Media Streamer Reviews

Tiny, cheap, and powerful, these two Fire TV sticks set a new performance bar for budget media streamers.

The Roku Express is a $30 investment that gives you every streaming service imaginable, plus an easy way to search through all of that content. It's a great buy.

The new Roku Ultra brings a buffet of small but helpful features like customizable remote buttons, faster performance, and new search tools. This is a top-notch choice, though it lacks one key feature.

The 3rd-gen Chromecast is still a pretty good way to stream in HD, but HD is getting pretty long in the tooth. That said, the addition of Prime Video following Google and Amazon's truce makes it a pretty comprehensive, if limited, streamer.

Google’s latest Chromecast doubles the price, but quadruples the resolution for a simple and affordable way to get 4K. Add in wide HDR support, and (finally) Amazon Prime Video, and it’s got a lot going for it.

Amazon is giving Roku a run for its money with the Fire TV Stick, a $40 device about the size of a pack of gum that grants 1080p HD access to a wide array of content and games. If you’re an Amazon Prime member already, this is a no-brainer.

Amazon’s streaming stick game is strong, and the Fire TV Stick 4K is no exception. A few quirks aside, this fully loaded streaming device could make a meaningful addition to your dumb or smart TV.

Free over-the-air programming isn’t available in 4K, so why would you want a 4K OTA DVR? We’ll discuss what makes the new TiVo Bolt OTA a viable choice for cord-cutters with 4K UHD TVs who want to get ahead of the game.

When it comes to streaming devices, the sheer volume of choices these days can be daunting. While you really can’t go wrong with any Roku, its new Premiere+ stands out for its excellent balance between affordability and performance.

The AirTV offers novel ways to integrate HD antenna channels with live streaming internet TV, but a needlessly complicated process and required add-ons wind up undermining its best features.

Amazon took a surprising turn in replacing its well-received set-top box Fire TV with a dongle-style device. Can the new Fire TV provide streamers with everything they need? Find out in our Amazon Fire TV review.

With 4K, HDR, TV power and volume controls, plus a best-in-class search system and user interface … what’s not to love? Our Roku Streaming Stick+ review puts the streamer through its paces and shows it coming out on top.

Roku’s newest iteration of the Express streaming devices boast five times the power of its predecessor. Does that translate to five times the performance? Find out in our updated review.

Google jumps into the thick fray of wireless audio with a slick and simple companion to the company’s popular video streamer. And while iPhone users still meet some real limitations, the addition of multiroom audio makes this device a serious player.

Apple may have come to the party a little late with the 4th Generation Apple TV, but the new streaming set-top box is an Apple fan’s dream. Premium packaging, quality construction and materials, easy setup, and a touchpad remote set it apart from its competitors.

There are lots of different ways to connect your Android smartphone with your TV nowadays, but, sadly, the SlimPort Nano-Console might be the least enticing of the bunch.

Amazon’s new Fire TV combines 4K Ultra HD streaming, more powerful hardware, and Alexa voice-assisted search, forming a formidable option to Roku and Apple TV.

In a world where the digital content we want to watch is smeared across a jagged landscape, the TiVo Bolt does an outstanding job of putting everything you want to watch, and listen to, in one place.

The good news is: Google’s third attempt at a set-top streaming box is its best yet, and it has the potential to do very well in the future. The bad news: The Nexus Player is a disappointment at launch and not worth rushing to buy.

D-Link’s Wi-Fi Audio Extender does a great job of bringing wireless audio to an older speaker or stereo system, but it’s worth as a Wi-Fi extender is dodgy at best.

There’s something to be said for a mid-tier Blu-ray player like the BDT360 when it comes to build quality and bonus features. If you’re looking for a device to act as the hub of your Internet-connected entertainment system, you can find a lot of value in the middle ground.

When Amazon introduced its new Fire TV streaming set-top box, it looked like it might be able to knock Roku right off its perch as the player to beat. Now that we’ve had a chance to thoroughly test the Fire TV, we learn it isn’t exactly a Roku killer, but it’s still a terrific competitor with tremendous potential.

Kaleidescape literally invented the movie server category, and their systems have been beloved by the mega-wealthy for over 12 years. Kaleidescape systems make managing and exploring movie collections easier and better than ever, with totally unique features like instant access to iconic scenes and an industry-first Blu-ray quality download store. The Cinema One brings all of the features of the company’s Premier line to a far more affordable price.

Western Digital’s WD TV Play box comes in at a nice price, and is armed with competitive features, but its murky video quality is a deal breaker for us.

HP’s Wireless Audio system streams music from place to place without wires, but sacrifices fidelity along the way, and can’t compare to similar offerings from competing companies.

The Olive 06HD music server benefits from unparalleled build quality and a high-end design that will satiate any audiophile with a soft spot for digital music.

The NuForce Air DAC Wireless system has great sound quality, is simple to use, and in some cases outshines Apple's AirPlay.

The Roku 2 XS brings simplicity to media streaming but lacks support for DLNA streaming and many common file formats.

Pioneer’s N-50 Elite networked audio player prioritizes fidelity with high-end components, but lacks creature comforts like Pandora and built-in Wi-Fi.

The 2012 revamp of the Apple TV brings better performance and a new interface, but still leaves users high and dry for much content outside iTunes.

Review: D-Link’s Boxee Box offers a sleek interface and smart remote, but quirks and crashes keep it from being the perfect media streamer.

Logitech's Revue brings the Web to your TV as the first set-top box with the Google TV operating system.

Apple's redesigned Apple TV shrinks considerably in size and price, but does it add enough features to stay competitive in a rapidly expanding field.

We review the Dash, a personal internet viewer from Sony that delivers a wide selection of apps for music and video, but also functions as an alarm clock and digital picture frame.

We review Western Digital's WD TV Live Plus media streamer which packs a lot of punch for such a small device.

We review ViewSonic's NexTV VMP75 network media player which transforms any standard TV into a connected one with full HD 1080p internet streaming and more.

We review Logitech's network music player the Squeezebox Touch which offers a 4.3-inch color touch screen and stream music to any room in your house.

We review Logitech's Squeezebox Duet network music system that lets you listen and control your music from any room.

We review IOGEAR's Wireless HD Kit which provides wireless HD video streaming for up to 4 devices