Cord Cutting For Dummies

Chapter 6

The Hardware You Need for Streaming

IN THIS CHAPTER

Choosing a TV for media streaming

Learning the difference between a set-top box and a dongle

Choosing between a set-top box and a dongle

Checking out smart TVs

Setting up your streaming hardware

By necessity, streaming media over the Internet is a some-hardware-required exercise. At the very least, you need a screen to watch the incoming media stream. And that screen might be all you need for hardware if you're watching the media on a mobile device using a cellular connection. If that scenario doesn't apply to you (and it almost certainly doesn't), your hardware investment will be more substantial. I'm talking a TV or smart TV; a streaming media device, such as a set-top box or a dongle; perhaps a digital video recorder doohickeys I talk about in Chapter 5. You might also need to beef up your Internet-access hardware and your Wi-Fi network equipment. Then, of course, you have to wire everything together so that you and ...