Using a streaming device with a smart home system involves connecting the streaming device to your home network and then integrating it with your smart home hub or app. This can typically be done by following the instructions provided by the streaming device manufacturer and the smart home system provider.
Once the streaming device is connected and integrated with your smart home system, you may be able to control it using your voice, a mobile app, or a smart home hub. This allows you to easily stream content from services like Netflix, Hulu, and YouTube on your TV or other connected devices.
Additionally, some smart home systems may offer features that allow you to automate your streaming device, such as turning it on or off at certain times or in response to specific triggers. This can help you create a more seamless and convenient entertainment experience in your smart home.
Best Streaming Devices in 2024
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Rating is 5 out of 5
Roku Ultra | The Ultimate Streaming Device 4K/HDR/Dolby Vision/Atmos, Rechargeable Roku Voice Remote Pro, Ethernet Port, Hands-Free Controls, Lost Remote Finder, Free & Live TV
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Super-fast startup: Stream your favorite channels like Netflix, Apple TV+, Prime Video, and more in a snap
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Our best Wi-Fi: Enjoy fast, seamless TV streaming in any room in the house with our best Wi-Fi and Ethernet
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Cinematic streaming: Stream in 4K, Dolby Vision, and HDR10+, plus Dolby Atmos sound
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Our best remote: Roku Voice Remote Pro is conveniently rechargeable with personal shortcut buttons
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Hands-free voice controls: Say “Hey Roku” to play entertainment, power up your TV, and find your lost remote
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Private listening: Use wired or wireless headphones to crank up the volume without disturbing a quiet house
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No more juggling remotes: Power up your TV, adjust the volume, and control your Roku device with one remote
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Watch what you love: Stream a massive selection of free, live, and premium TV including 350+ free live TV channels
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Rating is 4.9 out of 5
NVIDIA SHIELD Android TV Pro Streaming Media Player; 4K HDR movies, live sports, Dolby Vision-Atmos, AI-enhanced upscaling, GeForce NOW cloud gaming, Google Assistant Built-In, Works with Alexa
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The Best of the Best. The world’s most powerful Android TV streaming media player upgraded to Android TV version 11. Enhance HD video in real-time to 4K for clearer, crisper visuals using next-generation AI upscaling. 2x USB 3.0 ports for storage expansion, USB cameras, keyboards, controllers, and more. Plex Media Server built-in, 3 GB RAM, and 16 GB storage.Connectivity Technology : Bluetooth 5.0
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Dolby Vision - Atmos. Bring your home theater to life with Dolby Vision HDR, and surround sound with Dolby Atmos and Dolby Digital Plus—delivering ultra-vivid picture quality and immersive audio
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4K HDR Content. Get the most 4K content of any streaming media player. Watch Netflix, Amazon Video, Apple TV+, Disney+ and Google Play Movies & TV in crisp 4K HDR, and YouTube, Hulu, and more in 4K. Stream from your phone with built-in Chromecast 4K.
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GeForce NOW Cloud Gaming. GeForce NOW instantly transforms SHIELD TV into a powerful PC gaming rig. Play over 1000+ titles and nearly 100 of the biggest free to play games. The new GeForce NOW RTX 3080 membership unlocks GeForce RTX 3080 gaming servers in 4K HDR, the shortest wait times and longest session lengths, with RTX ON including ray tracing and DLSS graphics for supported games.
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Voice Control. The built-in Google Assistant is at your command. See photos, live camera feeds, weather, sports scores, and more on the big screen. Dim the lights and immerse yourself in your favorite show or music using only your voice. And control your SHIELD hands-free with Google Home or Alexa and Amazon Echo. Format/Container support: Xvid/ DivX/ASF/AVI/MKV/MOV/M2TS/MPEG-TS/MP4/WEB-M
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Rating is 4.8 out of 5
Amazon Fire TV Cube, Hands-free streaming device with Alexa, Wi-Fi 6E, 4K Ultra HD
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Our fastest-ever streaming media player - Brings lightning-fast app starts with an octa-core processor and is 2X as powerful as Fire TV Stick 4K Max.
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Hands-free Alexa with built-in mic and speakers - Control your compatible TV, soundbar, and receivers with your voice, even from across the room.
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Seamlessly navigate between your entertainment - Connect compatible devices and easily go from streaming to your cable box, game console, or webcam.
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Smoother streaming with the latest in wifi tech - The first-ever streaming media player that features Wi-Fi 6E support.
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Picture quality that puts on a show - Feel every scene with true-to-life, cinematic 4K and support for Dolby Vision, HDR, and Dolby Atmos audio.
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Endless entertainment - Stream more than 1.5 million movies and TV episodes. Watch favorites from Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, Peacock, and more, plus listen to millions of songs. Subscription fees may apply.
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Designed to protect your privacy - Built with privacy protections and controls, including an off button that electronically disconnects the microphones.
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Manage your smart home right on screen - Use Alexa to start video calls, check the weather, get a live view of your Ring cameras, and more.
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Rating is 4.7 out of 5
Roku Ultra LT 4K/HDR/HD Streaming Player with Enhanced Voice Remote, Ethernet, MicroSD with Premium 6FT 4K Ready HDMI Cable, Black
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Power, picture, performance: Roku Ultra LT has a quad-core processor and is great for smooth wired and wireless streaming. It's perfect for heavy streaming in HD, 4K, and HDR and delivers the kind of powerful performance you want on your home's main TV
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Smooth streaming: Get a connection that stands up to whatever you want to stream with dual-band wireless or use the Ethernet port for wired streaming
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Brilliant picture quality: Experience your favorite TV in stunning detail and clarity; whether you are streaming in HD, 4K, or HDR, you will get stunning picture quality that is optimized for your TV with sharp resolution and vivid color
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No more juggling remotes: Power up and adjust the volume on most televisions, control your player, and enjoy private listening with the enhanced voice remote and included headphones; use your voice to search across channels, turn captions on, and more in a touch
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Lots of extras: Roku Ultra LT is packed with features you will love, including microSD for extra channel storage; use the included headphones to pump up the volume on your shows without disturbing the house. Bundle Includes Premium 4K HDR 6FT HDMI Cable.
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Rating is 4.6 out of 5
Tablo 4th Gen 2-Tuner Over-The-Air (OTA) DVR - Watch, Pause & Record Live TV, News, Sports & Movies Throughout Your Home Over Wi-Fi - Pairs w/Any TV Antenna - 50+ Hrs Recording - No Subscriptions
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WATCH, PAUSE, RECORD, & REPLAY LIVE TV: Enjoy live TV from major networks, including ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC(2), as well as a curated selection of free live streaming TV (FAST) channels
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WHOLE-HOME ACCESS: 1 DVR pairs with any TV antenna to let you watch TV on multiple compatible devices at once, including smartphones, tablets, as well as smart TVs & streaming players from Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Chromecast w/ Google TV(1)
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NO SUBSCRIPTIONS OR HIDDEN FEES: Pay once for the Tablo device and watch and record your favorite live, local TV shows, along with free streaming TV channels without contracts or ongoing fees(4)
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RECORD MULTIPLE SHOWS: 2 tuners within this device allow you to record one live TV channel while watching another for viewing flexibility
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WATCH, PAUSE, RECORD LIVE TV: Watch, pause, and record live TV, including ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC, as well as a curated selection of free live streaming TV (FAST) channels
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RECORD 50+ HOURS: Never miss a moment with 128GB of onboard recording storage; add up to 8TB of external USB storage(3) to record even more
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GET MORE TV CHANNELS: Access more than 60 additional free streaming channels you can’t get with your TV antenna alone, enhancing your endless free-TV experience(4)
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TIME-SHIFT VIEWING: Start watching in-progress recordings—perfect for catching the action from the beginning or skipping to the good parts
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EASY SETUP: Connect the Tablo DVR to ANY TV antenna; connect it to your home network via Wi-Fi or using the included Ethernet cable; download the Tablo app on your smartphone or tablet and follow the setup instructions(4)
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WI-FI CONNECTIVITY: The only OTA DVRs with Wi-Fi, Tablo devices let you position your TV antenna wherever it can get the best signal reception, then wirelessly streams live and recorded free TV content throughout your home to compatible devices.
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Rating is 4.5 out of 5
Roku Express 4K with Voice Remote Pro - Roku Streaming Device 4K/HDR, Rechargeable Roku Remote, Hands-Free Controls, Lost Remote Finder, Free & Live TV - Amazon Exclusive
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Brilliant 4K picture quality: Stream in 4K HDR with sharp resolution and vivid color optimized for your TV
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Seamless wireless streaming: Enjoy a seamless streaming experience with fast Wi-Fi performance
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The ultimate Roku remote: Roku Voice Remote Pro is conveniently rechargeable and includes TV controls and personal shortcut buttons
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Hands-free voice controls: Say “Hey Roku” to play entertainment, control your streaming, power up your TV, and even find your lost remote
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Headphone Mode: Plug headphones into your remote to crank up the volume without disturbing a quiet house
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Find your lost remote: Say “Hey Roku, where’s my remote?” and your Roku remote will play a sound
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No more juggling remotes: Power up your TV, adjust the volume, and control your Roku device with one remote
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Upgrade to Roku streaming: All your favorite channels are front and center, plus your device is always improving with automatic updates
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Simple setup: It’s easy to get started with everything you need included in the box—just plug it in and connect to the internet
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Watch what you love: Stream a massive selection of free, live, and premium TV including Prime Video, plus free live TV channels and local news on The Roku Channel.
7
Rating is 4.4 out of 5
Echo Dot (5th Gen, 2022 release) | With bigger vibrant sound, helpful routines and Alexa | Charcoal
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OUR BEST SOUNDING ECHO DOT YET – Enjoy an improved audio experience compared to any previous Echo Dot with Alexa for clearer vocals, deeper bass and vibrant sound in any room.
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YOUR FAVORITE MUSIC AND CONTENT – Play music, audiobooks, and podcasts from Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify and others or via Bluetooth throughout your home.
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ALEXA IS HAPPY TO HELP – Ask Alexa for weather updates and to set hands-free timers, get answers to your questions and even hear jokes. Need a few extra minutes in the morning? Just tap your Echo Dot to snooze your alarm.
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KEEP YOUR HOME COMFORTABLE – Control compatible smart home devices with your voice and routines triggered by built-in motion or indoor temperature sensors. Create routines to automatically turn on lights when you walk into a room, or start a fan if the inside temperature goes above your comfort zone.
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DESIGNED TO PROTECT YOUR PRIVACY – Amazon is not in the business of selling your personal information to others. Built with multiple layers of privacy controls, including a mic off button.
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DO MORE WITH DEVICE PAIRING – Fill your home with music using compatible Echo devices in different rooms, create a home theatre system with Fire TV, or extend wifi coverage with a compatible eero network so you can say goodbye to drop-offs and buffering.
How to prevent unauthorized access to a streaming device in a smart home system?
- Use strong passwords: Always set a strong and unique password for your streaming device to prevent unauthorized access. Avoid using easily guessable passwords like "password" or "123456."
- Enable two-factor authentication: Many streaming devices offer two-factor authentication as an added layer of security. This means that in addition to entering a password, you will also need to verify your identity through another method such as a text message or email.
- Keep your device up to date: Make sure to regularly update your streaming device's software and firmware to patch any security vulnerabilities that may be exploited by hackers.
- Use a secure network: Ensure that your streaming device is connected to a secure and encrypted network. Avoid using public Wi-Fi networks or unsecured connections.
- Disable remote access: If you do not need to access your streaming device remotely, disable this feature to reduce the risk of unauthorized access.
- Monitor device activity: Keep an eye on the activity logs of your streaming device to detect any suspicious behavior or unauthorized access attempts.
- Install security software: Consider installing security software or a firewall on your streaming device to protect against malware and other cyber threats.
- Avoid sharing login credentials: Do not share your login credentials with others, and avoid using the same password for multiple accounts or devices.
By following these tips, you can help prevent unauthorized access to your streaming device in a smart home system and ensure the security and privacy of your personal information and content.
How to link a streaming device to other smart home devices?
To link a streaming device to other smart home devices, you can follow these steps:
- Make sure that all your smart home devices and your streaming device are connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
- Open the app of the smart home device that you want to link to your streaming device.
- Look for an option to connect/link new devices or to search for nearby devices.
- Follow the on-screen instructions to connect your streaming device to your smart home device.
- Once the devices are successfully linked, you can control your streaming device using the app of your smart home device, or use voice commands if your smart home device supports voice control.
Alternatively, you can also use a home automation platform like SmartThings, Google Home, or Amazon Alexa to link your streaming device to other smart home devices and control them all from a single app or through voice commands. Just follow the instructions provided by the platform to connect your devices.
How to securely stream content through a smart home system?
Securing content while streaming it through a smart home system is essential to protect your privacy and prevent unauthorized access. Here are some tips to securely stream content through your smart home system:
- Use strong encryption: Ensure that your smart home devices and network are using strong encryption protocols such as WPA2 or WPA3 to protect the data being transmitted.
- Enable two-factor authentication: Implement two-factor authentication for your smart home devices and accounts to add an extra layer of security and prevent unauthorized access.
- Update firmware regularly: Keep your smart home devices up to date by installing firmware updates as soon as they are available. This helps patch any security vulnerabilities that could be exploited by hackers.
- Use a secure network: Set up a separate network for your smart home devices to isolate them from your main network and prevent unauthorized access to your personal data.
- Disable remote access: If you are not using remote access regularly, consider disabling it to minimize the risk of unauthorized access to your smart home system.
- Monitor network traffic: Keep an eye on the network traffic in your smart home system to detect any unusual activity that could indicate a security breach.
- Use a VPN: Consider using a virtual private network (VPN) to encrypt your internet connection and add an extra layer of security when streaming content through your smart home system.
By following these tips, you can securely stream content through your smart home system and protect your privacy and data from potential threats.
