Computer Repair in Kalamazoo

So you want to jump into the fray that is media streaming. Music, movies, TV shows – it’s all available online. You have many options as to how to access and enjoy that vast wealth of entertainment. What are those options you ask? Well there are really too many to list here, so lets talk about the 4 most popular methods: Roku, Chromecast, Apple TV, and the Home Theater PC.

Roku started as a project within Netflix. A cheap way for subscribers to get Internet movies, and TV shows onto regular TVs. Roku was parted out into a separate company, and the device now works all major video services except Apple’s iTunes.  Roku is a little box that makes it easy to enjoy the hottest movies, TV shows, music, games, and more on your TV by streaming it directly from the Internet. Millions of people use Roku every day to access their favorite entertainment instantly, and on demand.  Roku’s claim to fame is that it brings the world of Internet media to your HD big screen LCD TV.  When it was introduced, it wasn’t the first device to do this, but Roku did it arguably better than any of its competitors. The idea was to eliminate the dependence on cable TV.  Your TV or Blu-ray player possibly already has built-in apps and Wi-Fi, but in most cases it’s worth getting a dedicated box for the better interface, and additional features (like wireless headphone functionality, better performance and access to more specialized content).  It’s also not too pricey. Only about $100 for a high end streaming box. Of course there are all of the individual subscriptions for sites like Hulu, Netflix, Amazon Prime, etc.

Apple TV is like Roku, but with fewer apps plus it’s own service. It covers the major bases – HBO, Netflix, Hulu, Youtube, and more, but notably missing is Amazon Prime.  Apple TV alone is supporting iTunes, iCloud, and iTunes Radio.  Apple TV’s claim to fame is the same as every Apple product, consistency. The interface is the same from app to app. It’s real power comes from working with other iOS devices. You can transfer information wirelessly from your iPhone, or iPad. You can also control Apple TV with these devices. Apple TV is about $99 not including individual subscriptions.

With Chromecast, you can easily enjoy your favorite online entertainment on your HDTV—movies, TV shows, music, and more from Netflix, YouTube, Hulu Plus, Google Play Movies and Music, and Chrome. No more huddling around small screens, and tiny speakers! Chromecast automatically updates to work with a growing number of apps. This is the evolution of what devices like Roku started. Kind of. It’s actually a “dumb” device.  Meaning its more of a conduit between your computer or mobile device and your TV. It’s easy to use. First you download the app to your device, then download from a growing list of apps. Once you have the content playing on your device, just tap a button to move it to your TV. As with Apple TV, Amazons service isn’t supported. The Chromecast is the best option when individuals in a household have separate accounts for Hulu, and other services. Each person controls the device from his or her phone. With Apple TV and Roku, it’s annoying to sign in and out each time. The possible downside to this is anyone connected to your network can send content to the Chromecast device.

A home theater PC (HTPC) or media center computer is a device that combines some or all the capabilities of a personal computer that supports video, photo, audio playback, and sometimes video recording functionality. Even though computers with some of these capabilities were available from the late 1980s, the term “Home Theater PC” didn’t appear in mainstream press until 1996.  The main advantage to using a HTPC over a streaming device is flexibility, and customization.  You can pick what content you want, and not what the manufacturer of the streaming device chooses to let you access.

Basically there are so many options for streaming media, that there is usually a device out there that fits your needs and preferences.

Roku 3 – is the option to go with if you’re not too technically savvy, but just want a solid streaming device that supports many of the big streaming services. It’s definitely the option I would recommend to my parents or non-tech friends. MSRP: $99.99

Apple TV – is the option to go with if you live in an Apple household. It integrates well with iPhone\iPad\Mac computers the best. If you have loads of purchased content in iTunes, it’s also the only way to get those to your television without home theatre PC. MSRP: $99

Chromecast – is the option to go with if you live off your Android device(s), are comfortable streaming from the Chrome browser on a PC or are a tinkerer at heart. Chromecast currently supports the fewest services, but it is also the cheapest device by a long shot. We’ll hopefully see a number of new services added to the Chromecast family now that the official software development kit has been released. MSRP: $35

Home Theater PC – is the option to go with if you’re all about customization (need lots of Windows\Linux apps, want specific AV ports, have a specific aesthetic in mind), have storage needs (for home photos, videos, your own music collection, etc.), want to attach multiple devices (external HDs, cellphones, bluetooth peripherals, high-end stereo\receiver) or want all of the streaming options (even iTunes), DVD\CD\Blu-ray playback, the ability to browse the Web or play computer games on your big screen (imagine Skyrim on a 60-inch HDTV). Prices vary with options and how much work you want to do yourself.

Geek Easy Computers is always available to answer your questions.  If you are thinking of expanding your media streaming capabilities but want help, give us a call!  We want to make your technology easier!