Hardware for Streaming 1
Once you’ve decided that you are not content with just your Over The Air (OTA) channel selections, you will need to understand your options in the streaming universe.
The first thing you will need is a piece of hardware that is connected to the internet (wired or wirelessly) that will support the streaming service you desire. Because not all streaming services are supported on all devices, this requires a little bit of homework.
Many of the newer HDTVs (especially those built after 2012 or so) have built-in web interfaces. These are sometimes called “Smart TV’s”, or something similar, to distinguish them from the “dumb” displays without these capabilities. Once you set up a TV like this and connect it to the internet, you can scan through the various downloadable “apps” to find the streaming service that you would like to test. The availability of these apps will vary depending on the brand and your location.
If you don’t have a “Smart” TV, you will need to purchase additional hardware that will do the job. These are usually inexpensive and range from about $30 to as much as several hundred dollars. Some of the most popular names include:
ROKU
AMAZON FIRE
APPLE TV
PLAYSTATION (yes, the game system is also a streaming platform)
MOST BLU-RAY DVD PLAYERS
In our next entry, we’ll explain some of the differences between these various hardware platforms and some of the pros and cons of purchasing one.
If you have any questions about Cord Cutting, or any other Home Automation advance, feel free to give us a call at 303-665-2238.