In a few recent threads, both here and on Twitter, discussion has sometimes veered towards our preferred streamers. And, let me tell you, we’ve got more options than ever. And good ones, at that. So I thought it’d be fun to discuss which product resides in your pole position, whether it be a smart television, box, stick, or dongle.
For me, I’ve become something of an inadvertent Android TV proponent. With a few caveats. Until about 15 months ago, I’d drive my family crazy flipping between Roku, Fire TV, and Apple TV (while firmly shunning Vizio’s smart platform on the associated television) and Google had been on the periphery given years of inconsistent support and the remote-less Chromecast being a non-starter in my household.
But as I began plotting my defection from TiVo, I learned the $200 NVIDIA SHIELD Pro could act not just as a Channels DVR client, but also as the centralized home hub. And it’s a Plex Server too (when it works)! After initially bringing in the SHIELD, the fam continued to use Apple TV … until I had enough of its remote (again) and SHIELD (with superior remote) moved to Input 1. Where it has stayed.
Another reason I was willing to absorb the SHIELD’s premium pricing is its dearth of interface advertisements. I’ve been very consistent over the years — I don’t enjoy being spammed and will pay to abstain. But NVIDIA’s insulation from Google’s advertising initiatives may be coming to an end. At which point my family may find themselves on the move again… to Apple’s newest streamer?
So whatcha got and why?