Get a Streaming Device or New TV for Christmas? Here’s How to Get the Most Out of It

Electronics are always a welcome gift under the Christmas tree, and if Santa brought you a new TV or streaming device, it might be time to rethink your entertainment habits. Nearly all new TVs and streaming devices come pre-loaded with software, but you should take a few minutes to customize them for maximum value and fun.

Step 1: Connect to the Internet

If you want to watch TV or movies without a cable subscription, the first step is connecting to your internet provider. Most devices work just fine with a Wi-Fi connection, but if you have the ability to run an ethernet cable to your TV or streaming box, the connection will be faster and more stable.

Step 2: Get Familiar With Your App Store

While most devices come pre-loaded with many apps, you should take the time to customize your app lineup.

Smart TVs

On many smart TVs, you can find new apps in the Google Play Store. Find that tile in your menu and click it to discover the apps available.

If you have a Roku-enabled TV:

• Press “Home” home button on your Roku remote
• Scroll and select Store
• Select Channels, then browse by genre, recommended, featured, top free, and other categories
• When you want to learn more about an app, press OK on your remote
• If the app is free, select Add channel; if the app requires a subscription, select OK to start a free trial or purchase a subscription
• The app will be added to the bottom of the list of apps on the home screen. If you prefer, the app can be moved higher up the list.

(See all the channels available for Roku here.)

To add an app on a VIZIO TV:

• Press the left arrow button on your remote when you are on the SmartCast input.
• A menu will appear on the left-hand side. Navigate down and select Apps.
• To search for apps highlight and select the App Search. Then type in the app you are looking for.
• To update your apps and input row, highlight and select Home Screen Apps. From this screen, you can quickly and easily update the apps that will appear on your SmartCast home screen.

All smart TVs offer some variation of this process.

Streaming Devices

If you have an Amazon Fire stick:

• Search for an app by going to “Find” on the main menu. You can also use the Alexa or microphone button on your remote.
• Select the app that you want to download.
• To download the app, select “Get” or the Shopping Cart icon.

If you have a Roku device:

• Press “Home” home button on your Roku remote
• Scroll and select Store
• Select Channels, then browse by genre, recommended, featured, top free, and other categories
• When you want to learn more about an app, press OK on your remote
• If the app is free, select Add channel; if the app requires a subscription, select OK to start a free trial or purchase a subscription
• The app will be added to the bottom of the list of apps on the home screen. If you prefer, the app can be moved higher up the list.

(See all the channels available for Roku here.)

If you have an Apple TV:

• Open the App Store app. (It’s a blue icon with a white “A,” just like what you’d see on an iPhone)
• Browse or search for the app that you want to download.
• Select the price or “Get” button. If you see the “Open” button instead of a price or the “Get” button, the app is already downloaded.

Gaming Devices

We don’t recommend using gaming platforms to stream video - those apps usually don’t get the support reserved for other devices. Still, you can watch most apps with an Xbox or PlayStation.

Xbox:

• Look on your Xbox’s home screen and click “Store”
• Download your chosen apps
• You can now find it the apps in your Xbox’s “My games & apps” menu

PlayStation:

• Start up your console and head to the PlayStation store
• Go to search and type the names of the apps you’re looking for
• Select the apps you want, then press ‘Download’ and install the app

Step 3: Choose the Right Apps

Live TV

If you don’t want to pay a cable subscription, you can watch nearly every channel you want over the internet. By choosing a live TV streaming service, you can pay month-to-month without a contract, and you’ll get a cloud DVR to record everything you want.

Want to be sure you’re getting all the channels you need? Put your favorite stations in our Service Matchmaker.

Our Picks for Live TV

DIRECTV STREAM

With more channels available than every other live TV streamer, DIRECTV STREAM is a dream for TV lovers. There are four main tiers of service, and it’s the best way to watch most regional sports networks.

Starting at $79.99+/month, you’ll get local channels, 31 of the top 35 cable channels, and access to the widest selection of regional sports networks including Bally Sports. You’ll also get an unlimited cloud DVR, and the option to have 20 simultaneous streams at home.

Sling TV

If you want to save money, we highly recommend Sling TV. It has two main channel lineups (called “Orange” and “Blue”), so you could choose one of those and pay just $40 / month. You could choose to pay $55 / month and that would get you both channel lineups.

We use Sling TV to watch 27 of the top 35 cable channels. It offers important sports channels like ESPN, FS1, NFL Network, NFL RedZone, TBS, and TNT.

One downside to Sling is that local channels aren’t available in all markets, and you can’t get CBS. You could remedy that with an inexpensive antenna. Or if you need CBS, you can subscribe to Paramount+, which offers your live, local CBS feed. Peacock offers a live, local NBC feed if Sling doesn’t have it in your area.

Sling’s DVR is a bit more limited than DIRECTV STREAM, but it should work fine unless you watch a ton of TV. You can pay to upgrade it if needed.

On-Demand Apps

There are hundreds and hundreds of on-demand video apps. You’ve probably heard of Netflix, which is a good starting point if you’ve never enjoyed an online streaming service before. Almost all of them have a good selection of movies and TV shows. Where these apps really shine are when you explore services that cater to niche interests. Horror movie lovers will get a kick out of Shudder or Screambox. Fans of highbrow entertainment might like Britbox or Acorn TV. There are streamers that focus on specific music genres or sports. You can try most of them for free.

Here are a few we love in The Streamable offices:

Prime Video

Ger a huge variety of entertainment in one spot. You’ll see acclaimed titles like “Reacher,” “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,” “The Boys,” “Invincible,” “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” and “Fleabag.” Prime Video also plays host to a ton of major Hollywood movies. As a major bonus, you can watch this streaming service for free for 30 days.

Our favorite part about Prime Video is that you can add other streaming subscriptions inside it. Max and [Paramount + $] are two great add-ons, but the list is staggering. You can keep tabs on your favorite basketball team with NBA League Pass, delve deep into anime with Crunchyroll, or lose weight with Fitfusion by Jillian Michaels. The possibilities are nearly endless, and almost every add-on features a 7-day free trial.

Disney+

If you have children, you’ll love Disney+. It’s got movies and shows from Pixar, Star Wars, Marvel, The Muppets, and the Disney animated library. You’ll find streaming exclusive hits like “Percy Jackson and the Olympians,” “Loki,” “Andor,” and “The Mandalorian.” Adults will enjoy the behind-the-scenes documentaries about famous rides at Disney Parks, along with musical performances like “Hamilton,” an Elton John concert, and the cast of “Encanto” performing their hits live.

To supercharge Disney+, upgrade to the Disney Bundle, which gives you a major discount on Hulu, and ESPN+. Hulu has great shows like “A Murder at the End of the World,” “The Bear,” “Only Murders in the Building,” “30 Rock,” “Lost,” “Modern Family,” “The Americans,” “Frasier,” and “Justified.” ESPN+ gives you hundreds of out-of-market NHL games, the “30 for 30” library, and tons of live sports.

The Disney bundle is one of the last great streaming values, and it could be the one streaming solution that checks all your boxes.

Max

If you love TV, you have to try the home of HBO: Max. It’s the only place to see “The Sopranos,” “The Wire,” Sex and the City,” “Succession,” “Game of Thrones,” “The West Wing,” “Veep,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Friends,” “Deadwood,” and much more.

The movie library is among the best in streaming, with a mix of blockbusters and critical darlings. You can see “Barbie,” “Fargo,” “Dune,” “Mad Max: Fury Road,” the Peter Jackson “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, the Harry Potter films, “The Batman,” “Parasite,” “The Matrix,” “Moonlight,” “The Wizard of Oz,” “2001: A Space Odyssey,” “Scream,” “Casablanca,” “Avatar,” “Pulp Fiction,” “Good Will Hunting,” and so much more.

Jump into a free trial and see all that Max has to offer!

Free Apps

To round out your streaming diet, it’s worth adding several free services. Most of these have commercials. Tubi has a surprisingly high-quality movie library. Pluto TV is great for “background TV” with lots of virtual “channels” that play comfort-food reruns of your favorite shows.

If you have a library card, check to see if your library offers Kanopy or Hoopla, and you’ll find a lot of good options to watch without commercials.

Conclusion

Once you know how to download apps to your new device, there’s so much you can watch and enjoy. If you subscribe to our newsletter (below) or visit our site each day, you’ll see alerts on streaming sales and new services to try. The streaming landscape is always shifting, and we’ve made it our mission to keep you informed.

Don’t be afraid to cancel a service if you find you’re not watching it that often! I dropped YouTube TV after it raised its price, and I’ve been happy with Sling TV. I let my Max subscription lapse when they don’t have new episodes of a weekly show I want to watch like “The Last of Us.” The great thing about streaming is that you can always resubscribe when you see a new movie or show you want to check out.

There’s never been more entertainment available to you, so fire up your new device and see what’s out there!