How to choose the best TV streaming device for you

Perhaps the most important choice you need to make is your preferred software: Just like phones and laptops, streaming devices have their own operating systems. So you should choose a platform that fits two criteria: It must play your favorite content and work well with the devices you already own. For example, if you want to watch shows and movies purchased from iTunes, then you need the only device capable of working with that software: the 4K Apple TV ($150 and up on Amazon). If you're all-in on the Apple ecosystem--you rely on a Mac computer or an iPhone--then you'll want this option. Android users, on the other hand, should lean toward devices, such as the 4K Nvidia Shield ($180 and up on Amazon), that run the Android TV operating system. This works best with Android-based video apps, everything from YouTube to Plex, although it can't play your iTunes content.