Yahoo Finance The streamer's dilemma: your choices for cutting the cord
Four brands -- Apple (AAPL), Amazon (AMZN), Google (GOOG) and Roku -- accounted for 86% of all streaming devices last year. Roku continues to lead streaming media device sales in the U.S. with 34% of units sold in 2014. New versions of Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV will be released next month, and there’s speculation that a new Chromecast, from Google, will enter the fray.
All four companies’ devices offer the bulk of services most viewers want to stream, with access to Netflix, YouTube, Hulu Plus, HBO Now, and Pandora on each platform. (Amazon Instant is available on both Roku and Amazon Fire TV, but only accessible on Apple TV using the AirPlay feature, which allows wireless streaming between your Apple device and your TV, and TabCast, Google’s equivalent.)
So you want to plow through the first season of "Narcos" -- how do you know which device is right for you?
For Apple addicts who know what they want (to watch): Apple TV
For those who live within the Apple ecosystem, Apple TV is a no-brainer. You need an HDMI cable to connect the Apple TV -- a palm-sized set top box -- to your television. The teaser tutorial video for the new Apple TV coming out next month touts clever features, including users voicing commands to Siri like “Find me comedies with Jason Bateman… Find me the Jason Bourne movies.” The precision with which you can use the voice control is great for those who have a general idea of what they’re looking to watch or do. Plus, you can stream content from your Apple devices to your TV. Gamers might be disappointed because all games developed for the Apple TV must work with the Siri-based remote, which might ultimately limit the types of games developers create for the Apple TV. Tech site BGR wrote, “[Apple] is stifling creativity and limiting the potential of games that might be better suited to a full-fledged controller.” The Apple TV will be the most expensive streaming device, starting at $149.
For gungho gamers who don’t want to be limited by Apple’s restrictions: Amazon Fire TV
Gamers, rejoice! Amazon is coming out with a Gaming Edition bundle with voice control and headphone jack for the Fire TV on Oct. 5. The price starts at $100, but the gaming edition costs $140 -- still $10 cheaper than Apple TV. The package includes the base Fire TV, a controller, a 32GB microSD card and two popular games: Shovel Knight and Ducktales. Since launch, Fire TV has grown its game selection by 500% and over half of those games cost 99 cents or less, so the device suits the tastes of an affordable gamer as well. Financial services firm BTIG said in a blog that Fire TV’s gaming options and playability were impressive in their test. Amazon’s Siri counterpart, Alexa, is integral in the gaming process.
For the low-maintenance, low-tech streamer: Google Chromecast
If you still watch a lot of cable TV and occasionally want to put a Jimmy Fallon clip on the big screen, Chromecast could be for you. It’s a thumb-sized device that plugs into your TV’s HDMI port, and it’s just $35. You can cast any website through your Chrome browser from an Android phone, tablet or laptop. Google may have plans for a second version of its Chromecast device, according to 9-to-5Google, which reported that the tech giant is scheduled to debut an updated device on Sept. 29. Google declined to comment.
For the old-school agnostic dabbler: Roku
Roku is a top choice for people who simply want to browse...and want a lot of choices: 2,000+ channels, in fact. On the flipside, if you’re looking for something more streamlined, this is not the destination for you. Yes, you have access to Spotify, but you’ll also have Vudu, Crackle and Plex on your dashboard. Have you heard of them? Neither have we. With Roku, you have several device options, including a streaming stick, which goes for $50, and Roku 3, at $100. At CES last year, Roku announced a Roku TV, a smart TV with the Roku platform built in. It also accommodates those who have an older TV with its Roku 1 set-top box, which comes with composite cables in case the TV doesn’t have HDMI. Independent media consultant and former Miramax executive Gloria Lee told Yahoo Finance that users choose Rokus as their set-top box of choice because they don’t want to upgrade their TVs.
What’s next? Sports streaming
Despite services like Dish’s over-the-top service Sling TV which offers ESPN, traditional TV remains the central destination for sports channels. Therein lies the opportunity. Earlier this year, Disney CEO Bob Iger said that ESPN could eventually be sold directly to consumers like HBO and Showtime are instead of through a larger cable subscription package. That would surely be a major game changer for the streaming industry.
