The world is evolving with each passing second, there are new technologies that are coming every day making existing trends obsolete. Technological enhancements are striving to bring ease and convenience in our lives whether it’s work-related or on entertainment fronts. Plus, ever since the internet was introduced the advancement in technology has doubled its pace. The main reason behind this is that the internet has become the main catalyst behind many new technologies. We see that in today’s world collaborative working, virtual conferences, work from home, and many other professional practices are based on the internet. While on the entertainment front we see a rise in online multiplayer gaming, streaming services and platforms, VR and AR environments, and home life automation like virtual assistants. All these technologies have the internet as their backbone, it is not only a revolutionary technology but has paved way for many new trends as well with Streaming Sticks.
The visual form of entertainment has been the major activity to kill boredom, which can be seen in the form of cable TV, movies, sitcoms, live TV, sports, and streaming. All these components make up the major chunk of the current entertainment industry. Out of all these cable has been the favorite of a majority of US households as according to stats 63 percent of US households are still hooked to cable TV. The love for cable TV stems out of various factors like live TV programming, sports, sitcoms, and regular content to which people have sentiments attached. But, this is also a matter of fact that cable doesn’t come cheap, a regular cable bill can range from $50 to $100 that’s just for basic cable. However, by adding some premium channels and including the additional costs like equipment charges the bill can go over $300. This increase in cost has made people shift their focus to other cost-effective means like streaming.
Rise of Streaming
Internet is an extremely adaptive medium and the best part about it is that it’s now available to most people and that too at a very nominal cost. For example, Spectrum, one of the biggest providers in the USA offers extremely cost-effective Spectrum Plans even for higher speeds. This low cost of the internet, the easy access of it, and its super adaptability made people realize the kinds of things you can do over the internet. And on the entertainment front, it created shockwaves through integration in the regular gaming and viewing industry. On the gaming front, there was the advent of online multiplayer gaming while on the viewing side the introduction of streaming platforms. Gone are the days when people had to rent DVDs or VHS cassettes in order to watch their favorite movies now everything that you want to watch is at your fingertips all thanks to the internet and these streaming platforms.
Since most people already had internet services it made no sense to pay extra for cable, a service that they can already enjoy over the internet. Plus streaming platforms offered users to watch their favorite content whenever, wherever they are. These streaming sites also had a plethora of content readily available and that too at a much lower cost. So people realized this potential of streaming and started disconnecting their cable connections in favor of these online platforms, something which has transformed into a trend known as cord-cutting. This trend is on the rise which is evident by the constantly dropping charts of cable TV subscribers since 2012. It is also estimated that streaming services will take over the cable TV market by 50 percent as early as 2024.
Best Streaming Sticks
One thing to note about these streaming platforms is that they work on devices like smartphones and smart TVs where their apps can be installed. Anyone can watch them through smartphones even on the go which is an added convenience however in order to get the big-screen experience, users need to have smart TVs that work over the internet and can run these streaming apps. However, most of the population is still recovering from the economic loss post-pandemic and is in no financial position to buy smart TVs. Most people still have regular flat-screen TVs, but this doesn’t mean that would be barred from enjoying this streaming experience. For users with standard televisions, a gadget by the name of the streaming stick has been introduced that plugs into the television’s USB or HDMI port and equips them will all the functionalities of a smart TV. Here we have made up a list of top streaming sticks currently available in the market for a seamless streaming experience.
Roku Streaming Stick 4K
Coming at first place this product comes from the streaming giant Roku itself. It is an upgrade to the previous Roku Stick now packed with 4K support. Equipped with an easy-to-use interface and Dolby Vision to produce crystal clear and crisp picture quality and not to forget, 4K support. It comes with all the latest apps and with customized TV programming of your Roku package. You can get all your favorite channels subscribed from Roku including live programming and that too at a very good price all thanks to Roku.
Amazon Fire TV Stick 4k Max
Amazon has been in the streaming game for quite some while now, they have also launched arguably the second most-watched streaming platform Amazon Prime. Fire TV Stick 4k Max is the latest iteration of the pioneer of streaming sticks the original Fire Stick and as the name suggests has the latest 4k technology with a super-fast speed that loads every app in seconds. It also supports Wi-Fi 6 for seamless connectivity and faster speeds. Fire TV Stick is the number one choice for streamers.
Google Chromecast
Well not exactly a stick but this small device packs punch obviously this is a Google-backed product so expect some fine quality. The Chromecast along with the Fire Stick is the prime device that started this trend and is still going strong with new innovations every year. The best thing about Chromecast is that it is powered by Google’s local ecosystem and has native apps like Gmail and YouTube. Plus with the Android operating system as the firmware, this is an ideal streaming setup for any android user as they are already familiar with the interface and can connect their smartphones and sync all apps and data seamlessly.
Summing Up
This is a fact that streaming is the future of the entertainment industry, especially in times of today where people demand ease and convenience. Plus, it has also become difficult for people to afford costly cable subscriptions. Streaming sticks offer a cost-effective solution for people like these who are willing to switch to streaming services but don’t have a smart TV. That is why we have written this article to educate regular users and provide them with options for a good streaming stick that suits their needs.
