Turn your TV into a winter wonderland with these free screensavers

Bill Wilson - December 19, 2017

If you don’t have a fireplace, or live somewhere where you can see peaceful snowfall outside your window…don’t fret! After you’re done watching Christmas movies, the free screensavers below can provide some great scenery for holiday parties or while the family is opening presents on Christmas morning.
Fun fact: the yule log virtual fireplace is scientifically proven to make your room feel warmer!
The Roku Channel – In addition to hundreds of free movies and TV shows, The Roku Channel has a special row this month titled ‘Classic Holiday Sounds & Specials’ with the screensavers below plus much more holiday entertainment.
Roku Winter Wonderland

Yule log fireplace with crackling

Holiday fireplace with music and crackling

Snowflakes with music

The magical Christmas window with music

The cowboy fireplace with holiday music

Christmastime – Features the tree and fireplace scene and snow-themed screensavers

The Menorah 2017 – This free virtual Menorah has a scene and traditional blessing for each of the 8 nights of Hanukkah

Best Christmas Channel Ever 2017 – Highlights include the Christmas tree and fireplace screensaver seen below along with other fun Christmas TV episodes, movies and more

Seasons Streamings!

Source: https://blog.roku.com/blog/2017/12/19/winter-screensavers

How to Install Private Roku Channels and Unlock More Content

These days, it’s a toss-up between the Nvidia Shield and the new line of Roku hardware when it comes to being king of the streaming devices.

Even though the Nvidia device is more powerful and boasts a more user-friendly operating system in the shape of Android TV, the Roku devices have one huge advantage: private channels.
Sure, you can sideload apps onto your Android TV device, but they don’t come close to Roku’s private channels in either ease-of-access or ease-of-installation. How do you install private channels on a Roku? Keep reading to find out.

Installing Private Channels on Roku

Private channels aren’t listed in the main Roku Channel Store. Therefore, before you can install one, you need to know its unique code. Where can you find private channel codes? Your first port of call should be the Roku subreddit, where some of the best private channels are available.
Second, check out the many websites dedicated to cataloging private channels. Some of the best are rokuguide.com, streamfree.tv, and rokuchannels.tv.
When you’ve got a code, follow these step-by-step instructions:

1. Use a web browser to navigate to my.roku.com/account.
2. Fill in your account credentials and click Sign In.
3. Go to Manage Account > Add channel with a code.
4. Enter the channel code and click Add Channel.
5. Click OK on the next warning screen.
6. Confirm the installation by clicking Yes, add channel.

Technically, the channel can take up to 24 hours to appear on your device. However, you can make it appear instantly by turning on your Roku and going to Settings > System > System Update > Check Now.

Source: http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/install-private-roku-channels-unlock-content/

14 Classic TV Shows Worth Watching on Amazon Prime Video

Television shows have come a long way over the years and not just in terms of switching from black and white to color. The days when TV couples slept in separate beds and curse words were bleeped are over. However, if you miss those good old times of wholesome television then you’re in luck.
Amazon Prime Video has an awesome collection of classic TV shows available to watch with your membership. So why not make a snack, gather the family around the old gogglebox, and step back in time with these favorites from yesteryear.

1. I Love Lucy

Real-life couple Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz star in this hilarious comedy debuting in 1951. Lucy is the zany wife of Ricky Ricardo, a Cuban bandleader who never gives in to her desire to get on his stage. And Lucy, along with her neighbor and best friend Ethel, certainly gets into some silly and sticky situations.
From the job-switching episode where they stuff their mouths with chocolates, to the trip to Italy where Lucy squashes grapes with a local, I Love Lucy is a true classic.

2. The Honeymooners

In another husband and wife sitcom, Jackie Gleason and Audrey Meadows will make you laugh from their tiny Brooklyn apartment. This first episode aired in 1955 and, using comedy, follows the couple through their struggles. Ralph Kramden is forever scheming for an idea to make big money while his wife Alice is always there to rein him in at the end.
If you have never seen The Honeymooners, then check out the show that coined the phrase, “One of these days Alice — Pow! Straight to the moon!”

3. The Beverly Hillbillies

You may have seen the 1993 movie of the same name, but if you never watched the original TV hit, The Beverly Hillbillies, then you are missing out. Follow the Clampett family as they strike it rich in their country cabin home and head to high-class Beverly Hills with their millions. The humor comes in every episode as members of the family try to fit into city life.
When you are ready to check out their cement pond, follow Jed, Granny, Jethro, and Ellie May as they move to Beverly (Hills, that is).

4. The Andy Griffith Show

The Andy Griffith Show tells the story of a widower sheriff named Andy Taylor. Living in Mayberry, Andy, his son Opie, Aunt Bee, and Deputy Barney Fife will definitely make you chuckle. Starring Andy Griffith, Don Knotts, and Ron Howard, you already know this is the perfect crew to give you a laugh. The show debuted in 1960 and includes comical characters bumbling through their daily lives in small town USA.
The Andy Griffith Show ran for many years, turning from black and white to color and keeping audiences laughing along the way.

5. Petticoat Junction

You may not have heard of Petticoat Junction, but if you plan to visit Hootervile, you will enjoy your stay. A mother and her three daughters run the Shade Rest Hotel in the heart of another small town sitcom. But in a boring train-stop town, what is there for three beautiful young ladies to do? Tune in to find out what fun they concoct in this 1963 comedy.

6. My Favorite Martian

It may not be even close to The X-Files, but My Favorite Martian is a funny take on an alien story. Premiering in 1963, this sitcom follows a Martian who is stranded on earth after his ship crashes. He stays with a reporter and is disguised as the young man’s uncle.
Busybodies sense something is up and the Martian uses his powers here and there, bringing you a bundle of giggles.

7. The Three Stooges

You likely recall The Three Stooges, but have you ever actually watched an episode? With silly, slapstick humor, the comedy team of Moe, Larry, and Curly have been making people laugh since the 1920s. While the stooges went through their stages, from Curly to Shemp to Joe, Moe and Larry remained to keep the crew in check.
For a comedy that spans decades, check out at least one episode, if not more, of the iconic show The Three Stooges.

8. Family Affair

Do you remember those cute little twins Buffy and Jody and their big sister Cissy? If not, then it is time for you to watch Family Affair. All three kids are taken in by their uncle, played by Brian Keith. And the British butler Mr. French, played by Sebastian Cabot, keeps his eye on them as much as possible.
Considered a comedy and debuting in 1966, this timeless show will touch both your heart and your funny bone.

9. The Twilight Zone

Enter a different dimension with Rod Serling in the supernatural series, The Twilight Zone. The show first aired in 1959 and ran for five years bringing a suspenseful look at the unexplained. This series can be described as science fiction, horror, or drama, depending on the story. But one thing is for certain: The Twilight Zone is entertaining and enjoyable within each 30-minute episode.

10. The Cisco Kid

If you enjoy the Lone Ranger and Tonto in the old west, then take a look at The Cisco Kid and his sidekick Pancho. What started as a one-shot comic turned into a six-year show beginning in 1950. This serious but comical team fights to keep the locals safe from corruption.
Filmed in color, you will enjoy the humor that Pancho brings to every episode of The Cisco Kid.

11. Star Trek

Star Trek is one of the most popular science-fiction dramas of all time, and loved by many. The original series premiering in 1966 stars William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, and George Takei. The crew pilots the Starship Enterprise as it travels through space exploring the unknown.
Find your favorite episodes or check out entire seasons. Captain Kirk and Dr. Spock away your visit, so say “Beam me up, Scotty” and head to Amazon Prime Video for Star Trek. And while you’re there, take a peek at shows you can download and watch later How to Download Amazon Prime Videos to Watch Offline How to Download Amazon Prime Videos to Watch Offline Amazon has announced that Instant Video now allows offline viewing of movies and television shows on Android and iOS devices, and we have the full lowdown on how you can initiate this fantastic feature. Read More .

12. Mission: Impossible

Well before Tom Cruise starred in the movie, Mission: Impossible was a popular television show. This drama series, premiering in 1966, follows a group of spies on various, dangerous missions. Known as the Impossible Missions Force (IMF), the team tackles espionage with tact and talent.
If you want to see where it all began before it hit the big screen, check out the original Mission: Impossible.

13. The Rifleman

Maybe westerns are more your speed Love Classic TV? 4 Websites For Your Time Traveling Tube Love Classic TV? 4 Websites For Your Time Traveling Tube We all know that modern television just can't beat classic TV shows. You have to love the melodramatic acting, the cocky charm and wit, and the innocent story-lines (golly-gee-willikers, right?) Yes, I know I'm generalizing... Read More and if so, The Rifleman is your show. Starring Chuck Connors, you can watch this rancher take on desperados in the old west. While keeping his son safe and his land secure, this Union Civil War veteran and widower knows how to handle his rifle. For a good, old-school western series, check out The Rifleman.

14. Bonanza

On for almost 15 years, Bonanza takes you into the Cartwright family home on their ranch, the Ponderosa. The show stars Lorne Greene, Michael Landon, Dan Blocker, Pernell Roberts, and David Canary, for a wonderful lineup of talent.
Become a Cartwright for three episodes as these men defend their land and help their community in this classic TV drama.

What’s Your Favorite Classic TV Show?

There are still so many more classic televisions shows that would be great to see on Amazon Prime. Hopefully the oldies but goodies keep coming. And, if you need even more television shows that are worth your time on Amazon Prime Video, check out this cool list 10+ TV Shows That Make Amazon Prime Worth the Money 10+ TV Shows That Make Amazon Prime Worth the Money Netflix is undoubtedly the king of the movie and TV show streaming services. However, Amazon Prime has some fantastic television shows that make it worth the asking price. Read More .

Source: http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/classic-tv-shows-amazon-prime-video/

3 Graphical User Interface Applications using FFmpeg

FFmpeg is a freeware video and audio encoder. There are versions for Windows, Linux, and MacOS.

FFmpeg GUIs
A GUI is a graphical user interface that makes it easy for a user to work with FFmpeg. Since FFmpeg is open-source, various developers have built software to utilize it with simple GUIs.


Benefits to Using a GUI
Since FFmpeg is used through a command line interface (CLI), there is a relatively steep learning curve for users who are unfamiliar with this type of interface. Using a CLI requires that the user understand how to write commands with the proper language and syntax. Software that provides a GUI makes using FFmpeg as easy as clicking a few buttons and setting a few parameters.
Examples:

• AVANTI - FFmpeg/AviSynth GUI: http://avanti.arrozcru.com/
•  
• WinFF: http://winff.org/html_new/
•  
• FFmpegx (mac): http://www.FFmpegx.com/
•  
• Handbrake: http://handbrake.fr/
•  
• Mpeg streamclip: http://www.squared5.com/
•  

Limitations to Using a GUI
Using a GUI allows the user to jump right into FFmpeg, but it obfuscates what’s happening “under the hood.” Some users may want to know the FFmpeg command generated by using the GUI, and that is not always accessible. Also, GUIs are not always up to date with the latest version of FFmpeg.

Source: https://github.com/amiaopensource/ffmpeg-amia-wiki/wiki/3)-Graphical-User-Interface-Applications-using-FFmpeg

Other helpful links:
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPV7JXTWPWI

Windows - http://ffmpeg.zeranoe.com/builds/

Download FFMPEG: https://www.ffmpeg.org/download.html

Download PeaZip: http://www.peazip.org/ Full

FFMPEG Documentation: https://ffmpeg.org/ffmpeg.html

FFMPEG Filter Documentation: https://ffmpeg.org/ffmpeg-filters.html

All FFMPEG features: https://ffmpeg.org/documentation.html

H.264 vs H.265 — A technical comparison. When will H.265 dominate the market?

Stream4S opinion on when H.265 will become the standard codec on the market.

Remember those frustrating times when you were watching a video or a movie online and all of the sudden you experienced a loss of quality? Now it can be possible to stream high-quality videos in congested network environments in a faster and virtuous way. Conceived to boost video streaming, High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC), or H.265, is a video compression standard designed to substantially improve coding efficiency when compared to its precedent, the Advanced Video Coding (AVC), or H.264. With an increasing growth of video streaming on the Internet over popular websites such as Netflix and YouTube, and with 4K cameras gaining new ground in the market, a considerable amount of storage and bandwidth is required. HEVC promises a 50% storage reduction as its algorithm uses efficient coding by encoding video at the lowest possible bit rate while maintaining a high image quality level.

As many of us, Stream4s believes HEVC will revolutionize how video data is displayed, either online, on television and even in the surveillance industry. With this new format, image resolutions around 8192×4320 become possible to display and stream. To demonstrate the incredible power of this codec, a subjective video performance study was made between these two codecs to understand how intensely is this bit reduction. The study showed the bit reduction is inversely proportional to the video image quality, where HEVC/H.265 presented a bit reduction of 52% at 480p and 64% at 4K UHD when compared to H.264. Besides this outstanding bit reduction, when compared to H.264, HEVC/H.265 delivers a significantly better visual quality, when compressed to the same file size or bitrate.

 

 Powerful Streaming — at what cost?

Even though HEVC is already finalized, it is still not popular. Apart from the fact that the codec is patented by various parties and it is associated with high licensing fees, HEVC/H.265 comes with the trade-off requiring almost 10x more computing power. This new technology is on standby until the hardware market adapts to it, as it happened already with H.264, launched in 2003 but only gaining popularity a few years later. Hardware manufacturers are already starting to adjust their products to support this new format to fulfill the intense market need. Even though some softwares such as VideoLAN are capable to decode such codec, software decoding, although more flexible, is not an option since hardware decoding is usually faster and saves battery life tremendously. Nevertheless, hardware still takes up valuable disc space on either the CPU or GPU.

 

HVEC vs H.264 — a technical comparison

Both codecs work by comparing different parts of a video frame in order to find the ones that are redundant within the subsequent frames. These areas are replaced with a short information, describing the original pixels. What differs HEVC/H.265 from H.264 is the ability to expand the size of these areas into bigger or smaller blocks, called coding tree units (CTU) in the HEVC/H.265. The pattern CTU sizes can be from 4×4 to 64×64, whilst H.264 only allows a maximum block-size of 16×16 (CTU is particular feature of HEVC). An improved CTU segmentation, as well as a better motion compensation and spatial prediction require much more signal processing capability for video compression, but has a significantly less impact on the amount of computation needed for decompression. Motion compensated prediction, another great progress in HEVC/H.265, references blocks of pixels to another area in the same frame (intra prediction) or in another frame (inter prediction).

As mentioned above, CTU are one of the HEVC’s main coding tools. Apart from this, the codec relies on paralleling processing computing techniques to make it even faster and supports advanced extensions as AVX/AVX2 and FMA3/FMA4. The individual rectangular regions that divide the image are independent and enable parallel processing. Besides, HEVC also has another feature that H.264 doesn’t possess: Wavefront Parallel Processing (WPP), a sort of decision tree that grants a more productive and effectual compression.

Several other coding tools used in H.264 are continued in this new codec, although with some slight, yet unprecedented, changes. The lossless data compression entropy coding, the Context-adaptive binary arithmetic coding (CABAC), is preserved in HEVC/H.265 but in a slightly upgraded version. Intra prediction is another feature that suffered significantly improvements in relation to H.264. HEVC stipulates 33 directional modes while H.264 limits them to 8 and allows DC intra prediction as well as planar prediction. An additional improvement is mainly due to the Adaptive Motion Vector Prediction, the newest method for inter prediction as it uses the picture information in a more concise way.

Thanks to the notably improvements that can be seen in this new codec, Stream4s is confident that HEVC/H.265 will become the universal standard codec, as soon as the hardware catches up.

HEVC/H.265 not only has a better visual quality at a low storage and bandwidth but also a dexterously coding algorithm by encoding motion vectors with much greater precision and minimal residual errors. Besides the preeminent method used for inter prediction, this new codec also presents an improved deblocking filter and sample adaptive offset to reduce even more artifacts.

Another excellent tutorial on it:

https://youtu.be/Fawcboio6g4

Here is a YouTube demo. The difference is dramatic for h.265:

https://youtu.be/qL22L0mRSDs



Source: https://medium.com/advanced-computer-vision/h-264-vs-h-265-a-technical-comparison-when-will-h-265-dominate-the-market-26659303171a

The Difference Between DVD and Blu-ray

Blu-ray has finally won the high definition format war, but that is just the beginning. There is a lot of confusion out there among the general public about the difference between DVD and Blu-ray discs. Although Blu-ray discs look exactly the same as DVDs in size and shape there are many differences between the media, including storage capacity, laser technology, disc construction, image resolution and player compatibility.

Storage Capacity
Storage capacity is measured in gigabytes (GB), like computers and iPods. The more GB the disc has more information it can hold.

• DVD- Single layer DVDs can store about 4.7 GB of data, which is about two hours worth of movie. These are commonly referred to as DVD-5s. Double layer DVDs, or DVD-9s, can store twice the amount of data at 8.7 GB. This equals about four hours of movie, or one “Lord of the Rings” movie.
• Blu-ray- Single layer Blu-ray discs store approximately 25 GB of data, this equals about two hours of high definition information or 13 hours of standard definition information. Double layer Blu-ray discs can hold about 50 GB equaling about four and a half hours of high definition information or 26 hours in standard definition. Potentially you could put all three “Lord of the Rings” movies on one double layer Blu-ray disc.

Laser Technology
Lasers are used in both media to read the information stored on the disc. As the disc spins the laser reads the information and transfers both picture and sound to the television.

• DVD- DVD players use a red laser at 650nm wave length to read DVD discs. As the disc spins the laser reads the information encoded on the media and produces an image and sound on your television.
• Blu-ray- Like the name suggests Blu-ray players use a blue laser to read the stored information. Blue laser wavelengths are shorter than the red at 405nm and are about two and a half times smaller in diameter than red lasers. This allows for closer and more precise reading of information stored on the disc.

Disc Construction
Physically, Blu-ray and DVD discs are identical. Both media have grooves or pits on their bottom layer than enables the laser to penetrate through and read the stored information.

• DVD- Since DVDs are read with a red laser the grooves on its underside need to be wide enough to accommodate the larger wavelength. Because the grooves are so far apart only 4.7 GB of information can be stored on each layer of the disc. DVDs also include a protective layer designed to resist scratching.
• Blu-ray- The grooves on a Blu-ray disc are much thinner and closer together because the blue laser used to read the disc has a shorter wave length and is two and a half times thinner than the red laser. This allows the Blu-ray disc to squeeze almost five times as many grooves on to a disc exactly the same size as a DVD. Blu-ray also includes a protective layer to prevent scratches. This protective layer is physically thinner than the one on a DVD, but it has a hard coating that makes it more scratch resistant.

Image Resolution
Image resolution is measured by the number of vertical lines times the number of horizontal lines of light in a picture. It is represented by the number of horizontal lines going across the screen like 480, 720 or 1080. The higher the number the higher the resolution and more detailed the picture.

• DVD- Almost all DVDs have a standard definition resolution of 480 or enhanced definition resolution of 520. These resolutions look great on a standard “tube” TV utilizing all available pixels on the screen. However, if blown up to accommodate a widescreen HDTV the picture may look grainy. Although a DVD can store high definition data it would only fit about 30 minutes maximum.
• Blu-ray- Blu-ray was designed for high definition 1080 display. Since they can store 25 GB of data you can fit an entire HD movie on a single layer disc. Blu-ray currently has the best image resolution on the market and looks great on HDTVs. Blu-ray discs are one of the few signal sources that displays in 1080, not even HD cable or satellite companies can claim that yet.

Player Compatibility
Some of us are still recovering from the VHS to DVD format switch of almost 10 years ago, slowly upgrading our VHS collections to DVD. Now, there is a new, better format on the horizon and many are still skeptical. However, you’ll be happy to hear that all Blu-ray players support DVDs.

• DVD Players- Blu-ray discs cannot and will not play in a standard DVD player, because the red laser used in DVD players is too large to read the tiny grooves in a Blu-ray disc.
• Blu-ray Players- All Blu-ray players currently on the market (including the Playstation 3) are backwards compatible and will still play standard DVDs. However, the DVD image displayed, while still decent, will not be high definition quality like a Blu-ray disc.

Fear not technophobes, the transition from DVD to Blu-ray will be relatively painless once the price of Blu-ray players starts to come down. With the exception of storage capacity perhaps the best thing Blu-ray has going for it is its higher image resolution and compatibility with standard DVDs. To find the Blu-ray player that fits your budget see our Blu-ray DVD players review.

Source: http://www.toptenreviews.com/electronics/articles/the-difference-between-dvd-and-blu-ray/

Why Blu-ray's Better Than DVD

New format trumps its predecessor, plain and simple.

Having soundly defeated HD DVD, Blu-ray now reigns supreme atop the home video format hierarchy. But in spite of that convincing victory, BD technology has yet to be fully embraced by consumers. Like that nagging fly that you just can't seem to swat, standard-def DVD is still buzzing around.


Last week, we made a pretty convincing case as to why DVD could be viewed as "better" than Blu-ray. To the delight of those of you who ripped us a new one after reading that article (we love a good controversy), this counter-argument will attempt to prove the opposing view: Why Blu-ray is better than DVD.
There's no denying that Blu-ray is technically superior. The picture looks amazing and features like BD-Live, when properly showcased, are unrivaled.
The hardware may be expensive, but if you're a serious gamer you probably already own a PS3. Problem solved.
The gloves have come off. It's on like Donkey Kong! (Insert your own cliché here.) And the Blu-ray vs. DVD battle continues. Check out our reasons why we think Blu-ray is better than DVD, and let us know what you think in the comments below. Continues
 

Freakin' Awesome Picture
There's no arguing that Blu-ray is the superior format when it comes to audio and video. It just is.  With a resolution that's six times that of DVD, a quick check of any blockbuster Blu-ray will amaze you with 1080p sharpness. The colors, the detail, and the clarity of motion are all vastly improved over their DVD counterparts.
You don't have to be a math genius to figure out that 1080 is more than 420, but as videophiles know, what that really means is that you're getting more than two and a half times as much visual information in those tiny little lines on your screen, and that makes for five times the amount of detail. That allows for more detail, definition and dimension than you normally get on DVD.
These days, a lot of films are made with high-definition cameras, so Blu-ray is able to provide an image much closer to the source. That makes for a picture that's truer to life and far more attractive than anything in standard-def. And that's not just the case with new releases either. Even older titles like The Godfather, animated features like Sleeping Beauty and black and white classics like Casablanca benefit from this technology. It's like discovering your favorite films all over again... for the first time. Or something.

The Godfather on Blu-ray: An offer you can't refuse.

Mind-Blowing Audio
Any legit home theater enthusiast knows that sound is truly 50 percent of the entertainment viewing experience. It's a good thing, then, that Blu-ray's awesome visuals are matched by the stunning depth and complexity of the surround-sound, with certain discs offering 7.1 surround and all discs providing an infinitely more crisp and clear audio presentation.
Even if your home theater is not equipped to handle full 7.1 channel surround sound, the digital Dolby TrueHD and lossless DTS-HD Master Audio tracks that come on most Blu-ray discs are more than sufficient to blow the roof off your living room.
Listening to an amazing audio presentation like the one offered on the recent Akira Blu-ray will change the way you hear movies. There's nothing like the rich, full, booming sound you get from a truly immersive mix that you can feel down to your bones. Even in a more quiet, subtle film, you'll hear background details you might have otherwise missed. Nothing draws you into a film more than feeling like you are right there in the middle of the action.
DVD simply can't match the aural awesomeness of Blu-ray. End of story.

Mo' Better Blus
Blu-ray discs allow more creative potential for the film's extras, animated menus, pop-up tracks and picture-in-picture features and commentaries. And, of course, there are all the interactive possibilities of BD-Live -- more on that in a sec.
The Blu-ray experience allows viewers to explore menu options without leaving the movie, and to bookmark favorite scenes -- two simple features that have a big impact once you actually begin to make use of them.
We'll be the first to admit that BD-Live has left us wanting. The blame for this, however, lies at the feet of the studios who have not fully grasped how to leverage this amazing technology.
BD-Live, for any n00bs who might be reading this, is a set of special online features available on compatible titles to viewers with an Internet-ready player. You can download extra content, checkout online bonus features, and participate in interactive chats. Where DVD might have allowed you to listen to a director's prerecorded commentary, BD-Live can take you right into his living room for a real-time conversation about the film -- Universal offered just that with Guillermo del Toro on the Hellboy II: The Golden Army Blu-ray.
There's even gaming potential with BD-Live -- another possibility that remains largely untapped. Take, for instance, the fully interactive, multiplayer trivia game included on the Men In Black Blu-ray. It feels more like a full-featured videogame than just another extra on a movie disc. The online portion of the game features lobbies, the option to host tournaments for various numbers of players (up to 8), and the ability to customize questions.

What they said.

Once studios really get hip to BD-Live technology, there will be a lot more cool stuff. We can't wait.
Beyond the benefits of killer interactive content, certain BD-Live players can also be upgraded using the BD-Live Connection. Your DVD player just became a boat anchor.

It Makes Your HD Set-Up Legit
You know that massive flat-screen HD TV you just got? Or how about that spiffy surround-sound system? Maybe you just got them to replace a busted set or components, or maybe just to watch the game. Regardless, everything is going to be vastly improved by the Blu-ray experience. And it'll make you feel substantially better about the money you've sunk into living room technology.
If you're still hesitant about shelling out for a Blu-ray player, consider that Sony's PlayStation 3 will play Blu-rays. The Blu-ray features aren't just an afterthought either, they're a core part of the machine. In fact, the PS3 actually plays BR discs better than many current standalone players. Yes, it's expensive, but rumors of a significant price drop persist. But even if you're just a casual gamer, we think it's worth the money.

The price may drop on Sony's Blu-ray playing PlayStation 3


Blu-ray Players Will Play Old Stuff
Given the fact that the DVD has been deemed the most successful consumer product ever, you probably own a ton of them. Not to worry. Blu-ray players will play standard-def DVDs as well as audio CDs, just like your old DVD player.
There was a time -- those of you reading this over the age of 20 will remember -- when the emergence of a new home video format meant that your entire collection was rendered obsolete. Blu-ray players play the exact same 12cm and 8cm discs that you could play in your old school player. So, unlike the jumps from VHS, to Laserdisc, to DVD, the Blu-ray switch should be completely painless.
In fact, most Blu-ray players won't just play your DVDs, they'll make them better. This is accomplished through upscaling technology, pig's blood, and black magic. (Just seeing if you were paying attention.) Upscaling boosts your old assy DVDs to nearly 1080p/1080i quality. That means everything you watch will be astonishing -- except scenes from the Star Wars prequels featuring Jar Jar Binks, which will always look like crap no matter what.

Not an upscaled Episode I DVD screenshot, but even if it were: Still crap.

Technical Knockout
Without getting overly technical, the term "Blu-ray" comes from the blue-violet laser used to interpret the data on the disc (as opposed to the red used for standard DVDs). Because of that laser's shorter wavelength, a Blu-ray disc is able to compress more information into the same amount of space, allowing for up to 50 GB of information on a dual-layered disc (and Pioneer has recently been able to push that to as much as 500 GB on 20 layers).
OK, maybe we got overly technical.  Anyway... What all of this means for the consumer is that you're basically getting more content, more interactivity and more special features in a smaller package. Not only does it save room on your library shelves, it saves on shipping costs, which can mean a lower price, particularly on those unwieldy box sets. Imagine getting the entire series of The Sopranos on, say, 10 discs instead of the current 33 that come in the DVD box.

Too many discs!

Blu-rays are also more durable than DVDs. Because Blu-ray's transparent cover layer is only 0.1 mm thick vs. 0.6mm for DVD, there were initial concerns about BR discs being more vulnerable to light scratching than DVDs. That's why Blu-ray disc manufacturers developed a hard coating that protects the discs, making them even more resistant to scratches than DVDs.
Blu-ray also sports an error correction system which is more robust and efficient than the one used for DVDs. Suck it, DVD.
 
Given the costs involved in upgrading hardware and the higher pricetag of Blu-ray discs, it may take a while before we see the mass adoption of Blu-ray. Still, the fact that it's a superior format is crystal clear.
Are you a Blu-ray early adopter? Or have you resisted taking the leap? Tell us where you stand in the comments.

Source: http://www.ign.com/articles/2009/03/25/why-blu-rays-better-than-dvd

The Top 15 Sites for Free Streaming Music

Listen to free streaming music and radio stations from all over the world!

Music is the universal language, and with the amazing convenience of the World Wide Web, more music is available to us than from ever before in human history. From classic rock to alternative to baroque instrumentals, it's possible to find free streaming music on the Web that will cater to virtually any musical taste. In this article, we'll look at the top fifteen sites for free streaming music, sports, news, talk shows, and much more. Wherever your taste may lie, you're sure to find something to meet your needs in one of these offerings, and all of these are available to listen to via your computer or mobile device.

Google Play gives listeners the chance to upload and store thousands of songs from their own collections for free, create playlists, and listen to hundreds of thousands of songs in a huge variety of genres. You can listen for free to the Google Play radio offerings; users have the ability to subscribe with a small monthly fee which makes the experience ad-free.  More »

If you're looking for something to expand your musical tastes, Hype Machine is a great choice. This innovative site gives listeners the ability to find new music via people who are writing about the music that they love - all in one place, rather than skipping from site to site.  It's an interesting way to find what people are starting to discover. More »

Shoutcast gives listeners the ability to listen to over 70,000 stations in a huge variety of genres, from Alternative to Talk to Holiday. However, that's not the only thing you can do with Shoutcast - if you want to start your own radio station here, you can, with free broadcasting tools made available by the Shoutcast service. This is a great way to get something started with very little outlay.  More »

AccuRadio makes listening to music online simply fun. They offer the standard genres of music, but they also offer enjoyable "channels" that change every so often and are a great way to discover new music - a nice alternative if you're looking to discover new artists or genres you haven't listened to before.  More »

Slacker Radio gives users the ability to search by artist or song and stations will be suggested, with the ability to craft that station into exactly how you'd like it to be. There are different payment levels available here, but most of the features are absolutely free and listeners can take advantage of hundreds of stations.   More »

Think of the sort of music you like, and iHeart Radio will suggest stations for you based on your preferences. You can also use iHeart Radio to listen to local stations all over the United States and Mexico, create stations based on popular artists, or discover top podcasts on a wide variety of subjects.  More »

TuneIn gives users the option to listen to radio stations, talk shows, podcasts, and much more. Over 100,000 radio stations, live shows, and lots of other content are available here for free, including sports, news radio, and talk shows.  The ability to listen to local radio stations all over the world is a great feature. More »

977music.com is 100% free for listeners, and you can listen to as much music for as long as you would like. There are hundreds of channels here programmed by listeners, and they are available wherever you might have Internet access - both home and work.  More »

RadioTunes is one of the most popular streaming music sites on the Web. You can filter your musical tastes by Style (Smooth Jazz, Easy Listening, Top Hits, etc.), and Channels (80's, Mostly Classical, Oldies, etc). There are seemingly unlimited stations to listen to here, and listening is free (must sign up for a free account).  More »

Radio.net is a great service; you can access all sorts of global broadcasts here, from the BBC World Service to Radio Swiss Classic to CBS Dallas. More than 30,000 radio stations, online radios, and podcasts are available here to listen to within the USA, Canada, Europe, Australia, and more.   More »

Last.fm offers listeners the ability to not only listen to and discover music but also visualize the listening habits and musical trends that the Last.FM musical community is listening to. It's an interesting way to see what other people are listening to.   More »

You can listen to Soma.fm's stations right within your Web browser, just like all the other streaming music websites on this list. There are only a limited amount of stations here, within highly specialized genres - jazz, chill, indie folks, etc - all featuring a very California-like vibe. Soma is especially popular with people looking for background music for tasks that require concentration.  More »

PublicRadioFan is a massive collection of stations around the globe. You can search by schedules, time zones, station call letters, and more.  More »

Pandora lets you create your own radio station, from music that you choose, and then you can continue to improve upon the service's selections as it plays for you. Thumbs up for something you like, thumbs down for something you don't. If you'd rather avoid listening to ads every once in a while, Pandora offers a subscription service for a low monthly fee. More »

Spotify is somewhat similar to Pandora, at least in concept. Spotify functions more of a platform on which you can install and use different musical applications, such as Billboard's Top Picks, Rolling Stone Music, Share My Playlists, and Digster. You can listen to entire albums without paying for them (with only limited commercial interruption), create playlists, share your favorites with others, and more. Radio stations are also available on Spotify, but you create them yourself from songs you already like. More »

Source: https://www.lifewire.com/free-streaming-music-online-4046547

Twitter still thinks it’s a TV platform — and here are its dozen new shows

Last year: NFL. This year: Bloomberg, the WNBA, Live Nation and our friends at The Verge.

Yesterday, Twitter announced it was building a 24/7 streaming video service with Bloomberg. Today, Twitter rolled out even more video plans, teasing live programs from nearly a dozen partners, including Live Nation, BuzzFeed and the WNBA.

Our Vox Media colleagues are in the mix, too: The Verge’s Nilay Patel will host a live weekly gadget show. Go Nilay!

A few thoughts:

• Twitter’s news is the opening frame of the “newfronts” — two weeks of digital video pitches for advertisers, modeled on conventional TV’s “upfronts.” Hulu, for instance, has its big unveil on Wednesday; YouTube is on Thursday. Do bear in mind that if past performance indicates future results, some of the stuff you’ll hear about over the next several days won’t materialize. These are often pitches, not promises.
• Assuming all of the stuff Twitter talked about today does show up, it seems like a reasonable bet for the company and its partners (again — one of whom is Vox Media, which owns this site) to make. Every digital publisher wants to distribute its video as widely as possible and hopefully figure out how to make money from its video. And Twitter wants as much video as it can get. Since the highest-value video — the stuff that appears on TV — is likely to remain on TV or TV-like platforms for some time, Twitter needs to do deals with digital publishers (Go Nilay!) or get people who have traditional TV deals (the NBA) to give them stuff that doesn’t run on TV.
• As Facebook and others have proven, if you have a lot of people gathered on your platform, you can get them to watch video, even if they didn’t come there to watch video. So Twitter should get some kind of audience for the programming they’re rolling out today. It’s fair to ask, though, whether Twitter’s audience really wants to see video, especially since they have many other places to watch video. Bear in mind that it’s relatively easy to make a compelling text or image-based message; making compelling video is much much harder.
• The NFL makes the most compelling video in the world, and last year Twitter had 10 NFL games, which they offered for free to anyone who asked — no login required. The streams looked nice and worked well, but the audience was ... meh. Twitter averaged 266,000 viewers for each of its Thursday night games; CBS and NBC, which showed the same games to TV viewers, averaged 15.8 million.

I wasn’t going to list all of Twitter’s new programming, but my editor Dan Frommer thinks I should. He’s right! Why not? So here’s the text, directly from Twitter’s press release:

Sports

WNBA: Starting later this month, for the first time the WNBA will live stream a weekly regular-season game on Twitter (20 total per season) during the 2017, 2018 and 2019 seasons. Twitter will deliver live action of the best in women's basketball and the best in fan conversation about each game all on one screen.

MLBAM: In addition to weekly live MLB games that stream on Twitter this season, a new 3-hour once weekly MLB program will live stream exclusively on Twitter. The whip-around show will feature live MLB game look-ins and highlights, and tap into the power of Twitter by delivering those top moments and discussing MLB storylines as they're trending in real-time. Stay tuned for more information regarding timing and talent.

STADIUM: A new, original, fully programmed, 24/7 linear experience will stream live on Twitter in the coming months. This network will integrate exclusive live collegiate sporting events, extensive highlights, classic games, and daily live studio programming. Combining the production quality and editorial values of TV with the speed, accessibility, conversation and interactivity of Twitter, STADIUM infuses real-time, fan sentiment and feedback into every sports conversation, covering the topics that matter most to sports fans as they happen.

The Players’ Tribune: #Verified, a modern forum for athletes to connect directly with fans, will be a live show, exclusively on Twitter, featuring athletes answering fan questions and sharing their insight, reactions and timely takes on important topics on and off the field. Driven by Twitter and fan-submitted questions, the series will debut in the coming months and will feature regular interviews from some of the most popular players across sports, including Karl-Anthony Towns, A.J. Green and Richard Sherman.

PGA Tour: Building upon the current live stream relationship between Twitter and PGA TOUR LIVE that features more than 70 hours of live competition coverage across 31 tournaments, the PGA TOUR will live stream 360 video of the iconic island 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass during THE PLAYERS Championship (from May 11-14) on Periscope and Twitter.

News

Bloomberg Media: Bloomberg will debut the first-ever 24/7 breaking news network that will be global, live, social and exclusively on Twitter. The new live streaming news network, to launch this fall, will combine the vast global editorial and news gathering capabilities of Bloomberg with the digital power, conversation and speed of Twitter.

The Verge: Coming this fall, Circuit Breaker: The Verge's Gadget Show is a weekly live program that will review and experiment with the hottest gadgets everyone wants right now, and the weirdest ones we'll want tomorrow, hosted by The Verge's Nilay Patel.

BuzzFeed News: MorningFeed, a brand new morning news and current events show broadcast live on Twitter by BuzzFeed, will reach an audience that wakes up hungry for the latest in “fire Tweets.” Hosts will bring news and memes to the audience where they are - on their timeline - from reporters in the field to special guests on set.

Cheddar: Cheddar’s hour-long Opening Bell will stream live daily at 9am ET from the New York Stock Exchange, beginning today. This expands on Cheddar’s successful Closing Bell show at 3pm ET, which has aired on Twitter since last October.

Entertainment

Live Nation: Live Nation will deliver select Live Nation concerts and original content exclusively on Twitter. The concert series launches on Saturday, May 13th with a live stream of the three-time GRAMMY-winning multi-platinum Zac Brown Band. The event kicks-off their highly anticipated new album ‘WELCOME HOME’ (Elektra/Atlantic) and their 2017 tour in their hometown of Atlanta on a sold-out opening weekend at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park. Grammy Award-winning San Francisco rock band Train, Portugal. The Man, August Alsina and Marian Hill will also live stream one of their upcoming shows. Additional artists will be announced.

IMG Fashion: IMG Fashion will bring its premium designer and brand relationships to a live content program consisting of exclusive runway shows and behind-the-scenes Fashion Week content for Twitter users, live, from New York, Milan, Paris, London and beyond in September 2017. IMG Fashion will also work closely with Twitter to leverage opportunities exclusive to Twitter users globally.

Propagate: #WhatsHappening is a new live daily, entertainment-driven, primetime show on everything in the world that embraces Twitter’s unique conversation. See every side of pop culture, music, binge-worthy television, celebrity Tweets, and top trending discussions as they unfold around the globe.

Source: https://www.recode.net/2017/5/1/15509026/twitter-live-video-tv-shows

Pluto TV Announces FREE On-Demand Movies

Today after months of testing Pluto TV announced a free video on demand service along side of their current streaming service.

The lineup of free movies available on-demand include Paramount Pictures’ “Vanilla Sky” and MGM’s “Silence of the Lambs,” “The Usual Suspects,” and “Species,” as well as complete TV shows like Lionsgate’s “ALF” and Warner Bros.’s “The Ben Stiller Show” and “Super Fun Night.”

Other movies on VOD include: “Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow,” “The Birdcage,” “Charlotte’s Web,” “Thelma & Louise,” “Mad Max,” “The Hours,” “Defiance,” “The Kite Runner,” “Dances With Wolves,” “Paulie,” “Cirque Du Soleil: Worlds Away,” and “Lars and the Real Girl.” TV shows on the VOD platform include “Fear Factor,” “American Hoggers,” “I Love New York,” “The Dead Zone” and “Paranormal State.”
“We’re excited to give [Pluto users] even more ways to enjoy the content they love, and now they can pick specific movies and TV shows to watch on demand,” said Tom Ryan, CEO of Pluto TV told Variety.

Pluto TV’s already has 100-plus linear channels are accessible on a wide range of devices including the Fire TV; Roku; Android TV; Google’s Chromecast; smart TVs, iOS, Android, and Amazon mobile devices; PlayStation; and at pluto.tv.

Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter for more news, tips, and reviews.

Source: http://cordcuttersnews.com/pluto-tv-announces-free-demand-movies/

How to Get HD TV Channels for Free (Without Paying for Cable)

Remember TV antennas? Well, they still exist. A digital TV antenna allows you to watch local TV stations for free, all without paying a dime to a cable provider.

Discover Your Local Channels and Their Signal Strength

 

To find out which TV channels you can get over the air for free, we recommend visiting a site called TV Fool and using their signal locator tool. Simply enter your address and click on “Find Local Channels”.





Give it a few moments to load the next page. Once it loads, you’ll see what looks like a round diagram with various lines inside, as well as a list of channels off to the right, highlighted in different colors.





It can be a bit daunting trying to figure out what it all means, but the only thing you really need to pay the most attention to is the circular diagram. The lines you see are in various lengths, and each line represents a channel. The longer a line is and the closer it is to the center of the bullseye, the better the signal is for that channel based on your location.
The direction of the lines are important as well. The diagram’s cross represents north, south, east, and west. As you can see from my diagram above, most of the broadcast signals are coming from the northeast, which means I should ideally place my antenna in the northeast corner of my house so that I can get the best signal possible. (More on antenna selection in a moment.)
From the list of channels on the right-hand side, you really only need to focus on the distance of the broadcasts signals, which tells you how far away they are.





Since many of the signals that I can get are fairly close to my location (only 5-10 miles away), placement of my antenna isn’t super critical. However, if your broadcast signals are farther away, you’ll need to pay extra close attention to where and how you place your antenna.
TV Fool gives you a rough idea on this by using colors to highlight which channels you’ll easily receive and which ones would be more difficult. Channels in green are channels that you could get with a basic TV antenna, while channels highlighted in yellow and red will need a more powerful antenna and strategic placement.

The Different Types of Antennas

Which type of antenna you purchase largely depends on the information that you gathered from above diagram, and different antennas are available depending on how far away you are from the broadcast signals.

Indoor vs. Outdoor Antennas

 

Not all TV antennas are weatherproof, and many cheaper ones are only meant to be placed indoors. If broadcast signals are relatively easy to come by in your area, then you’re probably fine getting an indoor antenna.
If some of the broadcast signals are farther away, though, an indoor antenna may not be powerful enough. For that, you’ll need an outdoor antenna, built to take the grunt that mother nature provides, and reach much farther. Outdoor antennas are almost always more reliable, though they take a bit more work to set up.

Directional vs. Multi-Directional Antennas

You’ll also want to consider whether the antenna you get is directional (also called uni-directional) or multi-directional (also called omni-directional). As you can guess, directional antennas grab a signal from a single direction, while multi-directional antennas can fetch signals coming from any direction.





Multi-directional antennas are more convenient, but have a significant downside: their range is usually much weaker than directional antennas, which can put all of their power toward gain a signal from a single direction. Multi-directional antennas can also suffer from noise and interference coming from all directions, whereas a directional antenna can block all that out.
Of course, a directional antenna will only work if the channels you want are all in one direction. If they’re coming from different parts of town, a directional antenna won’t work well for you.

VHF vs. UHF

Television broadcast signals are transmitted over two different frequencies: Very High Frequency (VHF) and Ultra High Frequency (UHF), so it’s important that the antenna you end up buying supports either or both (ideally both).
If you go back to your TV Fool analysis, you can take a look at the section below the list of channels, which will tell you what channels use UHF and which ones use VHF.





You don’t need to know a whole lot about this, other than which frequency is used the most by the channels that you can receive over the air. If they’re mostly UHF, then you’ll want to be sure to buy an antenna that can grab UHF signals. Most antennas can grab both VHF and UHF channels anyway, but it’s good to check before you buy, just in case.

A Note on Pre-Amplifiers

Other than the antenna itself, you also may need what’s called a pre-amplifier, which is a small device that gets connected inline with the antenna’s coaxial cable on its way to your television.





If the cable from the antenna to the TV is going to be any longer than 50 feet or so, then you’ll need to get a pre-amplifier. The longer the cable is, the weaker the signal gets by the time it reaches your television, so using a pre-amp (like this one) and installing it near the antenna inline with the cable will make sure that you don’t lose any signal strength.
However, make sure to check if your antenna already comes with a pre-amp built in. Many outdoor antennas already do, since they know you’ll likely need a long run of cable to make it to your television.

Our Recommended Antennas

If you’re looking for a basic indoor multi-directional antenna, this 1byone indoor antenna ($13) is one of the most popular indoor TV antennas on Amazon, thanks to its 25-mile range and measly price tag. If you just need a cheap, basic antenna to place in a window and be done with it, that’s a good option. It has a common flat design to it that many antenna makers use, so feel free to go with another company if the price is better—The Mohu Leaf ($40) is also very popular (I have one and it works great), and The Wirecutter recommends the ClearStream Eclipse ($40, amplified version for $60).





Indoor directional antennas aren’t as common, but they do exist. This antenna from Terk ($60) is a popular option with a range of 45 miles. We’ve also used the 60-mile ClearStream 2 ($90) in the past with great results, though it’s a little big to be considered “indoor” (even though it’s labeled as such). Still, on an apartment balcony, we found it got all the channels in that direction with great clarity.





If you want an outdoor multi-directional antenna, we use this amplified 60-mile range model from 1byone ($70) and it works great. There’s no need to point it in any specific direction, so you have a lot more options as far as where you could mount it on the outside of your house, which also helps since you need to run power to it.





Outdoor directional antennas are extremely common, though, so you’ll find a lot of options in this area. 1byone’s outdoor directional antenna ($45) has an 85-mile range, which has a farther reach than their multi-directional model, but it’s also much larger. It also requires that you plug it into a power source, since it’s amplified.





Again, there are lots of other antennas out there, but these are a few popular, highly rated options (and a few we’ve tried ourselves with good results). Every antenna will work a little differently depending on your neighborhood and where you set it up, so you may have to try a couple before you find the ideal one for you. Buy from somewhere with a good return policy!

How to Hook Your Antenna Up to Your TV

Got your antenna? Great! Now it’s time to set it up and try it out.
You’ll first need to position the antenna in a good location (ideally where it has the best line-of-sight with signal towers). Again, if you get a very strong signal, a basic indoor antenna by your TV will probably be good enough. Mounting it by the window will get you a better signal, if you need it. (Don’t actually mount anything on your wall until you’re happy with the signal you get, though. You may need to move the antenna around to improve your signal and experiment with different locations.)
If you need an outdoor antenna, though, it’ll take a bit more work to install—you’ll likely have to use a ladder to climb up and mount it to the roof or side of the house using the included hardware. If you aren’t comfortable doing this, call a professional. (Check to see if your house already has a roof antenna, too—many do!)





After you’ve found a good place for your antenna, connect it to your television with the included coaxial cable. In the photo above, you can see how we’ve attached the coaxial cable from our antenna to the antenna input jack on our TV. And if your antenna is amplified, plug the amplifier into a power source. Our antenna can be powered via USB, so we plugged the USB cable that powers the amplification system into the TV’s USB port.
Once it’s plugged in, head to your TV’s channel setup menu. Your TV will need to scan for available channels, which should take just a few minutes. When it’s done, you’ll be watching HD TV channels, you can cut the cable cord for good. If you aren’t getting the best signal possible, adjust the positioning and try scanning again—hopefully, with a bit of tweaking, you’ll be watching all your local channels in crystal-clear HD.

Source: https://www.howtogeek.com/205253/give-the-gift-of-free-tv-to-your-parents-this-christmas/

What Is Android TV, and Which Android TV Box Should I Buy?

If you’re in the market for a streaming set-top box and are also an Android user, you’ve undoubtedly considered Android TV. The thing is, this is a really confusing landscape: there are a lot of “fake” Android TV boxes floating around out there, and only a handful of official boxes actually worth considering.
If you came here for the short answer, I’ll give it to you straight up: buy an NVIDIA SHIELD and be done with it. It’s the best Android TV box on the market, bar none. That part is simple.
But if you’ve been on the hunt for a while and see the other options—Razer Forge, Nexus Player, etc.—including those weird “Android TV” boxes on Amazon, we’re here to help you filter through the fluff by explaining what not to buy.

What Is Android TV?

Android TV is more than just Android on a box that you connect to your TV. A lot more. Android TV has been specifically designed for the bigger screen—it has a dedicated interface, better controller and remote support, a specifically curated Play Store, and all the other goodness you’d expect from a streaming set-top box.
In other words: it’s not like plugging your phone up to the TV and hoping for the best. Just like Apple TV has a very iOS-like look and feel, Android TV retains the familiarity of Android in a much more TV-friendly package.





But much like Android phones, Android TV is available on many different devices from different manufacturers. Google isn’t the only one making Android TV boxes—Razer makes one, NVIDIA makes one, and some TVs even come with Android TV built-in. Android TV is a platform, like Android—not just one specific device, like the Apple TV.

So What’s With All These “Android TV” Boxes I See on Amazon and eBay?

If you go to Amazon and search for “Android TV” right now, you’ll get a lot of results. The thing is, most of these aren’t really Android TV boxes. They’re boxes that run Android and hook up to your TV.





See, these sorts of “shady” manufacturers are just playing on words here. The majority of these boxes aren’t actually running the dedicated Android TV interface because they don’t have access to it. Only the core parts of Android TV are part of the Android Open Source Project, and even those parts are not permitted for re-distribution, since it requires modification of the Nexus Player source code.
Instead, what these guys are doing is taking the original Android source code—the one that’s meant for phones or tablets—and turning it into a sort of hackjob piece of software that will run on a box that plugs into your TV. So instead of getting that slick Android TV interface, you get a phone interface on a big, non-touch screen. Yuck.
To make matters worse, many of these boxes don’t even have access to the Play Store, since that requires certification from Google. Those are the shadiest of all the boxes out there, as they’re often loaded with software of questionable integrity.
So why would anyone buy these boxes? Well, they might be tricked by the naming scheme—many of these boxes make themselves sound like Android TV boxes by calling themselves something like “Android 6.0 TV Box”—which is not the same as “Android TV”.
Other people may actually want these janky boxes, since they offer fewer restrictions. Remember earlier when I said Android TV has a specifically curated Play Store? That’s to ensure compatibility with the big screen. Some people may want access to everything—even if it’ll look and work poorly on a large, non-touch device like a TV. Different strokes, I suppose.

How Do I Know Which Boxes Actually Run Android TV?

Your best bet is to stick with boxes that are well-known. As I mentioned earlier, NVIDIA SHIELD (available on Amazon for $200) is hands-down the best Android TV box on the market—it’s fast, updated often, and well supported. If you want Android TV, you want SHIELD. It’s that simple.





But there are other boxes out there, like the now-outdated Nexus Player. The latter was actually the flagship box for the launch of Android TV, but is still very much relevant today and you can often find it at a fraction of the cost of SHIELD if you look around places like eBay. So if you’re looking to stay on the lower end of the pricing, there’s no shame in going with the Nexus Player—it’s still a very solid box. Just keep in mind that it is a little long in the tooth here.
The Razer Forge is another box that sort of sits in that well-known Android TV unit market, but for all the wrong reasons. It’s the only box that doesn’t run Netflix out of the box (seriously), and just isn’t very well supported by Razer. I think the intentions were good initially, but ultimately this box was a flop and I’d recommend staying away from it. If you’re looking for premium, go SHIELD. If you’re looking for affordable, go Nexus Player. There’s no reason to waste money on a Forge.

RELATED ARTICLE

Smart TVs Are Stupid: Why You Don’t Really Want a Smart TV

You could also get Android TV built-in to your next TV. There are a handful of modern smart TVs out there that have Android TV baked right into the set itself, which is convenient—but it like most smart TVs, it comes with downsides. Manufacturers like this generally skimp on the hardware so it’s nowhere near as powerful as a standalone unit. These baked-in options generally are also very rigid in terms of upgrades: no expandable storage or other potential upgrades that can be done on standalone boxes.

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Android TV hasn’t had quite the takeoff that many of us had hoped it would, but that doesn’t make it any less of a great set-top box setup. NVIDIA has almost single-handedly changed the course of what Android TV would’ve been with SHIELD, as the company has really picked up Google’s slack in this segment.

Source: https://www.howtogeek.com/296476/what-is-android-tv-and-which-android-tv-box-should-i-buy/