A media streaming device essentially allows you to connect your television or home theater to the internet and stream audio and video from online services. There are many media streaming devices that are being launched in the market but there are four which make it to most lists on account of the quality of services provided. Given below is a list of four popular media streaming devices you can check out:

1. Roku
Roku has a wide range of players for streaming media. Their devices have access to Sling TV, Showtime, HBO, Hulu, and Netflix. They have a huge selection of smaller video channels and they pride themselves on the fact that you can watch anything on Roku. The brand offers a remote, and different versions have a headphone jack to enable one member of the family to watch their shows without disturbing the others. They also have a streaming stick through their mobile app which lets you listen to music. Their range is priced between $50 and $130 and they offer a variety of devices like Roku 1, Roku Streaming Stick, Roku 3 and Roku 4.

2. Google Chromecast 3
This is not the regular set-top box as the Chromecast is a disc that is plugged into the HDMI port on the TV. Other streaming devices go for the regular TV-style service which is controlled by a remote. Chromecast is completely digital, with no remote and is controlled by the laptop, tablet or smartphone. It has a great search feature too. In this, you can use apps on your phone to decide what you want to watch and ‘cast’ it on the TV, making it more like a smartphone than a media streaming device.

3. Apple TV 4k
This media streaming device’s selling feature is access to the Apple App Store, Apple Music, and iTunes, which are not available on any other media streaming device. The Apple App Store brings big names to the screen and it also has a touchpad that lets you zoom, a microphone that allows you to access the menu, and control the device through speech. It does show HBO, Showtime, Hulu, and Netflix but does not give access to Twitch or Sling TV. You can stream content from your iPod touch, iPad and iPhone, making it ideal for brand loyalists.

4. Android TV
This media streaming device has a very limited selection but the Nvidia Shield Android TV at $200 is a tempting option. It covers the basic features and provides access to play new games like Nvidia’s GeForce. Nvidia Shield is great as a gaming gadget but its TV features are very basic. It is the best device if you are looking for something that works perfectly for the TV and games and costs less than a gaming console.