If you have an old iPad and you’re interested in externalizing some of the thousands of photos in your iCloud account, this guide’s for you. Instead of buying a new digital picture frame, you can turn your retired iPad into a dedicated photo display without much effort. You’ll need to change a few settings, download a photo frame app and decide how you want to prop up your new display — which can be as simple as using a stand or as complicated as getting out the drill and modding an analog frame. Here’s how (and why) to upcycle your old iPad into a digital picture frame.
Upcycled iPad versus a digital picture frame
An actual digital picture frame has a few obvious advantages: the necessary software is already there, it’s display-ready, complete with a frame and matted display, and, as a unitasker, it won’t display Gmail notifications over your photos. But the resolution for most smart frames tops out at 1,280 by 800 pixels. Even the standard iPad (9th gen) from 2021 has a resolution of 2,160 by 1,620. Plus, your old iPad is already yours. A decent digital frame will cost you around $100. And, since your iPad is certainly not a single-purpose device — it can take a FaceTime call or play an episode of Poker Face if the need arises.
Amy Skorheim for Engadget
How to turn your old iPad into a digital picture frame
I figured I’d be able to use Apple’s built-in software to do something as simple as creating a looping slideshow of images, but the experience wasn't quite what I was looking for. Playing a slideshow within the Photos app does so as a Memory, complete with music, and there’s no way to turn that music off (though you can mute it). You can loop a Memory, but you can't randomize the images and the interval between images is far too short (anything less than ten minutes feels like yet another screen blinking at you). So, to turn an iPad into a randomized, always-on and silent digital picture frame with a decent display length, you'll have better luck with a third-party app.
I tried a few and my favorite is Synched Photo Frame by Re-frame ($10, lifetime access). It doesn’t pack a ton of features — no transitions, no image effects, no time and date overlay options and it’ll only access images from your Photos app — but it does the best job of making photos look good on an iPad.
It lets you set the viewing interval from 10 seconds to 24 hours and there’s a programmable sleep function so it doesn’t beam smiling pictures into the 3AM void of your living room. If your iPad is oriented differently than a photo, it shows two side-by-side images (i.e., two portrait images next to each other if your iPad is in landscape or two stacked horizontal pics if your tablet is vertical). A clean white border surrounds each split image; full-screen images go edge to edge. Images are cropped slightly to fit, which means they may lose a few details around the borders, but I think the effect is more attractive than blurred extended edges or black bars. The two-up solution is how our top pick for a digital photo frame, the Aura Carver, handles images with different aspect ratios — but you can’t set that device in portrait mode.
LiveFrame is another option and it’s actually cheaper at $5 for lifetime access. It has more features like transitions and image filters, but there’s no option for having two images up at the same time like in Re-Frame. Instead it can blur the edges, add bars or (hideously) stretch the image. I also experienced a number of glitches with the app and found the navigation a little tougher than it should be. I also tried Digital Photo Frame Slideshow but, at $30 annually, it’s too expensive for my taste and it doesn’t have a sleep function.
How to prepare your iPad for photo frame mode
Step one: Create an album
Most photo display apps will pull from albums you select in Photos. You probably already know how to make a new album, but there are a couple of elements to consider as you create one for a digital photo frame app on an iPad. All instructions are for iPadOS 18. If you’re working with an older version, the steps may be slightly different.
Select the Aspect Ratio Grid in the View Options menu of the Photos app so you can see which images are horizontal and which are vertical to more easily create your album.
Amy Skorheim for Engadget
Open Photos and tap the side bar icon in the upper left corner.
Under Albums, tap + New Album at the bottom of that list.
Name the album something memorable, as you’ll likely have to search for it within the photo frame app. Tap Create Album, then the blue plus sign.
If you want to only (or mostly) add a specific orientation (landscape or portrait), tap the up/down arrow icon at the bottom left of the pop up menu.
Tap View Options, then Aspect Ratio Grid. This will show the shape of each image so you can more easily select only the ones with the orientation you want. You can also use the View Options menu to zoom in on the thumbnails to get a better view of each picture.
Select the images you want and tap Add in the upper right.
Step two: Adjust your iPad settings
Adjusting a couple of settings will ensure your iPad keeps playing all day, interruption-free. Simply having the digital photo frame app playing should be enough to prevent your iPad from going dark, but your iPad may auto-lock when the app’s sleep mode kicks in, requiring you to unlock it in the morning to start the app back up. You’ll also want to make sure your slideshow isn’t interrupted with notifications from other apps.
Turn off Auto-Lock: Open Settings, tap Display & Brightness, tap Auto-Lock, select Never. You may get a warning that this setting will impact battery life, but since your iPad will stay plugged in, it won’t be an issue.
Turn off all Notifications: You’ll need to turn off notifications for every app on your iPad. Go to Settings> Notifications > Notification style, toggle off Allow Notifications for every app. Note: Using the Do Not Disturb Focus will enable DND on all your connected Apple devices, unless you toggle off Share Across Devices in Settings > Focus. But turning off notifications is still the better option.
Step three: Don’t let randos get at your stuff
Since you’ll probably want to display your new picture frame somewhere that people can see, there’s a risk of someone attempting to use your iPad. To prevent this, you can use an Accessibility feature called Guided Access. Apple designed it so parents could hand an iPad to their child without also giving them access to additional apps. We’re repurposing it for photo frame security to prevent anyone from navigating to your home screen or anywhere else. People can still tap on the screen to use the photo frame app’s controls or you can disable touch altogether.
Turn on Guided Access in the Accessibility section of the Settings app to prevent other people from accessing your iPad
Amy Skorheim for Engadget
Enable Guided Access: Open Settings, tap Accessibility then Guided Access. Set an unlock code, then set Display Auto-Lock to Never.
Turn on Guided Access: While the picture frame app is playing your slideshow, triple click the side button. A grey circle will appear, tap X to close it.
Enable or disable touch: If you still want to allow others to use functions within the photo frame app, toggle the Touch option on. If you want no response when the screen is touched, toggle it off. To access the Options menu, triple click the side button and enter your passcode. Tap Options in the lower left corner.
Note: Guided Access is turned on and off via the side button, so this option might not be feasible if you decide to put your iPad in a frame. One rather extreme workaround is to reset your iPad and set it up with a brand new Apple ID connected to family sharing that allows access to a shared Photos Library.
With your photo frame app open, triple click the iPad's top button to enable Guided Access.
Amy Skorheim for Engadget
Put your new digital photo frame on display
This can be as simple as finding a stand you like and calling it a day. An Etsy seller called Event Frame makes custom frames for iPads. They aren’t cheap, going for around $100 each, but it’s one of the only companies I’ve found that actually offers model- and generation-specific sizing. I also considered the Snap Float Folio from Moft, as I’ve been impressed with some of the brand’s other origami-inspired accessories. If you’re crafty, you can take inspiration from this person’s Instructables and make your own frame from a physical media picture frame. Personally, I just got a right-angled USB-C cable and stuck my iPad in a collapsible stand I already had. The pictures are pretty enough.
Amy Skorheim for Engadget
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/tablets/how-to-turn-your-old-ipad-into-a-digital-picture-frame-130017314.html?src=rss
If you want to get the most out of your tablet or laptop, a USB-C hub can help. Using a single USB-C slot on your portable computer, a hub gives you back missing connections like HDMI, USB Type A and C, Ethernet, memory card slots and more. After testing more than a dozen models, we think the UGreen Revodok Pro 109 is the best USB-C hub for most people. But we have a recommended budget model and a premium pick to give you more options. We also break down port types, power delivery capabilities and design considerations to help you make the right choice before you buy.
The first thing to decide is whether you need a USB-C hub or a USB-C docking station. There’s no set standard for what differentiates the two, but docking stations tend to have more ports, offer a separate DC power adapter and cost more, with some reaching upwards of $400. We have a separate guide to the best docking stations to check out if you’re looking for something bigger than what we’re discussing here. USB-C hubs, in contrast, have between four and 10 ports, can support pass-through charging and typically cost between $30 and $150.
Hubs, sometimes also called dongles or even multiport adapters, make more sense for smaller setups with just a few peripherals, such as a monitor, a wired keyboard and mouse, and the occasional external drive. They’re also more portable, since they’re small and require no dedicated power. That could be useful if you change work locations but want to bring your accessories with you, or if you want to replace your laptop with a more powerful tablet. A docking station or thunderbolt dock makes more sense for someone who needs a robust setup for their laptop, including multiple external monitors, webcams, stream decks, microphones and so on.
Both docks and hubs make it easy to grab your laptop off your desk for a meeting or other brief relocation and when you get back, you only need to plug in one cable to get all your accessories reconnected.
Ports
For a USB-C hub to work, it needs to connect to a port on your laptop or tablet that supports video, data and power — all of which is covered by anything listed as USB 3.0 or better, including USB4 and Thunderbolt 3 and 4. The port, of course, needs to be Type-C as well. The sea of laptops out there is vast, so it’s hard to make generalizations, but modern laptops, including Windows and Apple models, should have at least one USB-C port that will suffice, and indeed, every one of our top picks for the best laptops do.
Next, it’s a matter of finding a good USB-C hub that has the right connections for your needs. Most hubs offer some combo of HDMI, USB, SD card reader, Ethernet and 3.5 mm ports. If you have a 4K monitor and would like at least a 60Hz refresh rate, you’ll need a hub with an HDMI 2.0 port — HDMI 1.4 only goes up to 30Hz. HDMI 2.1 will handle 4K at up to 120Hz, but hubs that have adopted that standard aren’t as common just yet. Keep in mind that a low refresh rate can cause your screen to feel laggy, making your mouse appear glitchy and your webcam movements to look delayed.
Additional USB ports on these accessories are usually Type-A or Type-C. They can support data with different transfer rates, typically 5Gbps or 10Gbps. Some ports only handle passthrough power and no data, and some can do data, power and video, so it’s best to check the spec list to make sure you’re getting the support you need. Keep in mind that a hub may bill itself as a 7-in-1, but one of those ports may not be usable for anything other than charging.
Standard SD and microSD slots are useful for transferring data from cameras and the like or for offloading files from your hard drive. Ethernet ports may deliver faster internet speeds than your Wi-Fi and a hub with a 3.5mm jack can bring back the wired headphone connection that some laptops have ditched.
Power delivery
Nearly all of the USB-C hubs I tested support passthrough charging. That means if your laptop or tablet only charges via USB, you don’t have to take up another port on your laptop to keep everything topped up. Unlike a docking station, powering a hub is optional. The one exception is if you want to close the lid on your laptop while you work on an external monitor. Most computers will go into sleep mode if the lid is closed without power, so either the laptop or the hub will need to be plugged into the wall to prevent that from happening.
Many of the newer hubs include a 100W USB-C power delivery (PD) port, with a healthy 80 to 85 watts going to your Mac, PC or tablet (the hubs take a little of the juice for themselves, hence the 15-watt or so difference). In my tests, a powered USB hub ran hotter than when it wasn't passing the charge through, so I prefer to power the computer directly using its own charger. But for tablets or other devices with no extra ports, that PD option is important.
Some PD ports are also data ports — which is both good and bad. On one hand, it feels wasteful to use a perfectly good data port just for boring old electricity. But on the other hand, USB-C connections that only carry a charge are less versatile, and it makes it seem like it has more accessory hookups than it actually does.
Design
There’s surprisingly little design variation among hubs. Most look like a flat slab, a little smaller than a smartphone, and have an attached Type-C host cable. The hues range from a silvery black to a silvery gray. Some are thinner than others, some have all ports on one edge and some have ports on both sides. All of this is just to say that aesthetics probably won’t make or break your buying decision.
One variation that could tip the scales is the length of the cable. A longer one will give you more freedom as you arrange the hub on your desk, potentially even letting you hide it behind your laptop. Or you may prefer a shorter one to keep the hub neatly set beside your laptop.
How we test USB-C hubs
Before we test anything, we take a look at what’s available and how they’ve been received by shoppers, forum-goers and other publications. I became familiar with a few reputable brands when I was testing docking stations, so I looked into hubs from those companies as well. I focused on items that would help with an average day of productivity — not high-end setups or demanding gaming situations. Once I settled on a dozen or so that would make good candidates, I had them shipped to my humble office in the desert and started testing them out over the course of a few weeks.
I used an M1 MacBook Pro running MacOS Sonoma as the host computer and plugged in accessories that include a 4K Dell monitor, a ZSA USB-C ergo keyboard, a Logitech USB-A gaming mouse, an Elgato USB-C 4K webcam, a Logitech streaming light, a USB-A 3.0 Sandisk thumb drive, a USB-C Samsung T7 Shield external drive and a pair of wired headphones I got for free on an airplane (I should probably invest in some wired headphones, but the cord dangling on my chest drives me nutty so all my earbuds are wireless). I used high-end HDMI and USB-C cables to ensure that any data or connectivity issues weren’t related to my equipment.
Then I put each USB-C hub through a gamut of basic tests. I looked at what could be plugged in at once, the resolution on the monitor, data transfer speeds, the overall build quality of the hub and general usability factors, like the placement of the ports and the length of the cords. And, finally, the price-to-value ratio helped determine the best ones for a few different use cases.
Other hubs we tested
HyperDrive Next 10 Port USB-C Hub
There’s a lot to like about HyperDrive’s Next 10 Port USB-C Hub. The tethered cable is a lavish 13 inches long, the HDMI 2.0 port outputs clear and crisp 4K visuals at 60Hz and the data transfers are screaming fast. It has the coveted two USB-C data ports plus a PD port, and there’s even a headphone jack. The only thing that holds back a full-throated endorsement is the way our unit handled a streaming light. Having it on at full brightness made the webcam flicker every time. The issue went away at 75 percent brightness, but the same problem didn’t happen on any other hub I tested.
Anker 341 USB-C Hub (7-in-1)
There’s nothing wrong with the Anker 341 USB-C hub. In fact it’s a current recommendation in our iPad accessories guide and it comes at a great $35 price. It gives you two USB-A ports as well as SD slots. But at this point, a 1.4 HDMI connection, which only supports 4K resolution at 30Hz feels a little retro. There’s also just a single USB-C downstream port and the data transfer tests proved to be a touch slower than the other hubs. But if you’ve got a lower resolution monitor and don’t need more than one USB-C, you won’t be disappointed with it.
Anker 555 8-in-1
It was a tough call between the UGreen Revodoc Pro 109 and the Anker 555 8-in-1 for our top recommendation. Both have a similar port array with an HDMI, Ethernet, two USB Type A, a PD USB-C and a USB-C 3.2 on the 555. And the Anker USB-C hub is $15 cheaper. We went with the UGreen hub for its more premium build, extra USB-A port and longer cord that gives you two extra inches to work with. But if you want to save a few bucks this hub is a worthwhile pick.
Startech 4-Port USB-C Hub (data only)
I only became aware of Startech when I started researching for this guide. The quality is decent and the yellow accents are a welcome bit of color in the otherwise very gray world of hubs. The performance is solid, with no hiccups that I encountered. The brand’s 4-Port USB-C Hub has a long cord that wraps around the hub itself, which is unique. It doesn’t bother with power delivery, which isn’t an issue if you can power your computer directly. But the four USB ports (three Type-A and one Type-C) max out at 5Gbps and there’s no HDMI connector. It goes for $46, and unfortunately for it, there are cheaper ways to get a few more USB ports for your setup.
Recent updates
April 2025: Added our experience with the Anker 555 8-in-1 hub to the Other hubs we tested section.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/accessories/best-usb-c-hub-120051833.html?src=rss
Getting a new phone might leave you wondering what to do with your old one. Trading it in, particularly for credit towards your new handset, is ideal and could make a future refurbished shopper happy. But if the trade-in value isn’t worthwhile to you and you’ve been wondering what else your retired pocket computer can do, we have a few ideas. One suggestion is to turn it into a dedicated alarm clock. Yes, you can absolutely use your new phone for that purpose — you probably already do. But there are clear advantages to using your decommissioned device instead. Here’s how to upcycle your old iPhone into an alarm clock.
What’s the point?
Stuffing a retired gadget in a drawer does nothing — except make you half-heartedly contemplate doing something with it each time you open said drawer. Recycling is a valid option, but even if your old handset isn’t as speedy as your new one, it’s almost assuredly more powerful than any sleep machine or smart alarm clock on the market. And with the setup tips detailed here, it can actually perform more advanced functions, too.
Plus, using your current phone when you’re trying to sleep is perilous. I’ve never picked up my phone without getting distracted. Finally, with on-again, off-again tariffs making electronic gadgets harder to come by for a good price, rethinking what an existing device can do is intelligent alchemy.
First, delete everything
OK, not everything. But the idea is to make your phone as unexciting as possible — no Instagram, no Monument Valley, no Photos memories from last year’s road trip. Your iPhone won’t let you delete certain apps, such as Phone, Messages, the App Store and others — but you can hide them from your home screen so they’ll only pop up if you search for them.
You’ll still need a few apps to create your alarm clock, so don’t delete or hide the following:
Clock
Music (and iTunes store if you don’t pay for Apple Music)
Shortcuts
Health
Settings
Make your phone look exactly as boring as this.
Amy Skorheim for Engadget
Set a personalized alarm tone
If you’d rather wake up to something more pleasant than the Clock app’s chirps and bleeps, pick a personalized sound instead.
1. Set your sleep schedule in Health. Apple requires you to set your Sleep Schedule in the Health app before you can set an alarm in the Clock app.
2. Download a song. Theoretically, you can use any song you have downloaded to your phone as a sound for your alarm. But I couldn’t get it to work with any song that supported Dolby Atmos or Lossless audio (even if I turned those options off in Settings > Music > Audio).
But standard quality songs worked great. If, like me, you’re not a heavy sleeper, you might like something like singing bowls or a meditative flute. If you need the thunder of the gods to wake you, perhaps go for something more rousing.
3. Set your alarm. Open the Clock app and select the Alarms tab. Set your alarm as usual. Then tap Sound > Pick a song > Downloaded > and select the (non Lossless!) song you desire. Hit Save.
4. Turn off vibrate. If you don’t want your phone to vibrate when it plays your alarm, turn the Haptics option to Never Play in Settings > Sounds & Haptics.
Tap Sound then select any downloaded song as your alarm sound. Just be sure not to select a Lossless or Dolby Atmos track.
Amy Skorheim for Engadget
Make some (white) noise
My favorite thing about my sleep machine is the ambient music it plays as I drift off into slumber. Unsurprisingly, your old iPhone is capable of playing lulling tunes as well. And if white noise helps you stay in dreamland, you can program your phone to play those sounds, too. A combination of Shortcuts and Automations will make your sleep routine play automatically so you don’t have to touch your screen at all.
1. Build a sleepytime playlist. Open Apple Music and make a playlist. (Unfortunately, Shortcuts doesn’t work with Spotify.) I populated Amy’s Sleepytime Mix with songs from Apple’s Ambient Chill and Pure Ambient playlists. I made the set about 30 minutes long because that’s a little longer than it takes me to drift off.
2. Turn off Autoplay. It’s pretty jarring when you’re drifting off and your dreamy playlist morphs into some algorithmically selected oontzoontz banger. To turn Autoplay off:
Play any track in Apple Music.
Tap the name of the song to enlarge the album cover and track controls.
Tap the three lines at the bottom right. You’ll now see upcoming tracks and three buttons at the top of the list: crossed arrows (shuffle), looped arrows (repeat) and an infinity symbol (Autoplay).
Toggle Autoplay off so it’s greyed out.
Tap the song that's currently playing to access the Autoplay option (left). Tap the infinity symbol at the top of the screen to toggle Autoplay off (right).
Amy Skorheim for Engadget
Note: Turning Autoplay off turns it off across ALL your Apple devices. If you like it when Apple keeps the tunes flowing after a playlist ends, you’ll have to complete a side quest, which is detailed at the end of this post.
3. Pick your white noise sound. An accessibility feature gives you the option of eight different white noise sounds, including Rain, Ocean, Fire and Night (with more functions coming soon).
Open the Settings app
Tap Accessibility
Tap Audio & Visual
Tap Background Sounds
Toggle Background Sounds on
Tap Sound then pick your favorite
Press back and toggle Background Sounds back off
Toggle on Use When Media Is Playing
Toggle off Stop Sounds When Locked
3. Create a Shortcut. This will make your phone play your playlist with white noise beneath it (which softens song transitions) and when the playlist ends, the white noise continues.
Open Shortcuts and tap All Shortcuts, then tap + in the upper right
Search for the term “volume,” tap Set Volume and choose a percentage, such as 25-percent or your desired level
Search for “background,” tap Set Background Sounds. The shortcut should read: [Turn] [Background Sounds] [On]
Search for “play” and tap Play Music
Tap Music > Library > Playlist > [Your sleepy time mix]. Then tap the tiny ⊕ in the upper right
Tap the arrow next to the Shortcut title at the very top to rename your shortcut, perhaps something like Sleep Routine or Night Night.
Tap Done.
4. Trigger your Shortcut with an Automation. To run your Shortcut, you can just ask Siri by saying “Hey Siri, Night Night” (or “Hey Siri, Sleep Routine” or whatever you named the above shortcut). But if you want your routine to start at the same time each night, create an automation.
In the Shortcut app, tap the Automation tab at the bottom
Tap + to create a new Automation
Tap Time of Day and enter your preferred start time and days
Make sure there’s a checkmark near Run Immediately (and not Run After Confirmation) and keep Notify When Run toggled off
Tap Next
If you don’t see the name of the Shortcut you created at the top, search for its name and tap on it
Create a Shortcut that sets the volume, turns on white noise and plays a playlist (left). Set an Automation that automatically runs the Shortcut at bedtime (right), or just say "Hey Siri..." and the name of your shortcut.
Amy Skorheim for Engadget
5. Turn off Background Sounds. Whether you want your white noise to play all the way up to your alarm or just for an hour or two, it’s wise to create an automation to turn it off so you don’t have to do it manually.
Create a new Shortcut
Search for “background”
Tap Set Background Sound
Tap [On] to [Off] so the Shortcut reads [Turn] [Background Sounds] [Off]
Rename the Shortcut: Background Sounds Off
Hit done
Create a new Automation in the Automation tab
Tap Time of Day
Set it for your alarm time or a couple hours after you’re usually asleep
Tap Run Immediately and make sure Notify When Run is toggled off
Hit done and choose the shortcut you just made (Background Sounds Off)
To enable an Automation that turns off Background noises (left) first, create a Shortcut that turns Background Sounds Off (middle). You can change which background sound you want in Settings > Accessiblity > Audio & Visual (right).
Amy Skorheim for Engadget
Stand it up
Phones running iOS 17 or later have StandBy mode, which displays your choice of stylized clock faces when the handset is charging and oriented horizontally. To enable StandBy:
Open Settings
Tap StandBy and toggle it on
Toggle on Night Mode (This makes the clock dimmer when it’s dark in the room)
If you put your phone in a stand, it'll look a lot like an alarm clock (and be easier to see from afar). Whether you use a MagSafe wireless stand or a basic stand-and-cord combo, your new alarm clock (aka old phone) will likely be plugged in all the time. So you may want to change your battery settings to keep it from reaching 100 percent. (Being fully charged or fully empty is what strains batteries the most). To do that:
Open Settings
Tap Battery
Tap Charging
Set Charge Limit to 80 percent
Putting your phone on a stand and plugging it in enables StandBy mode and makes it look like a real alarm clock!
Amy Skorheim for Engadget
Side quest: Make your sleep playlist stop without turning off Autoplay
Some people like it when the algorithm tries to keep the party going with related songs after a playlist ends. But, playing random music all night probably isn’t great for sleep. The good news is, you can set a timer to have your sleep tunes play for a specified period, so it ends on its own without you having to disable Autoplay across all your devices.
Note the length of your playlist
Open the Clock app and tap the Timers tab
Tap When Timer Ends and scroll down to and tap Stop Playing
Tap Set
Open Shortcuts and edit your night time routine by tapping the three dots in the Shortcut card (the one with your playlist and Background sounds)
Search for “timer”
Tap Start Timer
Enter the length of your playlist in the Duration field
Tap Done
Because the Background Sounds are a setting and not technically media that’s playing, your white noise selection will still play until the automation that ends it runs.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/how-to-turn-your-old-iphone-into-an-alarm-clock-110001148.html?src=rss
Roku’s streaming player lineup is a little easier to understand in 2025 than ever — but it’s still a bit confusing. With the release of the Roku Streaming Stick and the Roku Streaming Stick Plus, there are now three streaming sticks and one set-top box in the company’s streaming player family. Express models and ones with the plus symbols are no longer in the mix. The Roku Ultra set-top box is the most expensive at $100. The 2021 Streaming Stick 4K goes for $50, while the Streaming Stick and the Streaming Stick Plus cost $30 and $40, respectively. After reviewing the Streaming Stick Plus and comparing it to other streamers, I think it packs a decent amount of power (and Roku’s convenient interface) into a small dongle.
The Roku Streaming Stick Plus vs the Roku Streaming Stick 4K
Arguably the Streaming Stick Plus’ biggest competition comes from within its family. The Streaming Stick 4K and the Streaming Stick Plus both support 4K image quality, despite the Plus not having the term in its name. The Stick 4K also supports Dolby Vision and has a longer-range Wi-Fi connection. Both connect through the Wi-Fi 5 standard, but the “4K” model has a built-in Wi-Fi extender within its USB power cable.
At this point, the Stick 4K is four years older than the Plus, and the new stick benefits from a few technological upgrades. For one, the Plus streamier is smaller thanks to the lack of Wi-Fi extender and power adapter. Roku’s math claims the dongle itself is 35 percent smaller than the competition — but honestly none of these sticks are particularly large. I found that it was indeed smaller than the Amazon Fire TV Stick I tested. But the size reduction doesn't make a huge difference in everyday use — especially since they hide behind most TVs.
The Roku Streaming Stick 4K (left) with it's cable, Wi-Fi extender and dongle. The Roku Streaming Stick Plus (right) with it's cable and dongle.
Amy Skorheim for Engadget
Another upgrade is a little more significant: better power efficiency. Now you can use your TV’s USB port to power the device instead of a wall adapter. The Plus doesn’t even come with an adapter in the box, making it a more travel-ready package. Older Roku sticks allowed you to do this (and the 4K model can use USB power on some TVs) but this is the first 4K-enabled device that Roku actually recommends using without a power adapter. Since you don’t need an open wall outlet nearby, the dongle will prove more flexible. It certainly would have come in handy during a recent trip in which my hotel room’s TV was about 12 feet from the nearest available plug.
Both Sticks support Apple AirPlay and are compatible with Siri, Alexa and Google Assistant. They come with the same remote, which packs features like voice input and the ability to control the power and volume of your TV. They both showcase the same OS, with Roku’s playful, purple interface, which I particularly like for live and free programming — as I outlined in our streaming devices guide.
Performance
Amy Skorheim for Engadget
The Streaming Stick Plus is pretty fast for a $40 device. I have a Roku Ultra hooked up to another TV in my house and, when I performed the same actions on both, the Streaming Stick Plus was only a bit slower than the Ultra. For instance, Disney+ took a second or two to start on the Ultra, and just a half second or so longer on the Plus. Yes, there was a time difference, but the Streaming Stick Plus was never frustratingly slow.
I don’t think anyone honestly expects a streaming stick to perform at the same level as most recent smart TVs. My set is relatively new and side-by-side comparisons showed a minor disparity between a dongle and a bigger, built-in CPU. Take the Netflix menu, for example. It’s clear and crisp and vibrant via my TV’s native Netflix app, but the same page was markedly fuzzier and more pixelated when I opened it on the Roku device.
That said, I only noted a slight difference in quality between the two when a show was actually playing. Sweeping shots of the sumptuous-yet-blood-stained White House interiors in The Residence were only the slightest bit grainier on the Roku. True video connoisseurs may note the disparity, but those who are just here to see Detective Cupp unnerve all the suspects won’t likely notice.
Should you get the Roku Streaming Stick Plus?
Amy Skorheim for Engadget
Something the size of a tube of squashed lipstick can’t rival a good smart TV. But if you have an older screen or a cheaper set with a tedious interface, the Roku Streaming Stick Plus could make TV time more enjoyable. Comparable streaming sticks include Amazon’s Fire TV Stick 4K, which is $10 more at full price (though it’s often on sale). Between the two, I’d go with Roku’s Streaming Stick Plus, as Roku’s interface is far more helpful. This is also the stick I want to take with me on my next trip. I can plug it in at the Airbnb and, instead of logging in to whatever random apps the TV happens to have, I can watch more Doctor Who. I won’t have to worry about where the nearest outlet is and I’ll be spared the effort of typing in my stupidly long Disney+ password.
As for whether you should get this or Roku’s other 4K-enabled streaming stick, I’d go with this one. The Roku Streaming Stick Plus is $10 cheaper and four years newer. The fact that it’s powered by the TV means the dongle and the USB power cable fit out of sight so if you, like me, are opposed to the look of snaking wires everywhere, you’ll be pleased. Of course, if you have a TV that supports Dolby Vision or your Wi-Fi router is really far away from your TV, then you can go with the Streaming Stick 4K — that’s really the only major advantage that model has. Otherwise, the Streaming Stick Plus is a good pick for a cheap but modern streaming player.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/home-theater/roku-streaming-stick-plus-review-powered-by-the-tv-and-perfect-for-travel-130047601.html?src=rss
Food at the grocery store seems expensive — until you go out to eat. If you’ve decided to get more use out of your kitchen, we know of a few handy gadgets to make cooking at home easier, quicker and probably more fun. As food lovers and tech reviewers, the Engadget team has tried out pizza ovens, sous vide machines, air fryers, ice cream makers and more. This list gathers up the best of what we’ve tested and reviewed in our own kitchens and serves as a great place to start as you zhuzh up your cooking situation. We’ve also linked to our reviews and buying guides so you can dive deeper into our recommendations for the best kitchen gadgets around.
Best kitchen gadgets for 2025
Nicole Lee contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/kitchen-tech/best-kitchen-tech-gadgets-small-appliances-124515179.html?src=rss
Smart security cameras can be a useful addition to your smart home setup, letting you keep an eye on things when you’re not around. Indoor units can show your dog sleeping on the couch and what’s going on in the playroom. Outdoor cams will notify you of unexpected movement in the backyard or when a package is delivered on your porch. Cameras can also serve as triggers for automations, like turning on lights when you get home.
Before you buy your first security camera, you’ll likely want to consider things like whether it’ll work with your other smart home devices, as well as how much (and how necessary) a monthly subscription is. Features like privacy settings, night vision capabilities and mounting options will also make a difference. We set up more than a dozen cameras in and around our homes, testing out the settings while filming our cats and family members for a few weeks. We found a few clear winners and also include our advice on what to consider so you can pick the best security camera for your home.
One of the first things you’ll want to consider before buying a home security camera is where you intend to put it. Do you want an outdoor or indoor setup, or cameras that can work in both environments? That’s the first decision to make, since not all cameras are designed to be weatherproof. Next, consider where those cameras will live: do you need ones that can easily mount to the side of your home or above your garage? Do you want cameras in every room of your house, installed up in a ceiling corner out of reach? Should those cameras be able to swivel and turn on their own to track subjects or give you a wider field of view? If you just want to see packages on your porch or who's coming to the door, a doorbell camera might be a better option.
Check the specifications for the cameras you’re considering to see if they come with any mounting hardware in the box, or if you’ll need special attachments to get the capabilities you want. For example, an extra feature like solar power for outdoor security cameras typically requires buying the solar panel separately, or buying a configuration of the camera that includes the panel in the box.
Another hardware component to consider is the proper connection for local storage. Many home security cameras give you the option to save footage locally by connecting a thumb drive or a microSD card either to the camera itself or to its base station. If you don’t intend on using cloud storage (which typically comes with a subscription cost), choosing a surveillance camera system that allows for local storage will be key.
Battery life
Battery life considerations will only apply to wireless cameras, so you’ll want to make note of the expected battery life of any wire-free camera you’re considering. For most that use rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, it will come down to how “busy” the camera will be on a regular basis recording video. Some could estimate a minimum battery life of a couple weeks to one month with high usage, but you could get even more than that if the camera is in a low-traffic area.
I personally think you should be getting at least three weeks of battery life out of any rechargeable-battery security camera — anything less and it becomes a hassle just to keep the device in working order. Also, be prepared to access your cameras (including those mounted in high places) whenever you need to recharge their batteries. Scant few options today (looking at you, Blink), run on AA or AAA batteries, and those tend to last up to two years before you need to replace them.
Audiovisual features
Nearly every security camera can send you a notification when it detects motion. Most also offer more sophisticated alerts, like person, package, pet and vehicle detection, though those sometimes require a subscription. You can decide under which conditions you’d like to be alerted as well. Many cameras will let you set location preferences, using your phone to discern where you are, so you’re only alerted when you’re away. Some can then be programmed to turn off completely when you’re home, or you can decide to keep the camera recording without alerting you of activity. Systems without location tracking can be armed on a schedule or manually turned on and off.
Almost every security camera can listen as well as see — some can send you an alert when specific sounds are detected, such as breaking glass, barking dogs or fire alarms. Those microphones also let you hear what’s going on in the room, while built-in speakers allow for two-way conversations.
If viewing events at night is important to you, you’ll want to consider a camera’s ability to see in the dark. Most use infrared LEDs to detect motion and record events after the sun goes down. Infrared will work in total darkness, but can only produce a black and white image. A few cameras can capture color video at night through a combination of larger sensors and onboard image processing, but they won’t work in total darkness. A couple of the options we tried were spotlight cams with an onboard light you can manually turn on to light up a space for a better picture. Floodlight cameras are another option for outdoor models, which shine a bright light when motion is detected which may act as a deterrence.
Subscription features
Without exception, every camera we tested has an optional subscription component. These typically run between $3 and $15 per month, though some offer a discount if you pay for a year up front. Advanced (and sometimes basic) features are paywalled behind these subs, so if you’re looking for things like person detection, extended live feeds, cloud storage, event labeling and longer event history, you’ll want to check whether you get those for free or only if you pay up.
Cloud storage for video clips beyond a day or so is the most common subscription-only feature, but some cameras have the option of using local storage with a microSD card or flash drive. Cameras that work with Apple’s HomeKit will usually let you store clips using your iCloud+ plan, so you might not need a separate subscription for those. To help make sense of whether you need to pay for a plan or not, we detail the monthly prices and membership features for each pick below so you can gauge the full cost of the level of monitoring you want.
Privacy settings
The majority of security cameras use cloud storage for clips. Even those that store your footage locally on SD cards or USB drives are still considered Wi-Fi cameras, connecting to the world at large through your home internet. Anything that’s in communication with other networks has the potential to be accessed by bad actors. Manufacturers take measures such as encrypting video before it’s sent to the cloud and requiring two-factor authentication to sign into any account to make systems safer. Users can go one step further by regularly installing security updates and making sure the passwords they use are strong and not reused elsewhere.
As for keeping your personal activity private, all cameras have a disarm feature, but some can automatically turn off when you are home if you share your location. Others will also let you set privacy zones and won’t capture footage or send alerts for movements in designated areas. That could be a part of the house you don’t want recorded or, for outdoor coverage, parts of your neighbor’s yard or driveway.
All the units we tested have indicator lights that turn on when a live view is being accessed or recording is taking place. But you’ll have to check what your particular camera’s LEDs mean, as nearly every one is different. Recording in progress is sometimes indicated with a red light, sometimes that light is blue, and on other cameras, it’s green. Some security cameras let you disable the recording light too, if you don’t want to alert would-be intruders that you’re watching them.
Compatibility
If this is your first foray into smart home gear, you just need to ensure that the camera you buy will work with your phone — and all of our top picks here have apps that work with both iOS and Android. If you already have TVs, smart monitors, home hubs, doorbells and other smart devices, check that what you buy now will work with what you already have if you want the most seamless system.
We’ve listed which of the three major smart home ecosystems each of our picks will work with, but in general, Amazon Alexa has the widest compatibility with third party brands, followed by Google. Apple’s HomeKit has a smaller number of compatible cameras on the market, but the list is still sizable enough and includes well-regarded brands like Ecobee, Logitech and Aqara, so you’ll likely be able to find one with the features you want.
Other security cameras we tested
Logitech Circle View Apple HomeKit-Enabled
We called out the Logitech Circle View camera as a HomeKit-enabled alternative to our top Siri pick, the Ecobee cam but it’s worth mentioning its merits once more. The Circle View works well with Apple’s smart home system and connected easily with my HomePod. Like with Ecobee, you may not need to pay for an additional subscription for cloud storage if you already have an iCloud+ plan. The video captured is warm and sharp. But it’s pricier than Ecobee’s HomeKit option and the web cam-aesthetic isn’t particularly elegant.
Roku Indoor Security Camera
While we don’t love that the Roku Indoor Security Camera uses a micro USB connection, the unit itself has a solid build. It can spin in either direction to track movement, either automatically or manually through the app. It’s easy to set up and is remarkably affordable. A subscription is required for clip storage and event filtering. Without it, the camera will only store stills from detection events, though you can easily manually save clips to your photos library from within the app. The color night vision is surprisingly clear, and the daytime recordings are bright and sharp. While other cameras we tested simply offered more features and better apps, this could be a compelling budget pick.
Aqara 2K Hub G3
If you ask a seven-year-old which camera is best (and we did) they will tell you it’s the Aqara 2K Hub G3, thanks to the unit’s cute little ears. We tested it with its own app, which worked well, and with HomeKit, which unfortunately kept disconnecting throughout our testing. The camera was easy and quick to set up thanks to the dual-bank Wi-Fi connection. We also appreciated the privacy setting that physically angled the camera lens down inside the unit (revealing a pair of shut-eye images that added to the adorableness). If you’re considering getting other Aqara smart home devices, and will primarily use the Aqara app, the Hub H3 is a good buy as it acts as the required hub for other devices from the brand.
Ring Indoor Cam (wired)
The Blink camera was simply a better value than the Ring Indoor Cam. The Ring unit felt overly lightweight and insubstantial, to the point where its own cable caused it to fall over. Set up was a little fussy and many of the available features are reserved for paid subscriptions. But the app helpfully leads you through setup and walks you through the various features, making it good for beginners. You’re also automatically opted into the Ring Neighbors app which is a fascinating glimpse into your neighborhood’s porch piracy events, lost cats, wild animal sightings and missing binky alerts.
Ring Outdoor Cam (Stick Up Cam, wireless)
Similarly to the Indoor Cam, the Ring Outdoor Cam was easy to set up and could be a decent option for beginners. Previously known as the Stick Up Cam, this model is wireless and rechargeable, but our biggest gripe with it is that it powers up via microUSB. USB-C is the standard now, so we recommend only buying new tech that supports the latest standard whenever possible. It’s worth noting that the new Ring Outdoor Cam Plus also charges via microUSB, so it seems Ring faithfuls may be stuck with old tech for a while longer.
Security camera FAQs
Is it better to have wired or wireless security cameras?
Wired security cameras are hardwired directly to the system’s local video storage, such as a digital video recorder (DVR) or a network video recorder (NVR) connected via Ethernet cables. That makes it more secure and not subject to the whims of Wi-Fi connections. But running the power and Ethernet cables to the camera require more intensive installation, possibly requiring a professional. Wireless cameras or plug-in cameras give you more flexibility in the installation process and location. Though a local, wired connection is less susceptible to remote hacking, most current wireless cameras implement fairly strong security measures — but you’ll still want to make sure you choose complex passwords and turn on safety measures like two-factor authentication.
What do security camera subscriptions look like?
Subscriptions for security cameras usually run between $3 and $15 per month, though you can often get a discount if you pay for a year of service up-front. They give you access to advanced (and sometimes basic) features such as person detection, cloud storage, live feeds and intelligent labelling of events.
What security system does not require a monthly fee?
Excluding cameras from home security system companies like ADT and Slomins, nearly all DIY security cameras will work on a basic level without a subscription, meaning you can usually get motion-triggered alerts and the ability to see at least a short history of recorded action. Some cameras, such as the Blink Mini, offer no cloud storage without a subscription, but you can still see a live feed and you can opt for local footage storage with additional equipment.
How do you install a security camera?
Installing a security camera can be as simple as setting it on a table, plugging it in and using the app to connect to your home’s Wi-Fi. Indoor cameras often come with user-installable wall mounts as well. Wireless outdoor security cameras are sometimes battery-operated, so you don’t need to install them near an outlet and they often come with mounting brackets for attaching them to outdoor surfaces. Larger security systems with hardwired cameras may require professional installation.
Do security cameras record sound?
Every security camera we tested records sound as well as video. You can turn sound recording on or off at your leisure.
Do security cameras work with existing surveillance systems?
Some do. The easiest way to ensure that your camera will work with your other surveillance equipment is to get devices from the same brand.
Do wireless security cameras work without Wi-Fi?
Most wireless home security cameras connect via Wi-Fi. However, some cameras have the option of connecting through a cellular data plan. Of course, there’s an additional cost for such connectivity, but it allows the cameras to record if the Wi-Fi goes out or if a camera is too far from home to get a signal from the router.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/best-security-camera-130035012.html?src=rss
If you buy a TV today, it’ll almost assuredly be a smart TV. But there are still a few reasons you may want a streaming device. Some cheaper and older smart TVs have pretty dismal built-in operating systems that are slow, laggy or otherwise tedious to use. In that case, a streaming device can help you navigate more quickly and give you an interface that’s more pleasant to deal with. Streaming devices come in handy when you travel, too. As long as the TV at your Vrbo or hotel has an HDMI port, you should be able to plug in the streamer and watch your shows (without having to type in a bunch of passwords).
Nearly every streaming device will support the major VOD apps (like Netflix, Prime Video and Max), free services (like Pluto and Plex), as well as live TV streaming subscriptions (like YouTube TV and Fubo). We tried out streamers from the major brands in the market and judged the interface, price, speed and image quality to help you pick the best streaming device for your cord-cutting needs.
Google’s TV Streamer, the Apple TV 4K, Amazon’s Fire TV Sticks and Roku devices are the most popular players in the space. Three of those brands also come built into TVs, such as Fire, Google and Roku TVs, but the Apple TV 4K doesn't come pre-loaded on any set. Each one has a unique operating system and interface. This may be the biggest deciding factor for many people, as it determines how the home entertainment you want to watch is arranged and presented. We go into detail for each platform below, but all of them come with home screens that, to varying degrees, gather your apps in one place, present the movies and TV shows you’re currently watching and give you suggestions of other media streaming options.
Nearly all streaming devices come with a remote that lets you search and do other operations using your voice, eliminating the need to hunt and peck at on-screen keyboards. They all offer “universal search,” in which searching for a title takes you to whichever app has it available. If you want to watch Wicked but don’t know where it’s playing, just push the voice button on the remote and say "Wicked.” (We found simply saying the title or the genre you want sometimes works better than saying “Show me…” or “Search for…”) From the search results, hit the play button and the correct app will open and start playing — assuming you’ve previously logged into that app and, in most cases, have an active subscription.
Connectivity
Most streaming sticks connect to the internet via Wi-Fi, with the majority of them supporting Wi-Fi 5 or 6 protocols. Set-top boxes can also have Ethernet ports, so you can hardwire your internet connection to the device, which is typically faster than wireless. Streaming media players connect to your TV through an HDMI port, and most sticks hide behind the screen, while set-top boxes sit on a surface nearby. Nearly all units also plug into an AC outlet for power. Some sticks used to work by pulling power from a USB port on the TV, but increasingly, these devices are designed to plug into the wall.
Video and audio features
If your home theater setup has a screen that can display 4K content with Dolby Vision and HDR10, you’ll want a streaming device that supports those high-end formats. Of course, even the most top-shelf streamer can’t make a 1080p TV stream 4K. The series or movie also has to be transmitted in 4K and, increasingly, companies restrict higher-quality streaming to more expensive subscription plans. In short, every element needs to support the video or audio feature, otherwise the highest quality you’ll get will be the lowest of any component in the chain.
Remotes
Most remotes that come with streaming devices will allow you to control the power and volume of your TV. Some of the less expensive devices, however, don't have that feature, so you'll need to use your TV's remote to turn it on, then use the streaming remote to navigate the streamer's interface. If your streamer's remote does offer power and volume controls, the setup process will usually calibrate your remote to your TV. If you want to use a soundbar, such as from Sonos or other brands, for audio you may also have to take the additional step of pairing your remote to the speaker.
Voice control
In addition to helping you find stuff to watch, streaming devices from Apple, Google and Amazon can answer questions about the weather, sports scores and general facts using built-in voice assistants. They can also act as smart home controllers to turn off connected smart bulbs or plugs and show feeds from smart cameras. Just remember, as with all smart home devices, compatibility is key. Fire TV devices work with Alexa-enabled smart home equipment; the Google TV Streamer lets you control Google Home devices; and Apple TV 4Ks play nice with HomeKit and other Apple devices. Rokus grant power over Roku’s smart home products, but also work with the other ecosystems.
Below are some recommendations for the best streaming sticks and other budget-friendly options. We also included suggestions for set-top boxes and devices geared toward gamers.
Best streaming devices for 2025
How we tested and picked the best streaming devices
Like every gadget we test, we start by researching what’s worthy of reviewing. Then we get a hold of the devices ourselves and see how well they work. We don’t have a central Engadget lab; we test things in our own living rooms, on our own TV sets. We also figure that’s a better approximation of how you’d use the gadgets anyway.
We began testing streaming devices as far back as 2007 with the first Apple TV device. Since then, we’ve tried out most of the major new releases to come along — from the Roku Stick back in 2014 to the 2024 Google TV Streamer 4K. A few years ago, we decided to compile the streaming devices we reviewed into this guide. Since then, we’ve updated our top picks using verdicts from our reviews, as well the testing we perform just for this guide. As new devices come out, we try them and, if something is worthy, we add it to our top picks on this list.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/best-streaming-devices-media-players-123021395.html?src=rss
Most people consider getting a live TV streaming service so they can watch some combination of sports, news and/or local channels. Ten years ago, cable, satellite and broadcast signals were the only way to access that programming. These days, TVs don’t even have built-in digital antennas — and despite decades of consumer irritation, cable still requires impossible-to-cancel contracts. When live TV streaming arrived, it was hailed as a low-cost, contract-free alternative for cord-cutters.
Unfortunately, every major streaming service — YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, Sling, Philo, DirecTV Steam and Fubo — has raised prices significantly over the past few years. Philo and Sling are the only holdouts you can get for less than $50 monthly. Almost in compensation, however, a slew of free live TV streaming services lies at the other end of the cost spectrum including Tubi, Pluto and Plex.
The line between live TV and traditional streaming is getting harder to discern, too, with services like Peacock, Prime Video, Max, Apple TV+ and even Netflix showing live sporting events and live shows. Taken all together, there’s a lot to consider when you’re trying to pick the best live TV streaming service — so we tested every major option, spelling out the pros, cons and features of each to help you out.
Editor’s Note: This week, ESPN confirmed plans to launch a standalone streaming service which it will call simply, ESPN. This differs from ESPN+ in that it will offer every ESPN channel the company produces, including ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and about eight others, along with all of ESPN+’s programming. There will be two plans: one for $30 monthly that includes all networks, and a trimmed-down subscription for $12 per month. The launch date for the service will be announced this summer, and we will update this guide once that happens.
There are plenty of ways to get free TV these days. To start, many standard streaming apps have added live components to their lineups. You’re paying for the service, so it’s not technically “free,” but you can get a dose of live TV without spending more than necessary. Peacock includes some regional NBC stations, and notably access to the 2024 Summer Olympic Games. Paramount+ subscribers can watch on-air CBS programming. The standard Hulu app has a live ABC news channel and Max now includes a live CNN outlet with its service, along with cable-like linear channels.
The smart TV operating system (OS) you use likely provides free live content too: Amazon’s Fire TV interface has a live tab and Roku’s built-in Roku Channel includes hundreds of live channels at no extra cost. The same goes for Samsung TV Plus, which added a trove of K-dramas to its free live and on-demand lineup in 2024. The PBS app offers local live streams of its channels — even NASA has a free streaming service with live coverage.
But for a full suite of live TV networks, and don’t want to sign up for any paid service, there are a number of free ad-supported TV services that have live TV. Even cable company DirecTV has joined the crowd with MyFree, and Fubo Free lets customers with a lapsed subscription keep watching some content. Here's the best of the live TV streaming services we tried:
Streaming live TV is a lot like using Netflix. You get access through apps on your phone, tablet, smart TV or streaming device and the signal arrives over the internet. A faster and more stable connection tends to give you a better experience. Most live TV apps require you to sign up and pay via a web browser. After that, you can activate the app on all of your devices.
Monthly Price
When I started testing these cord-cutting alternatives, I was struck by the price difference between live TV and a standard video streaming app. Where the latter cost between $5 and $20 per month, most live TV services hit the $80 mark and can go higher than $200 with additional perks, channel packages and premium extras. The higher starting price is mostly due to the cost of providing multiple networks — particularly sports and local stations. And, in the past year or so, every service except Sling has raised base plan prices.
Local channels
Only two of the services I tried don’t include full local channel coverage for subscribers and one of those makes no effort to carry sports at all. That would be Philo and, as you might guess, it’s the cheapest. The next most affordable option, Sling, only carries three local stations — and only in larger markets — but it still manages to include some of the top sports channels.
When you sign up with any provider that handles local TV, you’ll enter your zip code, ensuring you get your area’s broadcast affiliates for ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC. Of course, you can also get those stations for free. Nearly all modern television sets support a radio frequency (RF) connection, also known as the coaxial port, which means if you buy an HD antenna, you’ll receive locally broadcast stations like ABC, CBS, PBS, FOX and NBC. And since the signal is digital, reception is much improved over the staticky rabbit-ears era.
Live sports coverage
One reality that spun my head was the sheer number and iterations of sports networks in existence. Trying to figure out which network will carry the match-up you want to see can be tricky. I found that Google makes it a little easier for sports fans by listing out upcoming games (just swap in NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL and so on in the search bar). When you click an event, the “TV & streaming” button will tell you which network is covering it.
That just leaves figuring out if your chosen service carries the RSNs (regional sports networks) you want. Unfortunately, even with add-ons and extra packages, some providers simply don’t have certain channels in their lineups. It would take a lawyer to understand the ins and outs of streaming rights negotiations, and networks leave and return to live TV carriers all the time. That said, most major sporting events in the US are covered by ESPN, Fox Sports, TNT, USA and local affiliates.
I should also point out that traditional streaming services have started adding live sports to their lineups. Peacock carries live Premier League matches, Sunday Night Football games and aired the 2024 Olympic Games from Paris. Thursday Night Football as well as NBA and WNBA games are on Amazon Prime and Christmas Day Football aired on Netflix. Max (formerly HBO Max) now airs select, regular season games from the NHL, MLB, NCAA and NBA with a $10-per-month add-on. You can watch MLS games with an add-on through the Apple TV app, and Apple TV+ includes some MLB games. Roku users can watch the just-added free sports channel and those who subscribe to Paramount Plus can see many of the matches aired on CBS Sports, including live NFL games. This year, even the Super Bowl was live-streamed for free on Tubi. While all of these alternatives may not cover as much ground as live TV streamers, they could end up being cheaper avenues to the sports you want.
And if sports is all you’re after, there are sports-only plans that are a touch cheaper too. While the promised sports streaming service from ESPN, Fox and Warner Bros. called Venu was cancelled early this year, shortly after, DirecTV announced a $70-per-month, sports-only streaming package called MySports and Comcast now has a sports and news bundle for the same price (as long as you're an Xfinity customer with auto-pay, otherwise it's more expensive).
Traditional cable networks
Dozens of linear programming networks were once only available with cable TV, like Bravo, BET, Food Network, HGTV, CNN, Lifetime, SYFY and MTV. If you only subscribe to, say, Netflix or Apple TV+, you won’t have access to those. But as with sports, standard streamers are starting to incorporate this content into their offerings. After the Warner Bros. merger, Max incorporated some content from HGTV, Discovery and TLC. Peacock has Bravo and Hallmark shows, and Paramount+ has material from Nickelodeon, MTV and Comedy Central.
Other channels like AMC+ have stand-alone apps. The Discovery+ app gives you 15 channels ad-free for $9 per month (or with ads for $5 monthly). And a service called Frndly TV starts at a mere $7 per month and streams A&E, Lifetime, Game Show Network, Outdoor Channel and about 35 others. Of course, most live TV streaming options will deliver more sizable lists of cable networks, but just note that you may already be paying for some of them — and if all you need is a certain channel, you could get it cheaper by subscribing directly.
On-demand streaming
Most live TV subscriptions include access to a selection of video-on-demand (VOD) content, like you would get with a traditional streaming service. Much of this content is made up of the movies and TV series that have recently aired on your subscribed networks. This typically doesn’t cover live events and news programming, but I was able to watch specific episodes of ongoing shows like Top Chef or BET’s Diarra from Detroit. Just search the on-demand library for the program, pick an episode and hit play.
Partnerships, like Hulu’s relationship with Disney, and add-ons, such as bundling Max with your YouTube TV subscription or Starz with your Sling plan, will let you watch even larger libraries of on-demand content. But again, if VOD is all you’re after, paying for those networks directly instead of through a live TV plan will be far cheaper.
Digital video recordings (DVR) limits
Every option I tried offers some cloud DVR storage without needing a separate physical device. You’ll either get unlimited storage for recordings that expires after nine months or a year, or you’ll get a set number of hours (between 50 and 1,000) that you can keep indefinitely. Typically, all you need to do is designate what ongoing TV series you want to record and the DVR component will do all the hard work of saving subsequent episodes for you to watch later. You can do the same thing with sports events.
Aside from being able to watch whenever it’s most convenient, you can also fast-forward through commercials in recorded content. In contrast, you can’t skip them on live TV or VOD.
Simultaneous streams and profiles per account
Each plan gives you a certain number of simultaneous streams, aka how many screens can play content at the same time. And while most providers will let you travel with your subscription, there are usually location restrictions that require you to sign in from your home IP address periodically. Stream allowances range from one at a time to unlimited screens (or as many as your ISP’s bandwidth can handle). Some plans require add-ons to get more screens.
Most services also let you set up a few profiles so I was able to give different people in my family the ability to build their own watch histories and libraries, set their favorite channels and get individual recommendations.
Picture-in-picture mode and multiview
Picture-in-picture (PiP) usually refers to shrinking a video window on a mobile device or computer browser so you can watch it while using other apps. Sling, YouTube TV, FuboTV, Philo, DirecTV Stream and Hulu + Live TV all have PiP modes on computers and mobile devices. Another feature, multiview, lets you view multiple live sports games at once on your TV screen. YouTube TV and FuboTV are the only live TV streamers that let you do this. With YouTube TV, you can select up to four views from a few preset selection of streams. FuboTV offers the same feature, but only if you're using an Apple TV or Roku streaming device.
4K live streams
Right now, just FuboTV, YouTube TV and DirecTV Stream offer 4K live streams — but with caveats. YouTube TV requires a $20-per-month add-on, after which you’ll only be able to watch certain live content in 4K. DirecTV Stream has three channels that show live 4K content — one with shows and original series, and two with occasional sporting events. You don’t have to pay extra for these but you do need to have either DirecTV’s Gemini receiver, or a device from Fire TV, Apple TV or Roku. You’ll need those same streaming devices to watch the select 4K programming on Sling as well. FuboTV shows certain live events in 4K but access is limited to the Elite and Premier packages, not the base-level Pro plan.
Of course, watching any 4K content also requires equipment that can handle it: a 4K smart TV or 4K streaming device paired with a cord and screen that can handle 4K resolution.
Tiers, packages and add-ons
Comparing price-to-offering ratios is a task for a spreadsheet. I… made three. The base plans range from $28 to $85 per month. From there, you can add packages, which are usually groups of live TV channels bundled by themes like news, sports, entertainment or international content. Premium VOD extras like Max, AMC+ and Starz are also available. Add-ons cost an extra $5 to $20 each per month and simply show up in the guide where you find the rest of your live TV. This is where streaming can quickly get expensive, pushing an $80 subscription to $200 monthly, depending on what you choose.
How to stream live TV for free
I also downloaded and tried out a few apps that offer free ad-supported TV (FAST) including Freevee, Tubi, PlutoTV and Sling Freestream. These let you drop in and watch a more limited selection of live networks at zero cost. Most don’t even require an email address, let alone a credit card. And if you have a Roku device, an Amazon Fire TV or Stick, a Samsung TV, a Chromecast device or a Google TV, you already have access to hundreds of live channels via the Roku Channel, the live tab in Fire TV, through the Samsung TV Plus app or through Google TV.
When I begin testing for a guide, I research the most popular and well-reviewed players in the category and narrow down which are worth trying. For the paid plans, just six services dominate so I tried them all. There are considerably more free live TV contenders so I tested the four most popular. After getting accounts set up using my laptop, I downloaded the apps on a Samsung smart TV running the latest version of Tizen OS. I counted the local stations and regional sports coverage, and noted how many of the top cable networks were available. I then weighed the prices, base packages and available add-ons.
I then looked at how the programming was organized in each app’s UI and judged how easy everything was to navigate, from the top navigation to the settings. To test the search function, I searched for the same few TV shows on BET, Food Network, HGTV and Comedy Central, since all six providers carry those channels. I noted how helpful the searches were and how quickly they got me to season 6, episode 13 of Home Town.
I used DVR to record entire series and single movies and watched VOD shows, making sure to test the pause and scan functions. On each service with sports, I searched for the same four upcoming NHL, NBA, MLS and NCAA basketball matches and used the record option to save the games and play them back a day or two later. Finally, I noted any extra perks or irritating quirks.
Streaming simply refers to video content that is delivered to your screen over the internet. Live streaming can be split into two categories: linear programming and simultaneous transmission. That first one is similar to what you get with cable or broadcast TV, with channels that play a constant flow of movies and shows (sort of what TV looked like before Netflix). Simultaneous streaming lets you watch live events (like a basketball game) or a program (like the evening news) as they happen.
What is the difference between streaming and live streaming?
Standard streaming, the most popular example being Netflix, lets you pick what you want to watch from a menu of choices. It’s also referred to as “video on demand.” Live streaming refers to sports and news events that you can stream as they happen in real time. It also refers to channels that show a continuous, linear flow of programming.
What streaming service is best for live TV?
FuboTV does the best job of letting you organize live channels to help you find just what you want to watch. The interface is uncluttered and when you search for something, the UI clearly tells you whether something is live now or on-demand. YouTube TV also does a good job making that info clear. Both have just over 100 live channels on offer.
What is the most cost effective TV streaming service?
Free TV streaming services like PlutoTV, Plex, Tubi and FreeVee show plenty of ad-supported TV shows and movies without charging you anything. Of course, they won’t have the same channels or content that more premium subscriptions have. Ultimately it depends on what you want to watch and finding the service that can supply that to you in the most streamlined form so you’re not paying for stuff you don’t need.
Is it cheaper to have cable or streaming?
A basic cable package used to be more expensive than the base-level live TV streaming service. But now that nearly all major providers have raised their prices to over $75 per month, that’s no longer the case. And with add-ons and other premiums, you can easily pay over $200 a month for either cable or a live TV streaming service.
What streaming service has all the TV channels?
No service that we tested had every available channel. Hulu + Live TV and DirecTV Stream carry the the highest number of the top rated channels, according to Neilsen. Hulu’s service also gets you Disney+ fare, which you can’t get elsewhere. FuboTV has the most sports channels and YouTube TV gives you the widest selection of add-ons.
What is the most popular live TV streaming platform?
YouTube TV has the most paying customers. According to 2024's letter from the CEO, the service has over eight million subscribers. Disney’s 2024 third quarter earnings put the Hulu + Live TV viewer count at 4.6 million. Sling’s customer count dipped from two million to about 1.9 million in 2024 and FuboTV grew its subscriber list to 1.6 million.
How safe are free streaming services and websites?
You may have heard certain sites that provide free content can be dangerous, leading to stolen info and/or exposing you to malware. That’s likely in reference to certain peer-to-peer (P2P) networks and file-sharing sites that let people download free movies and series — which can come bundled with malicious code.
But if you’re talking about the free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) services listed here, from providers like PlutoTV, Tubi and Freevee, they are just as safe as any other streaming service. Since you sometimes don’t even have to provide your email address or credit card info, they can even be more anonymous than apps that require login credentials.
January 31, 2025: Added information about which streaming service would live-stream the Super Bowl, including Tubi’s free option. Updated Fubo’s pricing. Added details about DirectTV Stream’s sports-only package and Comcast’s sports and news bundle.
January 16, 2025: Included higher prices for Sling’s Orange and Blue plans. Noted the demise of the never-launched Venu sports streaming service and mentioned the inclusion of DirecTV’s new sports package.
December 31, 2024: Noted increased pricing for YouTube TV, Hulu+ Live TV and DirecTV. Updated information for 4K streaming capabilities and requirements for multiple services. Reported on the upcoming shut down of Amazon’s Freevee service and the addition of DirecTV’s free service.
August 6, 2024: Updated with the addition of Plex as a free live TV streaming recommendation and mentioned the additional free channels Philo is now including with the free version of its service. Added pricing information for ESPN's new sports-only streaming service, Venu.
June 12, 2024: Updated with more information about 4K live streaming, picture-in-picture and multiview modes, as well as video on-demand options. We expanded our recommendations around free live TV streaming services and added a FAQ query about the safety of free streaming services and clarified the difference between standard and live streaming. More traditional streaming services have added live and sports components, so we revised that section accordingly.
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