STREAMING BOX BUYING GUIDE

WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR IN AN INTERNET TV HUB.

PRIORITISE

The Telstra TV 2 is only guaranteed to work for Telstra broadband customers and lacks extensive local media playback apps to encourage internet usage, the Foxtel Box’s interface is centred around the Foxtel Now streaming service, Apple’s 4K TV doesn’t play nice with other platforms, the consoles are expensive and the Android TV offerings cut costs on software integration. You’ll have to choose your poison.

CONNECTIVITY

While all offer Ethernet, Wi-Fi and HDMI output, anyone hoping to use it for local media playback will want to keep an eye out for USB ports, microSD card slots and the devices you can cast to.

LOCAL MEDIA

This will require a combination of software and hardware. If you just want to play files from an external drive, then USB inputs and a media playback app will suffice, but if you want to connect it to a home media server, then you’ll be wanting a device that has an Ethernet input and a server client application like Plex.

CATCH UP SERVICES

While the available show libraries might not be quite as premium as streaming services, catch-up offerings are actually worth keeping on your radar. Every now and then, you’ll be able to stream episodes of a newly released show or a film premiere. Yes, there’s ads and the weekly allocations mean no bingeing, but it’s worth it for some shows.

TV

Sure, your priority will be to get Foxtel Now, Netflix and Stan on your TV, but some of the latest media streaming boxes have RF aerial inputs and digital TV tuners to give you access to free-to-air as well. Other than the generous free-to-air offerings, Foxtel Now actually bundles in some live TV channels that you can watch via the internet with its streaming subscriptions.