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Does Anyone Still Need a Video Streamer?
In the early days of video streaming, there were few choices for consumers, both in streaming hardware and in the selection of movies and TV shows you could stream to your home. It was almost twenty years ago that Netflix transitioned from its DVD-by-mail rental business to streaming video on demand, but in 2007, there were no Smart TVs or streaming boxes to access it. Still, that business model shift by Netflix kicked off what is now a multi-hundred billion dollar industry.
In 2026, all but the least expensive TVs – and even many projectors – include built-in streaming options, some of which are quite robust. But if you’ve got an older TV, with a slow or outdated Smart TV interface, or if you love the picture quality on a particular TV, but don’t like its streaming interface (or its data sharing and privacy policies), then you might want to consider a separate device to handle the streaming. Also, if you’re fond of the Apple ecosystem and like to share content among different devices, you’ll probably want to consider investing in an Apple TV streaming box for its iOS integration, familiar user interface, and access to your existing iTunes library.
Today, there is a wide selection of streaming media hardware from which to choose, from inexpensive, compact streaming sticks to more robust components that can rival physical media in both picture and sound quality.
What About Local TV?
As customers have transitioned away from traditional cable and satellite TV and embraced streaming, many have lost access to the old standard in TV viewing: local channels. Local networks still provide valuable content like awards shows, educational programming and many major and minor sports broadcasts. While most TVs do include a legacy ATSC 1.0 digital tuner, these tuners rarely have the ability to pause live shows or skip commercials, and they are limited in their overall audio and video quality.
Of course, you can sign up for a monthly service like YouTube TV or SlingTV, which provide access to most networks’ local live broadcasts over the internet, but these services come with their own (usually high) monthly subscription fees to access content that we used to enjoy for free. So one device that many “cord-cutters” love to add to the mix is an OTA (over-the-air) tuner, preferably one with built-in DVR (Digital Video Recorder) capabilities, so you can still watch your shows on your schedule, and even fast forward through the commercials.
If you live in or near a city with local affiliate stations, an OTA tuner can give you free access to local broadcasts from networks like ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, PBS and more. Getting one with an online guide and DVR gives you more flexibility on when and where you watch your favorite shows. And getting one with an ATSC 3.0 (NextGen TV) tuner allows you to watch local broadcasts in up to 4K video quality with Dolby Atmos surround sound, without an expensive monthly subscription.
In 2026, we have seen pretty noticeable price increases across the board on video streaming sticks, but you can still pick one up for much less than the cost of a new TV or (in most cases), a new Blu-ray Disc Player.
At eCoustics, we’re reviewed dozens of streaming boxes, streaming sticks and OTA tuners over the years. Here are our favorites for 2026.
The Best Video Streamers & OTA Tuners of 2026
Best Budget Streaming Stick: Roku Streaming Stick Plus
Sometimes a simple solution is just what you need. And Roku’s streaming platform is frequently praised for its simplicity and ease of use. And while the company’s entry-level 4K streamer, the Streaming Stick Plus (Model 3830R) features that straightforward Roku user experience, it’s not short on features or performance. Roku provides access to all of the top streaming services and allows the user to customize the home screen quickly and easily to feature just their favorites.
The Streaming Stick Plus supports full 4K resolution, with HDR10 and HDR10+ high dynamic range (sorry, no Dolby Vision). It can also passthrough Dolby Atmos immersive surround sound to a compatible soundbar or external sound system. Its tiny form factor, included RF remote and power-efficient design, allow you to hide the stick behind just about any TV without any visible wires. It doesn’t even require a wall outlet as the unit can be fully powered from the USB port found at the back of most modern TVs (USB cable included).
The Streaming Stick Plus even comes with a voice remote that allows you to search for content using your voice. The remote also allows quick navigation through Roku’s menus with direct one-key shortcuts to Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV+ and Amazon Prime Video.
The list price of the Roku Streaming Stick Plus 4K is $59.99 but it frequently goes on sale for substantially less.
Why We Picked It: Smooth straightforward navigation, robust app access, Apple AirPlay 2 support, minimal advertising, support for 4K with HDR and HDR10+ and Dolby Atmos at a fairly low price
Note: that Roku was acquired by FOX in 2026, but so far, we have not seen this acquisition impact the platform in any meaningful way.
For more details, check out my full review of the Roku Streaming Stick Plus.
Where to Buy: $59.99 at Amazon
Best Upgraded Streaming Stick: Amazon FireTV 4K Max
While basic streaming sticks work well for most people, Amazon’s latest FireTV Stick 4K Max offers a few upgrades that power users will appreciate, namely a more powerful processor, more on-board storage and faster Wi-Fi 6e connectivity compared to FireTV sticks. My main reason for recommending the FireTV Stick 4K Max is its support for both Dolby Vision HDR and HDR10+ dynamic HDR as well as support for Dolby Atmos Music.
Many streaming devices and TVs support Dolby Atmos on video streaming apps, but very few support Dolby Atmos on music streaming apps like Apple Music and Amazon Music Unlimited. The FireTV Stick 4K Max is one of the few that supports this. As someone who listens to a lot of music in immersive Dolby Atmos surround sound, I appreciate having a compact streaming stick that allow me to listen to my playlists in Dolby Atmos through my home theater and living room sound systems.
On the down side, the FireTV platform lacks support for Apple AirPlay or Google Cast, though you can workaround this with apps in the Fire TV app library, to a certain extent. Amazon offers its own casting solution, called Alexa Cast which allows customers to cast videos from the Amazon Prime Video app to the FireTV Stick 4K Max for display on the big screen.
While some find the ad-forward interface of Fire TV devices to be annoying, some of this can be minimized in the device set-up.
We should note that the FireTV Stick Max has gone up in price substantially in 2026, now selling for $84.99, compared to last year’s $59.99, though you should be able to find it discounted during sales events. Also, the “Max” may be due for a refresh soon as the basic Fire TV Stick 4K was updated in late 2026 with a whole new, more responsive user interface.
Why We Picked It: Straightforward user interface, support for 4K video with HDR10, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision high dynamic range, supports Dolby Atmos music in Amazon Music app, in addition to supporting Dolby Atmos in most major video streaming services.
Where to Buy: $84.99 at Amazon
Best Streaming Media Player for Power Users: NVIDIA Shield Pro
Though the hardware in the NVIDIA Shield Pro hasn’t been updated in several years, and the Android TV platform feels a bit dated, software updates over time have helped keep the SHIELD operating at its best and it remains a good choice for power users. With a larger form factor than most streaming devices, but still quite compact, the Shield Pro has plenty of room for a powerful processor (NVIDIA’s own Tegra X1+ chip). This processor is put to good use as the Shield Pro is particularly effective at upconverting standard definition and high definition content to UHD 4K resolution. As for 4K HDR, the Shield Pro supports HDR10 and Dolby Vision HDR, but not HDR10+.
The Shield Pro is particularly effective for two things: local networked media playback through apps such as Plex, and cloud gaming via the GeForce NOW service which can stream games in 4K/HDR at up to 60 frames/second. For local/networked media playback, the Shield Pro supports nearly all of the popular audio and video codecs and can passthrough lossless audio streams, including DTS-HD Master Audio, DTS:X, Dolby TrueHD and Dolby Atmos. Those who have built their own media library by ripping their physical media collection onto local hard drives can build their own sort of “poor man’s Kaleidescape” system using apps like Plex and Kodi.
The Shield Pro does not currently support DTS:X Profile 2 (DTS:X For Streaming) as that codec requires local decoding or transcoding, as well as a DTS:X license. But the only major streaming service using this in the U.S. is Disney+ and only on select TVs.
The Shield Pro is built on the Android TV platform, which feels a bit clunky compared to the more modern Google TV alternative. But you do get access to the Android Play Store with all the popular streaming services. This includes support for Netflix, which is unavailable on some Android TV-based devices. Some users replace the default app launcher with other alternatives in order to modernize the look and feel. The Shield Pro also allows direct “side-loading” of apps that may not be listed in the store. Use these apps at your own risk as they have not been vetted for inclusion in the Play Store.
The remote control does offer backlight buttons, which is nice, but it lacks a “Home” button which can make navigation among apps a bit trickier. As a work-around, you can use the Shield mobile app, which does offer a “Home” button.
Like many streaming devices, the Shield Pro price recently increased, from $199 to $299 (MSRP). As of the publication of this article in November, 2026, it was not in stock at Amazon, but is still for sale at Best Buy and New Egg.
Why We Picked It: More open architecture and app platform than most competitors makes it a good fit for power users, can side-load “unofficial” apps, good upconversion of legacy SD and HD content to 4K, support for HDR10 and Dolby Vision HDR, passthrough of both Dolby Atmos and DTS-X sound
Where to Buy: $299 at Best Buy
Best Streamer for Apple/iOS Users: Apple TV 4K
Apple users who want to stay within their favorite ecosystem have only a couple of good choices in streaming devices, and they’re both the Apple TV 4K. While the previous version (2022 model), still holds its own (and is still currently available for purchase), the new Apple TV 4K for 2026 (4th generation, shipping this month) offers a few significant upgrades, including WiFi 7, a more powerful processor (A19 vs. A15) and more on-board RAM for zippier navigation. It also offers unique new features like the ability to drive four of the company’s HomePod speakers wirelessly for discrete multi-channel Dolby Atmos surround sound as well as a new far-field microphone that enables hands-free access to Siri for search and navigation.
Apple users will be familiar with the navigation menus and will appreciate that they can easily link the device to their Apple accounts in order to gain access to purchased content, subscribed services and playlists. But that Apple menu with multiple home screens can be a bit confusing to those who don’t use other Apple devices. And set-up without an existing Apple device or Apple account is more complicated.
We like that the Apple Music and TIDAL apps on the Apple TV 4K support Dolby Atmos music, and an update in TVOS 26.4 finally addressed a persistent problem where the first couple of seconds of Dolby Atmos tracks were clipped.
We also like that Apple TV supports higher bandwidth audio and video streams than on competitive streaming boxes, particularly with its own native Apple TV+ streaming service. Video streams can be as high as 30 mbps or even slightly higher while other streamers usually max out at around 20 mbps. Dolby Atmos in particular can be streamed at up to 768 kbps, while other streaming devices normally cap the Dolby Atmos stream at 448, 512 or 640 kpbs. The net effect is that movies, TV shows and music played through the Apple TV 4K can be slightly crisper in both picture and sound and display fewer visible and audible compression artifacts than they do on other streaming devices.
In a recent update (tvOS 18.2) Apple added support to the Apple TV 4K for alternate aspect ratios: specifically 21:9 (2.33:1). This allows the Apple TV menus and content to fill a CinemaScope screen, which is nice for those with ultra wide computer monitors or CinemaScope projection screens.
The Apple TV 4K was also recently updated to support wireless pairing with third party speakers and soundbars via AirPlay 2. You can even get Dolby Atmos audio via this wireless connection (theoretically), though we have yet to find a third party soundbar which actually works with the Apple TV 4K for Dolby Atmos content. In our testing, the sound output has been degraded to 2-channel PCM sound. In any case, we’d recommend using a hard-wired HDMI connection for the best Dolby Atmos experience from the Apple TV 4K.
Like other streaming boxes, the Apple TV 4K has seen a price increase in 2026. The 128 GB version from 2022 recently jumped from $199 to $249 and the 2026 updated version (also 128 GB) sells for $299.
Why We Picked It: Best option for iOS fans with a preference for the Apple ecosystem, high quality video and audio streaming, support for CinemaScope (21:9) projectors and screens, support for discrete wireless Dolby Atmos surround sound, regardless of what TV you pick (2026 version only) and support for Dolby Atmos music on TIDAL and Apple Music.
Note: Our Editors’ Choice pick for the 2022 version is unqualified, based on extensive hands-on testing. The inclusion of 2026 version is conditional, based on the need for further hands-on testing.
Where to Buy: $299 at Best Buy
Best OTA Tuner: Zapperbox M1 ATSC 3.0 Dual Tuner/DVR
While OTA (over the air) tuners are a bit different from streaming media players, they do serve a similar function: providing access to high quality video content from your TV or projector. Streamers primarily stream content “on-demand” from cloud servers on the internet while OTA tuners typically access live local TV broadcasts via an antenna on the roof or inside your home.
There are two commonly used OTA broadcast formats: ATSC 1.0 and ATSC 3.0 (aka, “NextGen TV“). The older ATSC 1.0 standard is capped at high definition 1080i or 720p resolution and can include PCM 2.0 (stereo) or 5.1-channel Dolby Digital audio. The newer ATSC 3.0 standard can support up to 4K resolution with HDR (high dynamic range) and Dolby Atmos immersive surround sound. ATSC 3.0 is capable of much higher audio and video quality than ATSC 1.0 but it also can include DRM copy protection, which makes it a bit tricky to manage broadcasts and recordings, even within a single home network.
One company that is on the leading edge of making this great free ATSC 3.0 content accessible to viewers is BitRouter, makers of the Zapperbox family of ATSC 3.0 tuners and DVRs. The Zapperbox tuners, DVRs and media players are among the first that can not only view DRM-protected content anywhere in your home, but can actually record and playback that protected content within the home network as well.
We tested the ZapperBox M1 dual tuner ATSC 3.0 tuner/DVR and found that it offered high quality recorded and live video and audio playback of ATSC 3.0 content with a reasonably simple user interface. The M1, as delivered, is a tuner only device with two built-in tuners, but adding DVR functionality is as simple as connecting a USB hard drive or SD card to store the recordings.
In our local market (NYC), the highest quality broadcasts we’ve been able to get are in 1080p resolution with HDR and with Dolby Atmos surround sound. These broadcasts are particularly well suited to live sports such as football and the Olympics. The fast motion of live sports is captured and played back nicely in progressive (not interlaced) 1080p with rich colors and nice dynamic range thanks to HDR10 HDR encoding.
ZapperBox does include a basic program guide (24 hours) for free with manual recordings, but to take advantage of whole home DVR functionality and metadata-based scheduled recording, you’ll need to opt for the premium 14-day Zapperbox program guide. The guide currently costs $4.99/month but you can cut that in half with an annual subscription ($29.99/year) or opt for a one time “lifetime” subscription for $150 for a single tuner or $300 for a dual tuner device.
Since we first reviewed the ZapperBox, the company has delivered multiple new features for free including whole home DVR playback of DRM-protected content. The company has plans to develop a mobile app and a TV app as well as providing access to your recorded content and live broadcasts from outside your home and currently has this working (for ATSC 1.0 content) with app partners such as Plex. The company is working to bring similar functionality to DRM-protected ATSC 3.0 broadcasts and recordings.
The ZapperBox dual tuner tuner/DVR currently sells for $299.99. Single tuner ($199.99) and quad tuner ($399.99) versions are also available.
Why We Picked It: Free access to local TV broadcasts in high quality video and audio (1080p/4K/HDR/Dolby Atmos) with minimal compression artifacts, free basic DVR, enhanced DVR with 14-day guide for $30/year or a one-time upfront fee, functionality is constantly being added via free updates
Where to Buy: $299 at ZapperBox | Amazon
The Bottom Line
Those looking to add video streaming to an older TV or projector have no shortage of options. Whether your budget is tight or more flexible, there are plenty of great choices out there and these are some of our current favorites.
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