’t use Siri to search for apps in the App Store, which seems like a missed opportunity. Instead, you have to use the dreaded on-screen “keyboard.” Oh, no.

One welcome development at the time of this review is Siri support for Apple Music searches as of tvOS 9.1 Beta.

With a clickable glass trackpad and Apple’s intuitive design phliosophy, the new Siri remote sounds cool in theory. Personally, I found the trackpad fickle at times and mostly frustrating. From a tactile standpoint (in a darkened room), you can’t tell which end is up, and it’s still too light and easily misplaced. However, the remote can now learn to control the power and volume on your TV. Still, I’ll probably just continue to use my old universal remote.

You can charge the remote overnight with any USB port using the included Lightning cable. But since there’s no charging port on the Apple TV, you have to take the remote somewhere else, which just seems an unnecessary inconvenience in service of Simplicity (i.e. less ports to mar the design).

Most of all I just wanted Siri to talk. Please, Siri, just talk to us. This is not the Apple Watch. At least allow us to make it an option. Instead Siri has been rendered silent for the second straight major Apple product. Did the actress who plays Siri demand too much money?

I disappoint.

Gaming

Gaming is where Apple TV 4 can really distance itself from the Rokus and Fire TVs. The Nvidia Shield offers Android gaming and 4K, but at $199 and with a much lower mainstream consumer profile, it’s at a decided disadvantage to Apple.

I had fun playing old iPhone favorite Asphalt 8 on the Apple TV 4, although gaming with the Siri remote does take some getting used to. The remote uses an accelerometer and gyroscope motion controls like a Wiimote, and can be used vertically or horizontally depending on the game.

Right now, Apple requires that all Apple TV games support the Siri remote, although that will probably change (see next paragraph). Up to two Bluetooth MFi (Made for iPod/iPad) controllers are compatible with Apple TV 4 and some games will support an iPhone or iPad as a controller.

The new Guitar Hero Live for Apple TV 4 will require the guitar controller (which is $100 by the way), so it already looks like Apple may be loosening up the Siri remote requirement, which has been controversial with gamers. However, Apple likes to go its own way, so we’ll see.

To me, there’s a bigger stumbling block for Apple TV 4 catching on as a mainstream gaming device a la the Nintendo Wii. (No, it’s not hard-core enough to compete with the likes of PS4 or Xbox One, and doesn’t need to be.) Right now, you can find mostly iOS games blown up to tvOS proportions, as expected. But seriously, AirDisplay could already do that on the old Apple TV. So the real question is whether console quality games will find their way to the Apple TV.

Disney Infinity 3.0 for Apple TV

The release of Disney’s Infinity 3.0 Star Wars Starter Pack for the Apple TV ($100) hints at a very positive development in console gaming coming to the Apple TV. The game’s producer, Sean Patton, told GameSpot:

The platform itself [Apple TV] is actually really powerful… So we look at opportunities to bring things to the visual quality we want, starting with PS4, and then look at the performance and kind of dial it back. So it’s somewhere between Xbox 360 and PS4 currently.

Here’s the big “if”: if Apple can lure big studios to develop console quality games for the Apple TV—and it does seem technically possible—then Apple has an iPhone-level smash success. If it can’t, or it’s extremely limited and all you can play is Angry Birds, then it becomes the Nvidia Shield.

Conclusion

Apple TV 4 is a beautiful product, but somewhere along the line, user-centered design was sacrificed for design for design’s sake. I think this is a critical error that’s very much noticeable in the practical day-to-day usage of this device.

The latest Apple TV promises a lot in the future, but for consumers trying to save money, it’s not a better product right now for a higher price. The majority of users simply want to stream movies and TV, and even the old Apple TV did a good job of that.

In a year, the Apple TV will likely be a success, but I believe gaming will have to save it, and that won’t entirely be up to Apple.

Apple TV 4 Review: We Expected More

The Roku 4 ($130) is Roku’s entry into the 4K sweepstakes, and it’s a very well thought-out and compelling product for consumers interested in utilizing their shiny new 4K HDTVs.

Roku has won legions of fans for its easy to use and focused product line that does streaming better than anyone else. The Roku 4 picks up where other Rokus left off and delivers the goods.

Specs and Setup

The Roku 4 is super-sized compared to previous Rokus, measuring 6.5″ x 6.5″ x 0.8″ (vs. 3.5″ x 3.5″ x 1″ of Roku 3) and has a flat matte black top with a big glossy “4,” in keeping with Roku’s traditional design. There’s now a remote finder button on top, which is a unique feature that will come into play at some point or another. (Press it, and the remote will emit your choice of alarm sound. Hopefully, users will be able to upload their own in the future.)

Like the new Fire TV, the Roku 4 has a quad-core processor and dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi. However, its 1.5GB memory, 256MB of storage and lack of dedicated GPU pale in comparison to the 2GB RAM, 8GB storage and dedicated GPU of the Amazon Fire TV. So on paper, the Fire TV looks better, but the Roku is a much better performer.

In my review (5/10), I wrote that software bugs really hampered the 2nd Gen Fire TV, and I think that’s the big difference here. While the hardware is debatably comparable, the Roku 4 does it better where it counts—playing 4K video.

Show Us the 4K

4K Ultra HD is the key feature of the Roku 4 and it doesn’t disappoint. Its specs are up to date: HDMI 2.0 output with HDCP 2.2 and up to 4K at 60fps. It doesn’t currently support HDR (High Dynamic Range), but according to Roku’s FAQ page, that could be added later to the product, presumably in a firmware update.

The quality of 4K depends on the content (frame rate, cameras used, etc.), but overall, 4K looks great. Does it look fantastic enough to compel consumers to buy a 4K TV? Last year, I would’ve said no because of limited content. This year, it’s a maybe, especially with a player like the Roku 4. But 4K will definitely be the standard within a couple years, just as 720p/1080p is the current standard.

The Roku 4 is free of the buggy software issues that currently plague the other big 4K set-top box out there right now, Amazon’s 2nd gen Fire TV.

It handled all the 4K content on Netflix, Amazon Instant Video and YouTube (the major providers) with aplomb. Buffering, if any, is brief. It ramped up to Ultra HD almost instantaneously on Netflix and within 1 to 2 seconds on Amazon. This is definitely where the Roku 4 shines. I didn’t experience drop-outs, buffering in-progress or other hiccups.

One of my favorite aspects of the Roku 4 is the 4K Ultra HD Spotlight channel that puts together all the 4K content in one place. Roku has correctly guessed that 4K TV owners will be anxious to find all that content. On the Amazon Fire TV, it took some digging around to find.

4K content is collected all in one location (cross-platform).

Noisy Fan?

I did encounter fan noise. (Yes, the Roku 4 has a fan, but it’s also got a quad-core processor.) Some customers have already been reporting a loud fan noise. I would liken it more to the hum of a laptop fan that’s not even noticeable when you have the sound on. But it’s definitely there, and it did get loud when my customized photo screensaver was running and when I ran the remote finder while playing 4K video.

If you’re sensitive to this sort of thing, I would note this as the biggest “disappointment” of the Roku 4.

Roku Remote and Voice Search

The Roku remote is still the best in its class with a nice weight and responsive feel that is noticeably better than the Fire TV remote or the old Apple TV remote. The Roku remote still has the handy headphone plug (and includes earbuds), which for some reason mostly hasn’t been replicated on other set-top boxes, until the new NVIDIA Shield.

You’ve also got voice search on the remote which was introduced earlier this year in the revamped 2015 Roku 3. It’s quick and responsive but not as powerful as Siri or Alexa.

Updated Mobile App

The newly redesigned Roku mobile app

The mobile app was updated this year with voice search and Roku Feed—which allows you to keep track of actors and movie releases. The app already doubles as a remote, app launcher and photo streamer that also allows you to upload your mobile pics as a Roku screensaver. The app, which was also redesigned in October, is intuitive and a worthy alternative to the already great physical remote.

If It Ain’t Broke…

Some things remain the same, for good and (slightly) bad. The Roku platform (now OS 7) is still a breeze, even if some apps (e.g. Amazon’s) aren’t as flashy as the ones we’ve seen on Xbox One or the Fire TV. The app is not really Roku’s fault, though. And the notoriously buggy Sling TV app still seems relatively stodgy on the Roku 4.

Roku natively plays the most services that people want. Every streaming player will have Netflix or Hulu, but do they have Amazon Video (not Apple TV or NVIDIA Shield), Google Play Movies (not Fire TV) and Sling TV (not Apple TV)?

Searching across various services is something that’s been on previous Rokus, but it’s a game-changing feature that really makes Roku’s platform so user-friendly. Roku has 20 channel partners currently, and it’s still an unbiased search not weighted towards any service.

Conclusion

I do not hesitate to recommend the Roku 4 as your first choice in set-top boxes if you already own a 4K TV and want to dive right into the 4K current. It’s pricey but offers almost flawless performance.

If you don’t own a 4K TV, then buying a Roku 4 now might be a little premature because of its higher price tag. Standard HD performance on the Roku 4 is not going to be any different than, say, the cheaper Roku 3. Plus, you might just want to wait for the new Apple TV that doesn’t do 4K at all.

Now you can watch your favorite snow monkeys in scintillating Ultra HD.

Roku 4 Review: The Real Deal

Every time one of these media boxes is announced, I’m always reminded of that little Irving Berlin ditty Anything You Can Do. First, the Apple TV was announced in early September, Apple’s first revision of the hardware in years. Everyone was excited about iOS support, Siri support. Then Amazon 1up’ed Apple with the 4K Fire TV announcement during mid-September. Everyone was excited about 4K support, faster hardware, lower price tag.

Well, Roku just announced the Roku 4. Here’s a handy spec sheet to help you decide between the three main options in set-top boxes this holiday season.

[table caption=”2015 Set-Top Box Comparison” width=”620″ colwidth=”20|25|25|25″ colalign=”center|center|center|center”]
Category,Roku 4,2015 Fire TV, 2015 Apple TV

Supported Resolution?,4K Ultra HD (up to 60 fps),4K Ultra HD (up to 30 fps),1080p

Supported Wi-Fi?,802.11ac MIMO,802.11ac MIMO,802.11ac MIMO

Wired Ethernet?,Yes,Yes,Yes

Processor?,Quad-core,Quad-core,Dual-core

RAM?,1.5GB,2GB,2GB

Optical Digital Output?,Yes,No (HDMI only),No (HDMI only)

HDMI Version?,HDMI 2.0,HDMI 2.0,HDMI 1.4

USB port?,One USB 2.0 port,One USB 2.0 port,No

Micro SD card slot?, Yes (up to 128GB), Yes (up to 128GB), No

Voice Search?,Yes,Alexa,Siri

Universal Search?,Yes,Crippled,Yes (but fewer apps)

Remote Finder?,Yes,No,No

Hotel & Dorm Connect*?,Yes,No,No

Supports Headphones?,Wired,Bluetooth only,Bluetooth only

Operating System?,Roku OS 7,Fire OS 3.0 “Mojito”,tvOS 9.0 (iOS 9)

Gaming Support?,Good,Better,Best (Probably)

Price?,$129.99,$99.99,$149 (32GB) / $199 (64GB)

[/table]

*Hotel & Dorm connect. Using Roku mobile app, users enter login details to connect to Wi-Fi networks that require login through a Web browser.

The facts are clear. Amazon is aiming at the budget audience, but still offering 4K playback as well as the best specs. Of course, some of the downsides include a search engine that’s not truly universal and a general lack of 4K content at the moment. It’s also a less useful player without a Prime subscription.

Apple is content charging people significantly more than competitors while offering less powerful hardware at the same time. Of course, the integration of iOS 9 is likely going to open the floodgates to mobile gaming on the family television and Siri could be a powerful voice assistant for finding content. The remote control is also pretty slick, assuming it works as advertised.

Alternatively, Roku appears to be pricing the Roku 4 in the middle of the other two options, specifically going after the home theater crowd. It’s the only option that offers 60 fps playback in 4K as well as a physical optical output for home theater speakers. Roku’s also been doing universal search longer than anyone else (and arguably more effective at it). However, voice search may end up being spotty and it’s obvious that gaming is an afterthought compared to the other two set-top boxes.

If interested in ordering, the Amazon Fire TV is available now, Apple hasn’t opened preorders up for the new Apple TV yet, and Roku has opened up preorders for the Roku as of today: LINK

Order the $99 Fire TV –  Order the $129 Roku 4

You can check out more photos of the new Roku 4 below:

Roku 4 vs. Fire TV vs. Apple TV: 2015 Streaming Showdown

At $50, the new Roku 3500R Streaming Stick (HDMI version) is priced between the best-in-class Roku 3 ($99) and the Google Chromecast ($35), both of which we’ve reviewed on The CheckOut (9/10 and 7/10, respectively). You might think of the Streaming Stick as Roku’s answer to the latter, as they have similar form factors, but it’s really more or less the former, crammed into a thumb drive-sized dongle.

Whereas the Chromecast is becoming a full-fledged mirroring device for your PC, phone and tablet (Android as a start) with limited streaming capabilities, the Roku Streaming Stick is a full-fledged streaming media player with limited mirroring capabilities. You can mirror (or cast) Netflix and YouTube from their respective mobile apps to the Roku stick—which is pretty cool the first time—but that’s all you can mirror (see screenshot at right). At least for now, because this functionality is expected to appear on more apps for Roku.

The Roku Streaming Stick is itself not entirely new. The 2012 MHL version (aka “Roku Ready”) is actually slightly smaller and sells for $20 more. The MHL (Mobile High Definition Link) port, which functions like HDMI, is found on newer TVs and powers the older streaming stick. The 2014 iteration drops the MHL requirement for the more-universal HDMI connectivity but now needs to be powered via USB or outlet.

Getting Started

The Roku Streaming Stick is fairly straightforward to set up. Inside the fancy packaging, you’ll find a 6-ft. microUSB to USB cable that you can plug into the included power adapter or a powered USB port on your TV. The cable could stand to be longer but since it’s universal, that’s easy enough to change.

There’s no on/off switch, so it potentially never powers down, which can be problematic (more about that later). If you do plug the Roku stick into a powered USB port, the unit will power down with the TV, but that also means it has to boot up every time you turn on the TV, and that process can take a couple minutes.

Pairing the RF remote (which comes with “AA” Duracell Coppertops) is automatic and takes a few seconds. From the top, you select language and wireless network, enter network password, then update software and restart the Roku stick. If you don’t have one, you’ll have to create a new Roku account on your computer, then link or update the Roku stick with that account and start adding channels.

The whole process takes about 10 to 15 minutes depending on how many services you have accounts with. Entering all the usernames and passwords for your different channels using the remote and on-screen keyboard can be tedious. The good news is Roku’s on-screen keyboard is better and faster than other streaming players, including the Apple TV.

Alternatively, you can download the free Roku app for your mobile device (iOS and Android) and control the stick from there. It’s fast, maybe even faster than the actual remote. And the built-in keyboard is definitely faster.

Happy Face

What does the Roku Streaming Stick offer that makes it an appealing choice for streaming aficionados? For starters, the price. As a bonus, you can get an $8 credit at M-GO—Roku’s streaming partner— with purchase through August 2014, which makes it an even better deal. And if you’re new to the M-GO service, you also get a complimentary rental.

Secondly, the convenient and attractive compactness. About the size of an old-school USB drive, it measures 3.1 x 1.1 x 0.5 inches. The Roku stick easily hides behind the back of a TV, and you can always pick up a cheap right-angle HDMI adapter so a wall-mounted TV with rear-only HDMI ports can remain flush up against the wall.

Thirdly, it’s still Roku. It still streams 1080p full HD video, has built-in dual-band Wi-Fi and boasts the same intuitive UI that Roku is well-known for. Scrolling through the channel menu is convenient because it repeats from the beginning and you can easily add channels from the player or your computer.

Roku’s excellent cross-platform search is on the Streaming Stick, so you can see which channel has the movie or show you’re looking for.

Speaking of channels, Roku’s got a ton of them (like over 1,000). Except for iTunes (see Apple TV), you’ll find just about everything good, bad and in-between: Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Video, Amazon Music (aka Cloud Player), YouTube (missing in older Rokus), Pandora, Spotify, M-GO, WatchESPN, Vudu, Redbox Instant and Plex among many, many others.

Plex is one of those lesser-known apps that’s not available on every streaming player (see Apple TV). Plex lets you stream content from your computer or networked drive. It’s a kick to watch your content via Plex complete with poster art. Plex now costs $5 after a 30-day free trial. It’s also great to watch free sports on WatchESPN (World Cup, Wimbledon), although some content is locked to your cable provider.

The remote looks basically the same as the 3rd gen Roku remotes, but lacks IR, motion control for games, and the headphone port, which some may see as a big drawback. It’s also missing ethernet and a microSD slot. However, these seem like acceptable omissions and compromises for the price point and size.

Frowny Face

As you may have seen from customer reviews on the web, the Netflix loading time is cited as one of the biggest issues of the Roku Streaming Stick. Starting up Netflix for the first time took over a minute (70 seconds). After I signed in, it took another 30 seconds to load, then it crashed after a couple minutes. The new Netflix app is beautiful, but it’s apparently too processor-intensive for this little Roku compared to the more robust dual-core CPU in the Roku 3.

In general, it takes Netflix about 25 to 28 seconds to load, while YouTube and WatchESPN are in the 10-second range. Most other apps—such as Amazon, Spotify and Plex—are in the 1- to 5-second range. In regular daily use, this wasn’t as big as an issue for me as it sounds, but it could be if all you use is Netflix.

I had some other problems with the Roku stick. It can run pretty hot, which may explain why the home screen once locked up after a week of being on and would not respond to the remote. I tried re-pairing the remote to no avail, so I had to unplug and replug the stick. That solution got it working again, but not after a couple minutes of holding my breath and waiting for the remote to automatically pair again.

Final Thoughts

Despite its limitations, I still recommend the Roku Streaming Stick, but as a second or third streaming device for a bedroom TV or guest room TV. The slow Netflix loading is currently being addressed by Roku, and the overall experience is still worthy of the Roku brand. But if you’re looking for a primary streaming player, go pick up a Roku 3 on sale. It’s still the best out there.

Check for Roku Deals on Ben’s

Roku Streaming Stick Review (HDMI Version): Size Matters Not