What is the streaming media player?

Streaming media players are devices that are connected to a TV or home theatre, allowing you to stream music, videos, games and other forms of entertainment from the internet, external drives or your mobile phone.

For you to be able to use most streaming media player, you require a HDTV, a home network (wired or wireless) and a broadband internet connection. Then in order to use Netflix, Hulu plus etc., you will be required to subscribe to their services. Some streaming options like YouTube are usually free.

Streaming media is easy. You just install a streaming media player on your computer. This downloads say 10 seconds of the video and stores/buffers it then starts playing. It then starts downloading the next 10seconds for the moment when you will get there. Depending on the speed of download, you may watch a seamless video or experience interruptions during buffering. The computer will not store the downloaded file, it deletes it immediately after playing to create room for the next bits.

Streaming media player enables way to share critical information in a simple way with collaborators who could not participate. You no longer have to wait for the entire video to download so as to start watching it. Also, unlike downloads, you get to experience your file in real-time, with only a few changes due to the buffering time. It also helps to protect your files from piracy.

The different types of streaming media players include:

• Genuine streaming – you get to stream, download and play simultaneously. Quality is not far from that of the downloaded file.
• Pseudo-streaming – it downloads a large chunk of the video to your browser’s cache. You therefore have to wait for downloading to occur before you can forward the video. Also, the downloaded file remains in your computer’s cache even after watching.

Before buying a streaming media player: it is important that you understand the kind of services that you need and find a player with the ability to stream that content. Also, go for a device that supports other media other than films and TV shows.

When choosing the best media player, always consider if you really need one to avoid getting tied to long-term service contracts. The cost is also a major point to put to consideration, do not strain your pocket. Go for a player that will give you a long service timeline and allow you to watch as many channels as possible.

Below are reviews of some of the best media players available in the market:

10. Amazon Fire TV Stick

Connecting this device to your TV’s HDMI port to enjoy 250,000+ movies and TV episodes plus many more forms of entertainment. No more stress on storage with this TV stick that has 2x the memory and 4x the storage of Chromecast. It also features 1 GB of memory and a dual-core processor. Have your photos and videos uploaded automatically to the Amazon Cloud Drive for instant sharing. It is very fast such that no buffering will be needed.

09. Amazon Fire TV

Enjoy a whole new experience of high picture quality and direct streams of more than 250,000 movies, live TV and TV episodes. Enjoy the privilege of watching whatever you want anytime, anywhere. With its higher processing power, enjoy better Wi-Fi support, better graphics, 2 GB memory and 8GB of storage, expandable up to 128GB. All prime members have unlimited access to Prime Video and over a million songs on Prime Music at no extra cost.

08. Roku 3500R Streaming Stick

This stick design discreetly plugs into your TV’s HDMI port giving you access to over 2, 000 entertainment channels. Easy to control via the mobile or with a remote. Using mobile apps like YouTube and Netflix, you get to share videos directly from your mobile to the TV. Enjoy the rich, high quality video streaming of up to 1080p HD. Access of some channels require you to be subscribed.

07. Roku 2 Streaming Media Player

Enjoy faster media performance and higher 1080p HD picture quality at an unbelievable cost. Get to stream over 2000 channels that offer access to over 250, 000 TV episodes and movies plus sports, music etc. Subscribed members access fast streaming services at no extra fee. It features microSD card, USB and Ethernet port with a simple remote having shortcut buttons for all channels. Works perfectly with mobile devices.

06. Roku 3 Streaming Media Player

This media player has remote, headphones and gaming features. Enjoy streaming 2000+channels which vary from free, subscription, rental or buy. You are free to search any program across most of these channels and it works perfectly with mobile phones. Roku 3 is compatible with almost any HDMI enabled TV and with the necessary equipment, setting up is very easy. In fact there is a step-by-step user guide for beginners.

05. Roku 4 Streaming Media Player

Choose from the largest selection of entertainment including TV shows, movies, music, news, sports, kid programs and many more. With 4K ultra HD TVs, it displays picture of brilliant quality and clarity. The enhanced remote allows for voice search, and you get to watch whatever you want instantly. Follow up entertainment that is yet to be released, know the release date and the price. It is compatible with almost any TV that has a HDMI connection.

04. Steam Link

For the perfect performance of this device, it is highly recommended that you use a wired network. It helps expand the current gaming range of the existing steam gamers through the home network. Audio and video data is to the steam link from your computer and the controller input is returned in real time. This enables your TV to play almost any game that is on your computer.

03. Micca Speck G2 Digital Media Player

This is a very powerful video player that allows you to conveniently play your favorite music, video and photo on any TV or HDTV. It supports formats of up to a resolution of 1080p Full HD. It has a lightweight compact design for portability. This player supports USB hard drives, USB drives, SD/SDHC cards, NTFS and MBR FAT32 file systems.

02. TiVo Mini with RF Remote

Bring a whole new TiVo DVR experience to your home today. Use Ethernet or MoCA cables to connect to any 4-/6- tuner TiVo via the home internet. You get to watch both live and recorded shows and also enjoy access to movies, sports and TV shows from service providers like Hulu plus, Netflix, Amazon and enjoy fast streaming of music. It comes with all convenient features including rewind, 30-second skip and pause.

01. Matricom G-Box Q Quad/Octo Core XBMC/Kodi Android TV Box

It exhibits 4x much power compared to competing brands. It features a USB port that allows you to game on your screen. Enjoy maximum picture clarity and no longer stress about cumbersome firmware installations with the new cloud updating where updates are sent instantly and installations are easy and convenient. Install and customize as many apps as possible backed by the 16GB storage.
Conclusion
This is definitely a new era of entertainment. Do not be left behind to the ancient times. Join the move and enjoy as much entertainment as possible.