People ask us which device to buy far more often than they ask which plan to take, and it is the better question. The plan is the same for everyone. The hardware is what decides whether your evening is smooth or irritating.
Fire TV Stick
The default answer for most households. It is inexpensive, it sits behind the television, and the setup route through Downloader is well trodden. The 4K Max model is worth the extra over the basic stick if your television is 4K or your wi-fi is busy, because it has a better radio as well as a faster chip.
The weakness is storage. Fire Sticks ship with very little free space, and they slow down when it fills. Clear the cache occasionally and do not install a dozen apps you never open.
Android TV boxes
A step up, and our recommendation for anyone whose television is far from the router. Most boxes have an ethernet port, and a wired connection removes the single most common cause of buffering in one move. They also have more memory, so the guide loads faster and channel changes feel quicker.
The trade-off is that quality varies enormously. A well-known brand is worth paying for; the cheapest unbranded box on a marketplace listing will be slow within a year.
Smart televisions
Samsung and LG sets can run a player from their own app stores, and if your television is recent this is the tidiest option because there is no extra box and no second remote. On sets more than five or six years old, though, the built-in processor struggles, and a cheap streaming stick will noticeably outperform the television it is plugged into.
MAG and Formuler boxes
Purpose-built IPTV hardware. They do one job and they do it consistently, which is why installers like them. Setup works differently: you send us the device MAC address and we bind your line to it, rather than typing a username into an app.
They are less flexible if you also want ordinary streaming apps, so they suit someone who wants a television box rather than a general-purpose device.
Phones, tablets and laptops
Fine for watching in bed, on a break, or while travelling. Not a substitute for a proper television setup, and on mobile data the guide loads slowly. Useful as the second or third screen on a multi-connection plan.
What we would actually buy
If your television is near the router, a Fire TV Stick 4K Max. If it is not, an Android box with an ethernet port. If you want it to be invisible and your television is recent, use the set’s own app store.
Tell us the make and model you are considering before you buy and we will say honestly whether it will work well, work badly, or not work at all. Sometimes the answer is that the device you already own is fine and you do not need to spend anything.