• For now you need to build the feature yourself on a Mac
• Native Player delivers similar audio but isn't open source
• Proposed as an extension to the Nuvio media player

A clever developer has come up with a way to deliver lossless Dolby TrueHD movie soundtracks, complete with Dolby Atmos effects, to home theater speakers from the third-gen Apple TV 4K.

The Apple TV only officially supports Dolby Digital Plus, which is the more compressed Dolby audio codec used by streaming services to reduce the amount of data used, while Dolby TrueHD is used on Blu-rays where bandwidth isn't a problem. So it makes sense for the Apple TV 4K to only use Dolby Digital Plus, since it's a streaming device — but that doesn't stop the enthusiasts from wanting the flexibility of playing files with TrueHD audio on their devices.

The system that Reddit user Agathorpt used to deliver Dolby TrueHD through the Apple TV 4K requires not actually delivering it in TrueHD at all, but converting it to other formats, converting the Dolby Atmos positional data into other formats too, then recombining them in a format that the Apple TV 4K can deliver, but in a higher quality.

How they got TrueHD Atmos on the Apple TV 4K

As mentioned above, the audio takes a bit of a journey here. The path is:

TrueHD Atmos → decoded audio + timed object metadata → fixed 9.1.6 speaker render → APAC → native tvOS playback.

APAC is Apple's Positional Audio Codec, and while it's not truly lossless (the source audio, TrueHD, is a lossless format but APAC is not) the consensus is that the results here are really impressive.

Basically, the system decodes the audio and the 3D Atmos positioning data separately, creates a new audio system where the Atmos effects are mapped to a 9.1.6-channel speaker configuration, then converts that to Apple's own proprietary spatial audio codec, which can then be played by the Apple TV 4K.

The goal was to replicate the audio functionality of a closed-source app called Native Player with an open-source alternative because "keeping the implementation closed… leaves everyone dependent on that vendor for fixes and future support," Agathorpt says. "Other players can't reuse or improve that code, and the community can't independently inspect how it handles the audio."

"The spatial audio has been working amazingly well for me," Agathorpt says. "It sounds excellent on my setup." Other redditors have tried the same software and are reporting great results too.

In order to copy what Agathorpt has created, you'd need several things: a Mac; Apple's Xcode development software; and your own Apple development account to sign an app: the full steps they went through are detailed here. The Apple TV 4K needs to be running tvOS 26 or later, and of course you'll also need movie files with 48kHz TrueHD Atmos audio.

There is hope from home theater enthusiasts that Agathorpt's project will be implemented in the Nuvio player for everyone and in other tvOS apps too, but for now you'll need to build it yourself. It doesn't seem too difficult to do, but if you're not the technical type you might want to wait for it to roll out as part of the app. It's been proposed for addition so hopefully that won't take too long.

Agathorpt is at pains to point out that they didn't write the software projects used in this process. It builds on the work of others, especially Superuser404notfound's work on the AetherEngine media engine and LibTrueHD object audio decoder.

One assumes that this will work with the new Apple TV 4K (2026) that Apple just announced too, though its price hike and lack of big new AV features means fans aren't particularly enamored.

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• Siri AI is coming to Apple TV 4K 2nd and 3rd Gen
• Free software update arriving later this year
• Update will be available in select countries and territories

While much of the attention on the new Apple TV 4K — now in its fourth generation — may focus on the sticker shock of the $299 / £299 / AU$449 price, it also brings some notable features. Siri AI offers a more robust personal assistant experience via the Siri Remote or the box's far-field microphones. It also has a faster processor to speed things up and supports four HomePod 2 or HomePod mini 2 speakers in a surround setup.

But if you were really hoping to use Siri AI on Apple’s streaming box, maybe to pull up recommendations friends might have suggested or to figure out whether a character is based on a real person, and you don’t want to spend the extra cash on an upgrade, I've got good news.

Alongside announcing the Apple TV 4K (4th generation), Apple has confirmed that Siri AI will arrive on older Apple TV models via a forthcoming software update. The release note reads, “Siri AI is available as a beta on Apple TV 4K (2nd generation or later), and is available at launch in the U.S., Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, and the UK in English.”

That means the AI-powered, more personalized Siri will arrive on the Apple TV 4K 2nd Gen, 3rd Gen, and the new 4th generation, which begins shipping on November 13, 2026. And since the newest model will launch with Siri AI, that might hint at when Apple will roll out the tvOS 27.2 software update to the other two models. As a reminder, the 2nd Gen shipped in 2021, and the 3rd Gen launched in 2022.

That’s excellent news, because the new Siri AI isn’t just better at basic tasks; it also brings broader knowledge and personal context. So whether it’s pulling up an album your best friend recommended weeks ago that you can’t quite remember, or trying to recount a specific episode you and a family member were up to, the assistant can tap into that info to answer the query.

I saw a few demos of that on the new Apple TV 4K, and even though these older models have less power under the hood, Apple hasn’t said that Siri AI’s features will be limited. So while they could be a hair or two slower, it should still be a strong experience.

If nothing else, it’s a free upgrade that gives you another way to interact with Apple TV and find content. Beyond the added personal queries, you can also get richer recommendations and suggestions when you ask Siri for content.

Further, if, beyond Siri AI’s arrival with the Apple TV 4K 4th Gen, you were also enticed by the new Siri Remote, which adds a speaker to make a chirping sound when you’re trying to track it down, or the ability to use Precision Finding for exact directions on how to find the remote when it’s deep in couch cushions with a compatible iPhone, you can purchase the upgraded remote with UWB (ultra-wideband) and the speaker from Apple, and it works with previous-gen Apple TVs. Apple's already taking orders for the updated Siri Remote for $59 here, and it's on Amazon.com for the same price here.

So, with a free, forthcoming update for Apple TV 4K 2nd and 3rd Gen that’ll bring Siri AI to select areas, and the fact that you can get the Siri Remote for a price, these two additions will bring some new features and could very well make the Apple TV 4K feel fresh again.

We'll report back once Apple announces when this update will arrive, but for now all we know is that tvOS 27.2 is coming.

I love my Apple TV 4K, which I think is the best streaming device you can buy if, like me, you're already all-in on Apple. But while my Apple TV 4K (2022) is great, it's also four years old. That's an eternity in TV tech, so I was excited to see what new features and capabilities the new Apple TV 4K announced today would bring.

Unfortunately, there are hardly any new features or capabilities. But the new Apple TV is much more expensive, so… uh, thanks?

What I saw today was a bit like if Apple took four years to make a new season of Pluribus, restricted it to a new Apple TV tier costing twice as much, and it turned out to be identical to Season 1 but 3% brighter and 5% faster.

I'm not the only Apple TV fan to be disappointed. Reddit is unhappy too.

The 2026/2027 Apple TV 4K: the good, the bad, and the ugly reaction

I'm not an Apple TV newcomer: while I've used lots of different streamers I've had an Apple TV for everyday viewing for over a decade.

I bought my first Apple TV in 2012 for £85, and I'm currently on the 2022 Apple TV 4K. That came in two versions, one with Ethernet and one without, and the cheapest one was $129 / £149 / AU$219. Now there's only one version, and it's $299 / £299 / AU$449.

Apple was already more expensive than most rival streaming models, but not terrifyingly so — and fairly, given that the price wasn't subsidized by ads.

Now, though, it's way more pricey than its best competitors. Yes, there's a component shortage that's putting prices up. But that's affecting rivals too, and they're yet to up their prices so dramatically.

That raised price makes it a much tougher sell to newcomers, as the cost of entry has more than doubled. And it's a tough sell to existing owners because while the price has more than doubled, the spec and feature list… hasn't.

There are two key improvements here: four-speaker surround via HomePods (but not the first-gen models) and integrated Siri AI. There are also some other changes including hardware AV1 video decoding, and the ability for the remote to make a noise so you can find it if it's misplaced (and precision location tracking using UWB tech), which is welcome.

But if you're not doing the HomePods thing (my HomePods are elsewhere; I have wired speakers and an AV receiver for my TV) then this is pretty disappointing for three hundred bucks.

I'm not sold on the need for AI assistants in TVs, and Siri isn't impressing me much on any platform. I've been using the latest Siri since the iOS/tvOS 27 developer betas, and for me at least it's hopeless: simple tasks take forever to complete if they complete at all, and it's far and away my most sworn-at tech product.

The new built-in microphones might make Siri less cloth-eared than in the Apple Remote, but my problems are with what Siri does, or doesn't do, after it's finally listened to me. Most of the time using or trying to use Siri makes my TV experience worse, not better.

The reaction on the various Apple subreddits chimes with mine. On r/apple Santathe1 suggested that "somebody’s gotta pay for all the useless Siri AI no one likes", while Kaiathebluenose said that "Improving Siri for my Apple TV is at the bottom of my list for improvements." Heyboychica says "they've lost their minds with that price," and PuyoDead agrees: "The only upgrade is a microphone I don’t want, and AI I’m never ever going to use? No thank you, I just picked up a refurbished third gen from their store instead."

Other Redditors were disappointed that the Apple TV is still limited to 60Hz, not 120Hz, with comments including "60Hz for 300 bucks lol. No thanks", "being capped at 60Hz seems like a DOA", and similar sentiments, though I think that last one is a bit extreme for a device mainly used for 24fps and 30fps video.

To an extent, Apple is a victim of its own success here: the Apple TV 4K (2022) is a brilliant streaming device. Unfortunately it's so good at what it does that it would need some pretty major upgrades to persuade existing owners to buy a newer one — and this model doesn't seem to have anything to get seriously excited about. As redditor 17chan put it: "The good news is this saves me money. The bad news is it saves me money because I'm super disappointed and totally not buying this."

We will of course be reviewing the new Apple TV 4K and we'll give you our verdict very soon.

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• The new Apple TV 4K is official and starts at $299 / £299 / AU$449
• It has microphones built-in for hands-free Siri control and supports HomePod surrounds
• The updated Siri Remote can chirp to help you find it, supports Precision Finding, and works with older Apple TV models

I fondly remember when Apple brought the price down on the Apple TV 4K box, and then I also remember the unfortunate price hikes from earlier in 2026. That pushed the Apple TV 4K without Ethernet to $199 / £199 / AU$299 and the one with Ethernet to $249 / £249 / AU$399.

Now, alongside the HomeView and the second-generation HomePod mini, Apple is ushering in the new Apple TV 4K and sunsetting the previous models. It keeps a similar shape — it's still a black square with curved edges and a logo up top — but there are some new tricks here.

It also carries a new price point: the Apple TV 4K (2026) comes in one version and costs $299 / £299 / AU$449. That’s a big jump, especially when compared with competing Roku players and Fire TV Sticks. It’s actually the same price as the new Apple HomeView, which includes a screen and speakers. Still, it's up for preorder now — beginning October 13, 2026 — and ships on November 13, 2026.

I’ve spent a bit of time with the refreshed Apple TV 4K, seeing it work through some Siri AI tasks and hearing its new audio capabilities, which include the ability to work with up to four HomePod speakers in a surround setup.

That could mean two second-generation HomePods up front and two HomePod mini second-generation as rear speakers, four full-sized HomePod 2 units, or four HomePod mini 2 units.

By far the most meaningful upgrade, and the one that shows Apple’s listening to customers, is the new Siri Remote. Now in its fourth generation, it can finally chirp and emit a sound when you can’t find it. So you can ask, “Hey Siri, where’s my remote?” to no one in particular (the Apple TV 4K box's microphones will hear you) and the remote will emit a sound.

It’s pretty loud, though Apple isn’t sharing the exact decibel level, and it should be very audible even if the remote is stuck deep between couch cushions, in a pile on the floor, or somewhere else entirely.

If you also have an iPhone 17 or newer, iPhone Air, or iPhone Duo, you can open Find My, tap Devices, and then use Precision Finding to help you locate the remote. These are both super-helpful features, and you don’t need the new Apple TV 4K to take advantage of them, as this remote is backwards compatible with the Apple TV HD and previous Apple TV 4K models. I’m still waiting for price confirmation, but for reference, the current Siri Remote is $59 / £59 / AU$89.

As someone who’s bought into the sound quality of the HomePods since the first generation, which sadly isn’t supported here, this is a welcome upgrade. But you do need a lot of new hardware.

Theoretically, that’s $895 / £895 / AU$1,365 for an Apple TV 4K and four HomePod mini 2 units, or $1,695 / £1,695 / AU$2,645 for four second-generation HomePods and the Apple TV 4K, or $1,295 / £1,295 / AU$2,005 for two HomePod mini 2s, two second-generation HomePods, and an Apple TV 4K.

I heard a brief snippet of Widow’s Bay, which streams on Apple TV, with the latter setup: two full-sized HomePods next to a TV and two HomePod mini 2s a bit farther back behind a couch. It sounded really good, and compared with just two HomePods, the full setup offered a much wider experience that excelled at showing off both the low and high ends, from a quieter scene that ramped into a more vibrant one. This combo packs a punch.

There's no doubt that $299 / £299 / AU$449 for a streaming box, even with that audio capability, is a lot. But the Apple TV 4K does pack in a few other bells and whistles. Under the hood, it should be speedier, with quicker app launches and more runway into the future thanks to the A19 processor.

The new Apple TV 4K also supports Siri AI at launch in Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, the UK, the US, Singapore, and South Africa.

This lets you ask questions with personal context, like, “Hey Siri, what was the episode of Star Wars Rebels I was talking about with Max?” or “What was that show that Benjie recommended a few months back in the group chat?”

Leaning on personal context from a connected iPhone, it can deliver those results, and it worked quickly in a demo, pulling up an episode of Ted Lasso in short order.

That about wraps up the new Apple TV 4K — it replaces the previous-generation models, though if those get discounted, they’re definitely worth a look. It’s available to order now ahead of its November 13, 2026 launch.

It’s a sizable price increase, and I wish Apple still offered the previous generation as a more affordable option, something like an entry-level iPad equivalent or an “e” option, similar to the iPhone 17e.

It’s clear that this is a higher-end, premium streaming box, but we’ll need to spend some time with it to see how it compares and whether the $299 / £299 / AU$449 price point is worth it. Let me know what you think in the comments below, particularly your thoughts on that higher price and feature set.

• A new Google TV Streamer is rumored to be on the way
• Tipped upgrades include microphones and more storage
• There's no word yet on a launch date or any potential pricing

The first Google TV Streamer launched in August 2024, and standalone Chromecast devices were discontinued at the same time. Now a second streaming box is rumored, and it sounds like the included upgrades will be substantial.

According to "a source familiar with the matter" speaking to 9to5Google, the updated device will have a similar design to the original, except for being slightly narrower. The current model measures 6.4 inches x 3 inches x 1 inch (16.3 cm x 7.6 cm x 2.5 cm).

The new model will apparently add microphones, which means you will of course be able to say "hey Google" and speak out some voice commands or AI queries without having to use the remote to do it — a bit more like a smart speaker.

Presence sensing is tipped to be added to, which means the screensaver could load up when you're in the room, and more detailed information (such as the time and weather) might be displayed when someone gets close.

Time to upgrade?

Other rumored upgrades: a faster chipset and more storage, beyond the 32GB of room that the current model offers for apps and files. It seems there will be two more shortcut buttons on the remote as well, in addition to the current Netflix and YouTube ones.

That all sounds appealing to me, as someone who has hung on to the older Chromecast with Google TV. Despite its increasing age, it remains a perfectly capable streaming device, which doesn't differ hugely from the current Google TV Streamer.

If the new model was faster, had more room on it, and worked more like a smart speaker (or a smart display), then I may have to consider the upgrade — though price will be crucial as always (the current model just got a price hike to $149 in the US).

It's not clear when this updated model might arrive, but we're now two years on from the first device. With a new Apple TV 4K box rumored to be arriving at Apple's event next week, Google won't want to wait too long before updating its own hardware.

Amazon's dropping big discounts across the Fire TV range for Prime Day, saving you up to 67% on Fire TV Stick devices. In the US, the Fire TV Stick 4K Select is just $17.99 (was $49.99), while UK shoppers can pick up the Fire TV Stick HD (newest gen) for £19.99 (was £59.99), saving 67%.

•Browse the full Amazon Prime Day sale US
•Browse the full Amazon Prime Day sale UK

The discounts are available across the Fire TV Stick range, from the budget-friendly Fire TV Stick 4K Select to the range-topping Fire TV Stick Max.

We'd recommend looking at all of the offers here, not just the very cheapest or the biggest discount. That's because there are some crucial differences between Fire TV models. For example, if you want the most cinematic experience with Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos, the Fire TV Stick 4K Plus or Max are the ones to buy.

Need some help? We've explained the differences between the Fire TV 4K Select and the Fire TV Stick 4K Max here.

Here are our picks of the Fire TV Stick 4K Prime Day deals, with the US ones listed first and the UK ones immediately afterwards.

Today's best US Fire TV Stick deals

More Prime Day deals in the US

• Amazon Devices: Fire Sticks & Echo from $18
• Amazon Haul: viral gadgets, tech & appliances from $1.36
• Apple: MacBooks, AirPods & AirTags from $28
• Cheap TVs: smart TVs from $69.99
• Headphones: 50% off Beats, Bose & Samsung
• Laptops: Apple, HP & Dell from $199
• Mattresses: Sealy, Serta & more from $89
• Smartwatches: up to 36% off Garmin & Apple
• Vacuums: Dyson, Shark & Bissell from $49

Today's best Fire TV Stick 4K deals in the UK

More Prime Day deals in the UK

• Amazon Prime: get a 30-day free trial
• Amazon Devices: up to 67% off Fire, Ring & Blink
• Amazon Haul: extra 15% off for Prime members
• Appliances: up to 40% off Ninja & De'Longhi
• Beauty: up to 60% off Philips & Oral-B
• Essentials: cleaning & groceries from £2
• Fashion: up to 50% off
• Gaming: record-low Nintendo Switch 2
• Headphones: up to 50% off Anker & Sony
• Laptops: up to £800 off Microsoft & Asus
• Tablets: up to 50% off Fire tablets
• TVs: from £129.99
• Vacuums: up to 50% off Shark & Dyson
• Wearables: Samsung & Oura from £31

• The lower-tier Shield TV has been officially discontinued
• The Shield TV Pro will stick around, but is now $100 more expensive
• The list price is now $299 (about £225 / AU$429 before tax)

One of our favorite streaming gadgets, the standard Nvidia Shield TV, is no more. We can't say we're surprised — we reported in the summer that it was unavailable via official channels and there were no indications of any restocking — but we are surprised that the Shield TV Pro is immediately getting a very big price hike now that the cheapest model is gone.

According to WCCFTech, the Pro is increasing in price by 50% from $199 to $299 (about £225 / AU$429). The reason, and the reason for discontinuing the base model, is AI: As Nvidia says in its announcement, "the cost of components, including memory, has increased substantially across the industry".

If only there were someone Nvidia could talk to about the AI industry driving component costs into orbit.

Nvidia Shield TV Pro: latest specifications and availability

Although it's now several years since its last hardware refresh, the Shield TV Pro is still a great TV streamer with a hardcore following. It's powered by the Tegra X1 system on a chip, which features a 256-core GPU teamed up with 3GB of RAM and 16GB of storage. It's ready for 4K HDR, supports Dolby Vision HDR, and its AI upscaler can deliver up to 4K at 60fps.

This is likely to be the last Shield TV Pro model for some time, because all the indications are that the component cost crisis is going to continue through 2027 at the very least, and Nvidia can already reach gamers on multiple platforms with its GeForce Now streaming service, which is available on all the major desktop and mobile platforms as well as smart TVs from the likes of LG and Samsung.

Nvidia also recently revealed its RTX Spark "superchip" for laptops and handhelds, featuring an ARM processor with an integrated RTX GPU. Nvidia says it's "a new beginning" for gaming laptops and small form factor PCs, and with big-name studio support already it looks like it could be a big deal for mobile gaming in the future — right now, it seems to be much more of a pro component.

But still, that makes the Shield Pro an increasingly niche part of Nvidia's world domination plan, so I guess we can be happy it's stick around at all for now.

When Nvidia last updated the Shield Pro we said it remained our favorite TV streamer — but that was at a price of $199 / £179 / AU$379. With a 50% price hike added and a new Apple TV model expected imminently, it might be wise to wait before you decide what your next TV streamer should be.

• 4K HDR available now in the ESPN app for iOS and tvOS
• Coming to more platforms before the Super Bowl
• Will also roll out to pay-TV providers

ESPN and ESPN2 are getting 4K HDR streaming support in the US for events including Monday Night Football, NBA and NHL, plus selected live college football games, US Open tennis and big events such as the Super Bowl, the streamer has announced (via FlatpanelsHD).

"This update will deliver clearer edges, sharper colors and smoother movement — all critically important for delivering a richer and more immersive viewing experience for sports fans," ESPN says. The update is available now in the ESPN app for Apple's iOS and tvOS products, including the Apple TV 4K.

The rollout is coming to other platforms later this year, as ESPN explains: "The ESPN App on iOS and tvOS will be the first to support the new experiences, with additional connected TV platforms to follow, as well as on Disney+ in the U.S. to ESPN Unlimited subscribers."

Why isn't ESPN rolling out 4K HDR to every platform today?

The rollout is taking time because it's not just a change of video codec: as ESPN puts it, the introduction of 4K HDR "marks an important milestone to modernize ESPN’s content distribution pipeline from the ground up. Delivering 4K HDR full-time on ESPN and ESPN2 required coordinated investment across every stage of the signal chain" from capturing live events with sufficient resolution and dynamic range to decoding the data in the app to show on your screen.

ESPN says it'll also be able to deliver 4K HDR through pay-TV providers, including both traditional and digital ones, and that it will have rolled out higher quality streaming to more platforms before Super Bowl LXI. As yet, there are no details of which platforms are next on the to-do list, though we'd assume Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Google TV, LG and Samsung will all be fighting for prominence.

The rollout will continue this Fall, and you'll begin to see 4K HDR badging on your streaming devices and in the mobile app. However, Disney hasn't announced any plans to extend the rollout beyond the US.

That suggests it's going to focus on US consumers first before rolling out the upgrades in other parts of the world. "This new foundation sets the stage for us to deliver best-in-class experiences across both linear and streaming distribution — serving our sports fans. Anytime. Anywhere," ESPN says.

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• New Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K unveiled for $59.99 / £69.99 (about AU$86)
• Main upgrade is speed, promises that you'll start watching up to 40% faster than rival 4K streaming sticks
• New-design Fire TV Remote is included, with a Plus version to follow in 2027 with built-in 'Find My Remote' function

Amazon has unveiled a new version of the Fire TV Stick 4K that it says is blazingly fast — and it's made a video to prove it. The video, embedded below, compares the new Fire TV Stick 4K with the average performance of "3 top brand" smart TVs, and "a similarly priced 4K stick from another leading brand".

According to Amazon, the new Fire TV Stick 4K gets you watching 20% to 40% more quickly than rival 4K streaming sticks, with apps launching 35% more quickly. It's also faster than the smart TVs Amazon tested. Amazon's video is embedded below so you can see for yourself.

We're always wary of manufacturers' own speed claims, because of course they're not independent tests and the manufacturer isn't going to test its products against anything that'll leave their device in the dust. The video is really just an animation that illustrates Amazon's test data, rather than showing the difference on real devices. But a faster version of the Fire TV Stick 4K is still a welcome addition to the Fire TV family.

There are changes to Alexa+ too. It's getting a dedicated hub on Fire TV with more intelligent movie and show recommendations, and the Fire TV app now uses Alexa+ to manage watchlists and discover shows on your phone. Updates to existing Alexa+ devices will begin rolling out in the US in November 2026 and to the rest of the world in 2027.

Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K (2026): key features

The new Fire TV Stick 4K, like the Fire Stick HD that launched earlier this year, is slimmer than before, making it more convenient to put behind your TV or pack for traveling. It runs Amazon's own Vega operating system, meaning that you can't sideload apps on it, and Alexa+ is on board.

Amazon is streamlining its lineup of TV sticks to focus on three distinct tiers: HD, 4K and 4K Max. The most expensive option, the 4K Max, gets the premium features such as Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos and Alexa+ Home Theater.

The launch also delivers a new Fire TV remote, which Amazon says has been made more tactile and easy to hold. Its flat top and curved, weighted bottom are intended to help you get it the right way round first time, and the Home button gets its own special metal surface so you can find it by feel. The other buttons are shaped or indented for the same reason.

The new remote also gets the customizable star button that was previously reserved for the most expensive models. That can be assigned to a specific app or to a feature such as the Screen Magnifier.

The new remote is compatible with all Fire TV players since 2019 and all Amazon Ember TVs too. A new Fire TV Remote Plus is coming too, to replace the Alexa Voice Remote Pro, but that won't be out until early 2027. It's most useful feature will be a 'Find My Remote' feature, so you can just ask Alexa to locate the remote, and the remote will start making a sound so you can find which cushion it's behind.

The new Fire TV Stick 4K is available now for $59.99 / £69.99 (about AU$86), but Amazon has confirmed that the price will fall to $39.99 / £32.99 / AU$tbc during the Amazon Prime Big Deal Days sale, starting October 6th. Here's the link to the new 4K Stick, if you want to bookmark it for then. We assume it'll be discounted in other regions too, but we haven't had that confirmed.

That price includes the remote, but if you're happy with your current Fire TV and just want the nicer remote control, that'll be $14.99 / £13.99 / AU$tbc on its own. The new remote will ship in late October 2026.

• Fire TV owners spotted an issue that prevented sideloading on compatible Fire TV models
• This convinced users to believe that Amazon was clamping down on sideloading on older devices
• Turns out it was just a bug, and Amazon is rolling out a fix soon

There's a dedicated community of Amazon Fire TV Stick owners who like to sideload apps on their devices. However, a recent issue seemed to block the feature, leading to users worry that the tech giant was removing sideloading for older devices to match the lack of sideloading capability on the latest Fire TV Stick HD.

Turns out, it was just a bug. It's been plaguing Fire TV owners for the past month, and was first spotted by users when Amazon rolled out an update that effectively stopped Downloader, a popular sideloading service developed by AFTV News, from working.

Soon after, similar services started vanishing from the ‘Install unknown apps’ list in Fire TV settings, mainly ones that can install apps from sources that aren’t the official Fire TV app store.

While the bug didn’t invade every Fire TV device, it was enough to make users suspicious that Amazon was cracking down on the feature. Without Downloader and similar apps, you can’t grant permission for them to install other apps.

Thankfully, Amazon has confirmed that a fix is on the way, sharing the following with AFTV News:

"There was a bug in a recent Fire TV Settings update that caused the 'Install unknown apps' list to appear incomplete or empty on some Fire TV devices. We have identified the cause and a fix will roll out in an upcoming Fire TV Settings update, installed automatically on affected devices over the coming week."

According to AFTV News, the update will be installed to your Fire TV device automatically and will likely arrive as a component update. You can also check for it by going to Settings > My Fire TV > About > Check for updates.

Of course, this all still only applies to the older devices — anything powered by Amazon’s own Vega OS, which is taking over from the Android-based Fire TV OS in newer models, will likely never have sideloading abilities.

• Google has fixed a setup issue with the first-gen Chromecast device
• Owners have been complaining for months about their devices going missing from the Google Home app
• The update also fixes functionality issues

Have you been running into setup issues with your older Chromecast and Google Home devices? You’ll be happy to hear you’re not alone on this one — and even happier to know that Google has finally rolled out a fix.

These issues first arose when Google announced it would be ending support for its oldest Chromecast dongles back in May. From there, owners started reporting problems with setting up their devices after they started disappearing from the Google Home app on Android.

A Google Home app update made setting up Chromecast even more difficult which, understandably, sparked a lot of worry for those who are still using the first-gen Chromecast from over 10 years ago, convincing them that Google was officially pulling the plug on its OG streaming device. Similar issues then started cropping up for owners of the 2015 Chromecast model and Google Home Mini speaker, affecting functionality as well as the setup process.

At first, users were left to find their own workarounds and solutions, with many having to factory reset their devices, revert to older versions of the Google Home app, or even wipe their entire Home ecosystem to start afresh. Thankfully, Google has solved this, implying that these setup and functionality crashes were part of a software glitch.

The Google Nest Community account on Reddit replied to a series of frustrated posts with the following statement: ‘We've resolved an issue that was impacting the ability to set up some older Chromecast and Google Home devices. If you haven't already, factory reset your speaker or update your Google Home app to version 4.26 and try again’.

It hasn’t been the best time to be a first-gen Chromecast owner to say the least, but at least Google’s latest fix offers some reassurance that the company isn’t writing off its oldest streaming device yet — despite pulling the first Chromecast from shelves in early 2025. That said, Google isn’t the first tech giant to be accused of intentionally bricking older streaming devices to get users to upgrade.

Amazon received similar backlash when a user filed a lawsuit against the company, after reporting that two Fire TV sticks ran into severe performance issues just a few years after purchasing them. The user claimed that Amazon had been software tethering, while not disclosing the truth about the lifespan of its Fire TV stick streamers.

Now that Google has found a solution, hopefully it does the job at reviving your older Chromecast model. If the issues still persist, Google recommends reaching back out to the Nest community to let them know.

• The 50% price rise is effective immediately
• It's US-only so far, but expect rises elsewhere too
• Price hike makes the streamer much less competitive

The Google TV Streamer just got an enormous price hike, so if you've been thinking of buying one you'd better move quickly before retailers put the price up by a whopping 50%.

The price hike only affects US customers so far, but we'd expect a similar rise in other countries very soon because the reasons for the increase apply globally: Google says that it's "due to rising component costs" and will also affect some Google Nest cameras and doorbells.

Google isn't the first brand to increase its streamer pricing as the price of memory has skyrocketed: Apple, Roku, Fire TV and Onn have all gone up too, in some cases by even more than Google's 50%. But the increased cost of the Google TV Streamer makes it a harder sell when you compare it to the competition.

Is the Google TV Streamer still worth the money?

There's a big difference between a $99 streamer and a $149 one, and unless you really need Cast support it might be wise to consider one of the rival devices or delay your decision until Apple unveils the long-awaited successor to the Apple TV 4K, which is expected imminently.

The Google TV Streamer is a great device, but I think it came with an implicit trade-off: it was much cheaper than, say, an Apple TV 4K, but Google's platform offers less privacy and of course, ads. With a 50% price hike the Google streamer looks like much less of a bargain, especially compared to Amazon's Fire TV Stick models.

If you want a cheap ad-supported device, Amazon's ones are way cheaper; if you care about ad-free browsing and privacy, an Apple TV no longer costs much more than the Google option — and when the new Apple TV launches, the current device will likely get some decent discounting.

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• Google is adding over 10,000 on-demand movies and shows for free
• It's also expanding its library of free live TV channels
• The expansion could thrust Google TV Freeplay into the circle of best free streaming platforms

Google TV is getting its biggest upgrade yet, and it’s bound to get the best free streaming services quaking in their boots.

The company shared the announcement on its news blog yesterday (August 11), revealing it’s started adding over a staggering 10,000 free video-on-demand titles to Google TV Freeplay — a service that’s baked into Google TVs across brands such as Sony, TCL, and Hisense.

It seriously ups the ante on its already wide selection of FAST (free and ad-supported TV) movies and shows, and the best part is that there’s no subscription needed.

Understandably, Google hasn't released a full list of its new titles, but thanks to its partnerships with entertainment giants A24 and Lionsgate, you can expect to see a fair amount of movies from each distributor and beyond. This includes Oscar winners like Lady Bird (2019), to ‘00s favorites like Seventeen Again (2009).

In addition to its new FAST content, Google is also expanding its TV titles, which now include over 300 live channels spanning news, sports, true crime, reality TV, and more. Some of its new live TV channels include World of Love Island, Bloomberg TV+, Yahoo! Sports Network, and The Martha Stewart Channel.

It’s clear Google wants to solidify itself among the big dogs of FAST streaming channels. In December 2025, Google added more free live channels, taking its total catalog to over 250, so its latest upgrade marks a significant jump.

Watch your back, Netflix

There’s been an exponential rise in the number of users flocking to FAST services over the years, because what’s better than dedicating an evening to watching nothing but your favorite movies? Streaming them for free, of course.

For a long time, Google TV Freeplay offered live TV channels to viewers just like its competitors Tubi, The Roku TV Channel, and Pluto TV. It’s convenient and cost-free, but though it sparks joy to see one of your favorite movies or shows playing live, it’s annoying when you tune in halfway through the broadcast.

Google’s new on-demand library changes that. Not only does it give you more control, but it inserts itself as a serious rival to subscription-based services, not just free ones.

And sure, Tubi and Pluto TV have been challenging the likes of Netflix and Prime Video for some time, but Google TV Freeplay’s library appears to offer a higher number of contemporary titles. While Tubi and Pluto TV are considered the gold standards of free streaming, their respective libraries are filled with predominantly older and low-budget content, which arguably doesn’t have as much appeal — at least to me, it doesn’t.

I couldn't believe it. Had Roku really just casually inserted global viral raccoon sensation Jimothy into Roku City? I'd seen a post claiming so, but knowing how easy it is to fake things with AI, I had to see it for myself.

I powered up one of my home's half-dozen Roku streaming boxes and spent 10 minutes trying to force the platform into screen-saver mode, which then opens up Roku City. Ever since the most recent Roku platform update, I see this interface far less often than I used to.

Roku City is Roku's fictional, purple cityscape populated by thinly disguised iconic characters and objects from film, TV, and life.

After a few minutes of hunting, I figured out how to set my screen saver timeout to one minute. A moment later, the side-scrolling Roku City appeared, and in it, caught mid-waddle atop a chain-link fence, was Jimothy's unmistakable silhouette.

For those who've thrown out their phones, computers, and TVs, Jimothy is a Seattle-based raccoon with a rare disorder called "short spine syndrome." Don't worry, it doesn't appear to impact his mobility or lifestyle, but once you see Jimothy, you never forget him.

Jimothy is so popular that he's been featured as the unofficial mascot at Seattle Mariners games, launched what's widely considered "Hot Jimothy Summer," and is now immortalized in Roku City.

Jimothy made it to Roku City in a matter of hours

"You share the same problem we all share, which is when we really want to get to Roku City, like right now, we wonder, 'How do we get there?" Damon Van Deusen, Roku's Vice President, Global Brand and Creative, told me this week, but added that a solution is already in the works: Roku is adding a Roku City tile to the home screen for instant access.

Van Deusen agreed to sit down and explain how Jimothy made his way — virtually — from the alleys of a Seattle suburb to Roku's iconic services.

Jimothy's appearance, while surprising, is not out of character for the screen saver enjoyed by Roku's roughly 100 million customers.

"The Jimothy journey starts six or seven years ago when we actually started realizing that social was paying attention to the screen saver," explained Van Deusen. Back in 2021, they noticed likely pandemic-quarantined consumers posting about how they'd like to visit the city, share a kiss there, or even get married in the purple space.

"We've been putting Easter eggs in the screen saver as a way to engage some fans and social ever since," he added.

Over the years, the city's been populated by, among other things, characters from popular films (like the rock monster from Galaxy Quest and Star Trek's Enterprise). Still, there was something about Jimothy's timeliness that struck me.

Seattle resident Kiana Hall posted an Instagram video about the unusual raccoon on July 16, 2026. I spotted Jimothy in Roku City on July 31, and the post I saw about the raccoon's integration in the platform was a few days older than that.

"In the last two years, we created what's called the Rapid Response Easter Egg Team," explained Van Deusen.

This cross-functional group cuts through typical product development, and "we figured out a system where we could publish these things really fast. So now everything we do is quicker and quicker and quicker."

Tracking and choosing from the Zeitgeist

The team, which often communicates on Slack, is constantly kicking around watercooler moments like Punch the Money and Goat on Car. They choose "anything that tickles us, anything that feels really fun. I mean, again, that's the bar; it's gotta be delightful, playful, fun, lift spirits, and create conversation," Van Deusen told me, who later added that delight, or something that triggers an "unexpected smile," is "really the heart of the whole brand."

Van Deusen loved that I more or less stumbled on Jimothy's existence in the city. "An unexpected smile, if you think about it, it's like it comes out of nowhere. It's not like you're looking for it; it's just like you spotting Jimothy. It's like, 'Wait a minute, are you, wait, is that Jimothy?'"

Not every viral moment can make it in. The Rapid Response Easter Egg Team avoids bummers and negative news. However, they did do a retrospective of Moira Rose's wigs as a way to memorialize the great Catherine O'Hara, who played Moira in Schitt's Creek and died on January 30 of this year.

When the right idea comes along, the team knows it. "Then we'll be like, 'Oh my God, that's so cool,' and then we'll make it happen right away...and that's how Jimothy came about."

Looking at the Roku City Jimothy, I was struck by the silhouette's uncanny accuracy — it could be no other raccoon.

Van Deusen told me Roku has, over the last five years, built a world-class illustration team, which includes comic book illustrators and former Disney artists.

The company shared the Roku Designer, Illustrator, and Director Tim Cook's early Jimothy sketch and how he might appear in Roku City (above). Even in pencil, you can see how he captured the shape and signature gait of the lovable critter.

The making of an icon

To create Jimothy, the team focused on that "iconic sort of hunch." Van Deusen said that there was a feedback session to ensure they got the look just right.

Silhouettes also happen to be part of Roku City's DNA, giving you the clear impression of a character or viral figure without a lot of detail.

"We had tried doing less silhouetted versions of the city when we tried to localize for different markets once, and the more you see, the further you get away from the City," he said.

The suggestion of these shapes and recognizable figures forces you to lean in and engage even more with what is arguably just a screen saver.

"It's kind of a little bit of a wink, obviously, you know, and we do that on purpose; we never want to say too much. And we never reveal what the Easter eggs are; we always just sort of suggest and like elude, and again, it's so much more fun," said Van Deusen, smiling, I think, at the thought of Jimothy's unmistakable shape.

As for how Jimothy made it to millions of screen saves so quickly, Roku's Rapid Response team can add new elements to Roku City in a matter of hours.

"We developed a tool," Van Deusen said, "where we can basically come up with an idea, something we want to do, the illustration team quickly mocks something up, and we can put it in the screen saver, all within a couple of hours."

That kind of speed puts Roku City firmly inside the zeitgeist. But that, too, is fast changing, and I wondered how long Jimothy would be waddling across Roku City screens.

Roku does rotate out the Easter eggs, though a backlog of four years or more can rotate in and out of the side-scrolling interface. Roku, by the way, recently added a user-controllable version where you can slide back and forth for a better look at all these hidden gems, including Jimothy.

The lovable raccoons should appear in Roku City "as long as Jimothy is in the zeitgeist," said Van Deusen, adding, "[he] will eventually, probably be replaced. I don't know if we'll always have a rotational raccoon, but we will find the next, you know, popping character."

Until then, enjoy Jimothy in real and virtual life.

• Prices on Roku streaming devices are going up
• The products are still available at 'sale' prices
• One source puts the change down to the memory crisis

Streaming devices like the Roku Streaming Stick Plus get you a whole lot of entertainment for relatively little money, but the value proposition is about to change: Roku is the latest tech company to jack up its prices in response to the global memory shortage.

As spotted by Ars Technica and others, the prices for streaming devices on the Roku US website have been put up, though the products are still available at their previous prices — now labeled as 'sale' offers. It's not clear how long this sale might last before the new pricing kicks in, but you might want to grab a Roku quickly.

The Streaming Stick is up to $39.99 from $29.99, the Streaming Stick Plus goes up from $39.99 to $59.99, the Streaming Stick 4K is now $79.99 rather than $49.99 (the biggest jump at 60%), and the Roku Ultra box is up to $149.99 from $99.99.

Looking at Roku's international websites, including the UK, there are no signs of price rises yet — but it seems inevitable that if the company is putting up the cost of buying a Roku in the US, then this will come to other countries too in the near future.

Time to switch?

Roku hasn't said anything officially about the new price changes, but according to the team at The Desk, a Roku executive they spoke to confirmed that it was down to "shortages in computer memory and other components".

We know that rapidly rising demands for AI compute capacity have led to a severe shortage of memory and rocketing costs, and everyone in the industry has been affected. Last month Apple raised its prices on a variety of different products in response, including iPads and the MacBook Neo.

Reaction online has been mostly negative, as you would expect. One Redditor says "it's hard to find another affordable option" for streaming devices like these, though other commentators are recommending alternatives from Google and Apple.

There's also some consternation over an increasing amount of ads being shown on Roku screens, and the company's recent acquisition by Fox. Whatever you think of Roku though, it's another sign of consumers being hit hard by memory shortages.

Manhattan Aero review

The Manhattan Aero might just be the streaming device you’re looking for. Especially if you want live TV without an aerial, as well as must-have streaming apps, 4K playback and user-friendly software.

The Manhattan Aero is a small streaming box packed with just about all of the essentials for UK viewers — more than 450 channels via Freely, as well as Netflix, Prime Video and all that good stuff. All you need is a Wi-Fi connection and a TV, and you're good to go. But is it actually worth buying? Here are my thoughts after a few days testing it out for myself.

Let me start by saying that the initial setup process for the Aero is extremely simple and speedy. Just hook the device up to your TVs HDMI port, plug it into the power, and you’ll be able to get started. From here, I followed some basic setup instructions, connected the box up to my network, and landed right on the home page.

Navigating through various menus is also incredibly easy with the included remote, which — in spite of a fairly plasticky and basic build — is responsive and effective in use. It comes with all the expected buttons, as well as shortcuts to certain streaming apps, and a voice control option too.

Voice controls are very intuitive on TiVo OS (which is what the Aero uses), and if you want some inspiration for what to watch, it’s a great tool. For instance, I tried saying: ‘show me films about cats’ and got an accurate selection of feline-related flicks.

Let’s loop back to the Manhattan Aero’s OS, though, and discuss TiVo for a minute. I’ve used this before on TVs like the Bush 43UT24SB, and I’m a fan. It’s pretty similar to a lot of the competition, and you can quickly find whatever channel or app you need without a hitch. Loading varying apps and channels is quick, and you can easily customize what apps you want to see on the homepage in the settings menu.

Speaking of apps, it’s worth noting that some of the heavy hitters are actually missing on TiVo. For instance, Apple TV+, Paramount+, NOW TV and Sky Go are all absent. These apps are available via devices like the Apple TV 4K set-top box, though.

Anyway, you may be wondering by now: how does the Manhattan Aero perform? Pretty well, actually — although you’ll need broadband speeds of at least 10Mbps to enjoy live TV and streaming at their best (Ethernet connectivity is available if needed). When watching broadcast TV, the Aero did a great job with all kinds of content. For instance, I watched a bit of Wimbledon, and the vivid green of the court jumped out, while finer details on players’ clothing were easy to make out.

News and the usual daytime TV channels also looked just about as good as on my Sky Glass Gen 2 TV, which uses Wi-Fi to show its channels too, rather than a dish or aerial. It’s also worth noting that the Aero supports HLG HDR, as used by BBC iPlayer.

With streaming apps, the Aero remains a strong performer, but there are a couple of sacrifices you’ll have to make. Namely, there’s no Dolby Vision support — no problem for Samsung TV owners, but something I would’ve liked to have seen, since pretty much all other TV brands use it.

There is, however, HDR10+ (and HDR10) compatibility, which is used on services such as Netflix and Prime Video — and the Aero supports AV1 natively for HDR10+ content, which is necessary for Netflix to work in this format. When watching Kung Fu Panda 4 in HDR10+, I thought it looked fantastic — colours looked punchy and accurate, textures were well-defined and sharp, and contrast was solid too.

I did experience a bit of judder while watching the movie, and motion appeared to be choppy at first. But after messing around with my TVs settings and activating the Aero’s Auto Frame Rate option, I was able to solve this, and experience the sort of quality I’d typically expect from Netflix and other streaming apps when built into the set.

When it comes to audio, there’s basic Dolby Audio support, and you can also enjoy Dolby Atmos content if you have a compatible soundbar or speaker system or similar connected up to your TV. You can also use one of the box’s USB-C ports to play stored media files, which is a welcome inclusion and not you'll find on much of the competition.

One question I’ve seen a few people ask about the Aero, is whether it can record TV programs — like you’d be able to do with a Sky Q box, for instance. The answer to this one is no — but that’s not a strike against Manhattan’s streaming box. And that comes down to one key thing: Freely is delivered as an internet stream rather than a broadcast signal, and broadcasters don’t allow such content to be recorded. It’s still worth bearing in mind, however, if recording is a must for you.

Before we wrap up, there are a few other things worth noting. There’s CEC volume control on offer here, which enables you to control the volume of your connected display and audio devices (like soundbars) using the Aero's remote with any extra setup needed, something that is pretty practical.

You can also connect Bluetooth devices, such as headphones, to the Aero, which is great if you don’t want to distract someone else while watching your favorite shows, if your TV doesn't support this option.

You can even connect wireless game controllers and play a few mobile style games — a feature I didn’t expect to see. In fact, Blacknut Cloud Gaming is arriving to the Aero shortly, giving gamers more options. Google Cast is also available if you want to beam content across from your phone.

So, is the Manhattan Aero worth the money? At £89.99, I think it is. There are cheaper options out there, such as the Roku streaming sticks, which can also plug into your TV’s USB port for a more discreet look, but these don’t offer Freely — the big selling point of the Aero.

Alongside its intuitive TiVo platform with handy voice commands, solid array of apps, and impressive picture quality, I’d argue that the Aero offers plenty for the price you pay, and if you have a TV devoid of smart apps or want access to loads of channels without the hassle of an aerial or dish, it’s a very practical device.

Manhattan Aero review: price & release date

• Released in February 2026
• Priced at £89.99

The Manhattan Aero released in February 2026 and is available with a wide range of UK retailers. However, there’s no stock available at Amazon right now — this may change in the future, though, so we’ll update this article accordingly if we see an increase in availability.

The streamer is priced fairly affordably, coming in at £89.99 — that's much less than the Apple TV 4K, though is more than the likes of the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max.

Should I buy the Manhattan Aero?

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

Manhattan Aero review: also consider

How I tested the Manhattan Aero

• Connected to my Hisense 4K mini-LED TV
• I watched broadcast TV as well as content on streaming services
• Used across multiple days at home in everyday life

I spent a few days testing the Manhattan Aero streamer, testing it out at home to enjoy live TV and content via my usual streaming apps. I had it hooked up to a HDMI port on my Hisense U7K TV, which is a 4K mini-LED set.

During the testing period, I made sure to cycle through various channels when watching broadcast TV in order to assess performance for sports, news, movies, and more. However, I also dipped into apps like Netflix, where I watched content in 4K HDR10+, as well as Disney+ and YouTube.

More generally, I’ve spent years testing all kinds of gadgets here at TechRadar, including everything from Dolby Atmos soundbars like the JBL Bar 1300MK2 through to TVs like the Sky Glass Gen 2. I was also familiar with the TiVo interface before commencing this review, having used it extensively while testing the Bush 43UT24SB.

• Read TechRadar’s reviews guarantee
• First reviewed: July 2026

• The Nvidia Shield TV (2019) is out of stock pretty much everywhere
• Nvidia says it's down to consumer demand for the streaming device
• It's not yet clear if we'll ever get more stock or a replacement gadget

While there hasn't been any new Nvidia Shield TV hardware for seven years now, the streaming devices continue to be popular — but it looks as though it could finally be the end of the road for the cheapest base model in the series.

As spotted by Android Authority, this $149 / £129 / AU$289.95 model is now out of stock via Nvidia's official channels (there does appear to be some stock at Amazon Australia at the time of writing), and Nvidia has stopped short of promising that those stock levels will be replenished anytime soon.

In a statement to Android Authority, Nvidia said the Shield TV was out of stock "due to demand", and that there was nothing to say "regarding future availability at this time" — so make of that what you will.

Nvidia also took the opportunity to highlight that all Shield TV models continue to get software updates and continue to be supported by Nvidia, even though it's now more than a decade since the first of these gadgets went on sale.

More to come?

Both the base model Shield TV and the more premium Shield TV Pro were given a refresh in 2019, and Nvidia says the Pro version is still on sale. Whether or not Nvidia is planning to let the stock run down on that model too remains to be seen.

I've had several Shield TVs down the years, and have always been impressed with the hardware and the software on offer. They support a wide variety of apps and games, come with local storage, and can be customized in a variety of ways too.

Even something like the recently launched Google TV Streamer only just about catches up to everything that's possible with the Shield TV boxes — and that's saying something considering Nvidia's devices made their debut in 2015.

Nvidia execs are on the record as saying they're open to the idea of new Shield TV hardware in the future, so hopefully this clearing out of stock will be followed by a brand new model in the not too distant future.

Did you know that you can stream World Cup 2026 matches in 4K on BBC iPlayer? Well, you can — it's just not entirely obvious as to which devices actually support the feature. What is certain is that not all of them do — and your TV may not be among them.

While it would be useful to have a list of which of the best TVs and other devices support 4K for the World Cup, there isn't one. Instead, BBC says the easiest way to check if your device supports 4K content on iPlayer is to go to BBC iPlayer app itself and stream some 4K content, then look for the 'UHD' logo. If it appears, then your device supports it: hooray! If not, then unfortunately you won't be able to watch the World Cup in 4K on your current device.

If you want a list of 4K shows on BBC iPlayer to check, there's one here, but some quick names are Blue Planet II, SAS Rogue Heroes and Doctor Who (the latest series). If the UHD logo doesn't appear in the listing for one of the shows, then your device doesn't support it.

Thankfully, there are two devices that do support 4K streaming on BBC iPlayer: the Roku Streaming Stick 4K and the PS5. The Roku is a cheap upgrade to your TV that will allow 4K streaming on iPlayer and while the PS5 is pricier, it's a multimedia system that can obviously play games and 4K Blu-rays, as well as supporting most of the best streaming services.

And just in time for Amazon Prime Day, there are deals available for both devices.

Today's best Roku Streaming Stick 4K deal

Today's best PS5 deals

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• Kaleidescape launches the first 8K movie player certified by the 8K Association
• But the new 4K Cinematic format for higher-quality 4K is the exciting bit
• $4,995 (about £3,777 / AU$7,180)

Kaleidescape makes some truly spectacular 4K video players, and now there's an 8K version. It's "the world's highest-fidelity movie player," says chairman and CEO Tayloe Stansbury. "It brings movie lovers closer to the filmmaker's intent, with cleaner detail, true-to-life color, and a more natural presentation that dramatically improves the viewing experience of any display."

It's also a world first. The Kaleidescape Strato K is the first 8K movie player that's been certified for 8K by the 8K Association.

That's good, but the fact that it's the first such accreditation points to the problem with 8K. Buying 8K hardware right now is a bit like being the first person in the world to buy a fax machine: who are you going to send faxes to? Similarly, with 8K movie players and 8K TVs, what 8K movies are actually there for you to watch?

That means the Strato K, while impressive, is a bit of a gamble: you're buying hardware in the hope that the 8K movie trickle will become a flood, and I'm just not sure that rain is ever coming.

So the most important new feature might not be the 8K support, but instead a new format that Kaleidescape calls "4K Cinematic".

Kaleidescape Strato K: key features and price

Kaleidescape's 4K Cinematic is a format designed to deliver even better 4K picture quality, and it does that by using less compression. Movies are encoded at around 110Mbps using the HEVC codec. Kaleidescape says that's compared to around 60Mbps for 4K Blu-Ray, and around 17Mbps for standard 4K streaming services.

It's worth noting that those figures aren't the maximum bitrates for the formats — for example Blu-Ray can go up to 144Mbps, though 80Mbps is a more standard ceiling — but are the bitrates typically used in commercial releases.

In addition to the higher bitrate, 4K Cinematic uses 4:4:4 chroma sampling rather than the 4:2:0 of most commercial movie releases, meaning more accurate colors and less 'banding' or other color artefacts.

The downside of those higher bitrates is that you'll need a lot of storage: as FlatpanelsHD notes, the player only has 1TB of storage – equivalent to around seven 4K Cinematic titles, as those are 1.5x the size of normal 4K movies. Like other Strato players it's really intended to be teamed up with the firm's Terra servers.

Kaleidescape will label the higher-quality movies as 4K Cinematic in its movie store and on the Stratos K interface to differentiate them from standard 4K versions. Prices will be from around $10 to $30, and the initial raft of titles includes Top Gun: Maverick, F1: The Movie, Superman, Project Hail Mary, Dune: Part Two; Sinners, Predator: Badlands, Mortal Kombat II, Avatar, Tron: Ares, Thunderbolts, and others.

4K Cinematic supports Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos and DTS:X — but Dolby Vision isn't supported by the Stratos K player in 8K movies, which are SDR or HDR10. The maximum frame rate for 8K is 30 fps via HDMI 2.1.

The Strato K has a recommended retail price of $4,995, which is $1,000 more than the five-star 4K Strato V. We are really looking forward to seeing what the new movie format looks like…

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• Fox is acquiring Roku for $22 billion
• The agreement will combine Fox's networks with the Roku TV platform
• The deal will close in 2027, but Roku users are already seeking alternative streaming devices

Fox Corp has announced a new agreement that will see the television giant acquire streaming company Roku for a staggering $22 billion — a deal that will no doubt shake up the entertainment sphere.

The companies announced the deal today (June 15, 2026), and it will mark the next step in Fox’s plan to become more competitive in the streaming world, reports CNBC. The deal will combine Fox’s plethora of news, sports, and entertainment networks with the Roku TV platform, The Roku Channel, and first-party data to reach the 100 million households that use Roku.

Additionally, this will also combine one of the best free streaming services, Tubi, which Fox acquired for $440 million back in 2020.

As per the agreement, Fox will acquire Roku for $160 per share in a cash-and-stock transaction, and the company says it has already secured $12 billion in loans to finance it. The deal has already been approved by the boards of directors from both companies and is projected to close in the first half of 2027, pending regulatory approvals.

During an analyst call, Fox CEO Lachlan Murdoch described the deal as a “defining moment” for Fox and “a natural extension of the deliberate and focused strategy we have been executing for nearly a decade."

He added, “Today, we take the next step: bringing together the most valuable live content portfolio in video consumption with the preeminent streaming platform through which America watches it,” as Variety reports.

As for Roku CEO and founder, Anthony Wood, he will join Fox’s board of directors and will assume an “ongoing role” as a result of the acquisition. “I’m incredibly proud of what our team has built, and the combination with Fox is an extraordinary opportunity to accelerate our vision, scale faster and innovate more aggressively for viewers, partners and advertisers,” Wood shared in a statement, which Variety also reported.

Fox’s merger with Roku is the company’s first major deal since Disney acquired Fox’s entertainment business, which saw recognizable franchises including The Simpsons and X-Men, as well as programming from Fox-owned channels National Geographic and FX Networks, make their way to Disney+.

For years, Fox hasn’t quite been able to compete with streaming giants such as Netflix and YouTube. Combining its networks with Roku opens another gateway for Fox to expand into streaming and subscriptions, but Roku users are already considering alternatives.

For some Roku users, it's all downhill from here

Entertainment companies seem to be joining forces quite a bit recently. The deal between Paramount+ and Warner Bros. Discovery has now been approved by the US Department of Justice, but Fox’s acquisition of Roku has particularly shaken things up for Roku users. They've already been quite vocal on their concerns for what this agreement could mean — especially regarding the controversial Fox News.

According to one user on Reddit, their Roku device has apparently been pushing ads for Fox News, suggesting this deal has been in development for quite some time. “Time for a new streaming stick,” they added. But it’s not just the ads that users are worried about.

Other users flocked to the Reddit thread to share their concerns, and many believe that the ubiquity of Fox News will only escalate from here. One user says that, gradually, Fox could “show their propaganda and misinformation more and more by defaulting users to Fox News”.

Another user highlighted that Roku is a popular, budget-friendly streaming option, which is also built into a lot of cheaper smart TVs, giving Fox another easy gateway into this particular market.

• Apple is cutting out the Apple TV HD (2015) and Apple TV 4K (2017) from tvOS 27
• The second and third-gen Apple TV 4K will be eligible for the update
• Though they'll support the update, it's unlikely they'll be getting AI integrations

Apple previewed a shedload of upgrades at WWDC 2026, and although tvOS 27 didn’t get its own segment during the keynote, Apple hasn’t left it out of the equation — but it will be cutting out some models from the upcoming software update.

If you’re still using the fourth-gen Apple TV HD from 2015, or the first-gen Apple TV 4K from 2017, I hate to break it to you but they won’t be getting the tvOS 27 treatment.

However, these devices will still continue to run tvOS 26. If you own the second-gen second-gen Apple TV 4K (2021), or either of the two iterations of the third-gen Apple TV 4K (2022), these devices will support tvOS 27.

You can also check if your device is compatible with tvOS 27 by checking the model numbers below:

• Fourth-generation Apple TV HD (A1625)
• First-generation Apple TV 4K (A1842)
• Second-generation Apple TV 4K (A2169)
• Third-generation Apple TV 4K (A2843)
• Third-generation Apple TV 4K (A2737)

Generally, Apple has kept most of its streaming devices in the loop with each update, but this marks the first time in four years where the company has cut out Apple TV hardware from a major OS upgrade.

It’s a bit of a shame for users who are still going strong with their devices from 10 years ago, and it's a similar case for the Apple Watches that have been dropped from watchOS 27.

It's also a bit of a downer to see this happen while so many old iPhone models are getting iOS 27, but there’s probably a valid reason as to why Apple has cut out its old streaming devices from the mix.

The main upgrades across Apple’s OS 27 update are its slew of Apple Intelligence-powered functions and the new Siri AI voice assistant, tools that will unlikely be supported by hardware that came out 10 years ago. Therefore, tvOS 26 is as far as Apple can go with its 2015 and 2017 devices.

However, though the second and third-gen Apple TV 4K streamers will support a handful of new tvOS 27 features, it looks like they’ll be excluded from getting AI upgrades, again because of hardware incompatibility (it runs on Apple’s A15 bionic chip).

With speculation of a fourth-gen Apple TV 4K looming, which is expected to launch later this year, we can only assume that the next-gen Apple TV 4K will be the first native streaming device for Apple’s new AI integrations.

Before you get too disappointed with this, it’s not to say the second and third-gen Apple TV 4K devices are being robbed of new features altogether. Though AI integrations probably won’t be on the cards for these models, Apple’s WWDC keynote briefly showed new performance boosts featuring faster app launches, smoother AirPlay connectivity, and a more responsive Control Center.

Additionally, Smart Downloads are also on the way, though we don’t know how these will work just yet.

• A full-screen Fire TV pop-up ad has been spotted during start-up, which you have to dismiss
• manually
• It's currently promoting the new Fire TV mobile app redesign
• Amazon could use this as an opportunity to sell to third-party advertisers

The odd ad crops up across Fire TVs devices now and then, and users have pretty much got used to them, but now full-screen pop-ups have started to appear during the start-up process.

When users turn on their devices, one of the first things that now appears is a Fire TV system pop-up, which blocks the main home screen on both Fire TVs and Fire TV Sticks. The most frustrating part is that you have to acknowledge it and close it manually before you can use your device.

It was first spotted by AFTVnews, who say this is the first time Amazon has shown pop-ups that take over your entire screen. As it stands, the pop-up is only displaying an ad for Amazon’s Fire TV app which received a big design overhaul back in February.

As mentioned, Fire TV users are no strangers to ads. Ads are splattered across the Fire TV home screen and in standby screensavers when the device isn't being used, as well as in content on ad-supported tiers for streaming services like Prime Video.

In addition to product and brand ads, Fire TV devices display the odd pop-up when it’s system-related, whether that’s to notify you of software updates or inform you when it’s failed to pair a remote, for example.

Those types of ads are understandable, because they give you valuable information about any changes happening with your device. However, issuing full-screen pop-ups that you’re forced to acknowledge could be taking it a step too far for users who want to stream content and access apps without ads interrupting the experience.

This has sparked a concern, especially regarding the direction Amazon could take with this new advertising format — and it could even open the doors for the tech giant to start promoting products from third-party advertisers.

Is Amazon repeating history?

When it comes to spotlighting new Fire TV upgrades like the mobile app redesign, it makes sense. Amazon has rolled out a number of upgrades to Fire TV devices this year so far, which also includes a fresh layout and new streaming channels. But how long will it take for Amazon to throw brand ads in your face as soon as you turn on your TV?

As mentioned in the AFTVnews report, Amazon has used displaying formats in the past to advertise its own content and device-related information, and then gone on to sell these slots to third-party advertisers, filling its Fire TV interface with ads promoting brands that aren’t Amazon-related.

While the latest Fire TV pop-up remains system-related for now, that’s not to say Amazon won’t repeat history and see this as an opportunity to generate more revenue from advertising. The last thing viewers want is ads blocking their home screen before they've even decided what they want to watch.

• The Roku interface is getting a huge update
• It leans into organization, with some AI
• It remains recognizable for long-term users, though

Your Roku TV Home Screen is getting a significant free update — but don't worry, it'll still feel familiar.

I often tell people that the best TV remote in the business is from Roku. Nothing even comes close, but what's often overlooked in the mix is the Roku interface or Home Screen for your Roku device or TV. It's not only simple, but playful.

The sleep screen is a hideout of iconic pop-culture references, slightly altered so as not to incur intellectual property wrath, but we all get the inside jokes. The business side of the interface, where you navigate platforms and content via tiles, is just as simple.

"Simplicity has always been our north star," noted Margaret Schmidt, Roku's VP User Experience & Design.

As a longtime Roku customer, first on my TCL 65-inch TV and now on a variety of sticks and set-top boxes, I was a bit worried about this Home Screen update. Why mess with what works?

But the changes, which were announced today (May 27, 2026), look mostly intelligent (yes, there's even some AI) and still on-brand for the company with a purple, playful spirit (and a reported 100 million households).

The updates focus on personalization and content access, and run relatively deep. "This is our first major update to Roku Home Screen in a decade," said Preston Smalley Roku VP of Viewer Product, during Wednesday's launch event.

As for why now, Smalley said Roku research showed them that "It's not always as easy as it should be to find something to watch, even with all that content." (This may qualify as the understatement of the year.)

When I use my Roku devices, I often quickly navigate to Sling TV, where I watch most of my local broadcast channels. In Roku's new interface, there's now a Quick Access panel, so I don't need to scroll or hunt for the tile.

Of course, Roku had to get in on the AI craze, and now it's using it to power the zeitgeist-rich "You Daily Scoop," which presents trending shows and other pop culture events like celebrity birthdays.

It lives inside the new "For You" section that will, of course, try to surface content you might like based on past activities. Roku claims your selection will be unlike anyone else's.

As Rohit Mahto, Roku's Director of Recommendations, explained, "[Users] expect deeper personalization from day one.” But he added that there are literally billions of home screen permutations. "Machine learning and AI helped us get it right," he added.

When I asked about the level of AI at work here, Mahto explained that "it's a mixed bag thing." While they use "state-of-the-art LLMs," the focus for Roku is different. "We are hyper-focused on the streaming space, streaming data."

Roku's approach is similar to what I've seen from Amazon Fire TV and Apple TV. I don't mind it. However, these feeds often lead to services and platforms where you're not already a subscriber. Hopefully, Roku sticks with the services you already use and doesn't try to squeeze in or tease new shows on platforms where you're not already a subscriber.

To help with the "what to watch" hunt, Roku is introducing "Destinations," a sort of mood-based section. You know, "What are you in the mood for?" It gives you broad, category-based selections.

In Roku's research, they found "82% wanted to turn on their TV and have the show they have in mind right at the top of their TV. Essentially, they wanted us to read their minds,” said Smalley.

The interface has also been reorganized, with a collapsed Home Screen menu and shortcuts that get you more quickly to, say, where you left off with "Continue Watching".

Finally, City Tile gives you a closer look at Roku City. It basically takes you through all the sometimes hidden features for more discovery and, of course, engagement.

Summarizing the changes, Smalley said, "It’s really moving from a static app grid to something that’s dynamic and personalized around you." As for what's next for Roku and the Home Screen, he said, "We’re only just getting started.”

Roku says these changes are rolling out now, though we expect it may take a bit of time for them to show up on all of your Roku devices. I'll be checking mine tonight.

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• tvOS 27 for Apple TV 4K isn't announced yet, but Apple has revealed some features
• They're focused on accessibility, including changing text size and auto-generating subtitles for videos that don't have them
• Apps that don't use Apple's tech frameworks may not be able to support them, though

We've been banging the drum for improving accessibility on Apple TV for ages, and it looks like tvOS 27 is going to deliver some really useful features later this year.

Even though tvOS 27 hasn't officially been unveiled yet, and won't be until WWDC 2026 on June 8th most likely, Apple has already revealed several new accessibility changes coming to the system. They're things that lots of people may actually want to use, not just those with vision or hearing difficulty.

However, apps that don't use Apple's developer frameworks and prefer their own proprietary tech, such as Netflix's app or the Prime Video app, may not support them.

One of the new features enables you to set the size of text on your TV, which is very handy for people with low or deteriorating vision: it'll adjust the descriptions on the Home Screen, in menus and in apps so that they're easier to read.

It'll work in any apps that support Apple's Dynamic Type feature, so if you can do it on your iPhone apps (where this feature already exists) you should be able to do it on your Apple TV 4K.

Smarter subtitling is coming to Apple TV

One of the most interesting new features is live transcription of videos that don't have subtitles already, such as older movie files or your own home videos. And in the latter case you'll be glad to know that all the processing is happening locally: your videos aren't being uploaded anywhere new to make it happen, it's just using the chip built into the device.

Although we're focusing on Apple TV here, this feature will also come to the iPhone, iPad, Mac and Vision Pro — the latter seems especially interesting, if the tech inside every turns out to be the basis for some Apple smart glasses.

That's the good news. The bad is that initially the subtitling feature will be limited to English, although more language support will be added later.

Last but not least, any hearing aids with Made for iPhone certification will get more reliable AirPods-style seamless transition between Apple devices across iOS, iPadOS, macOS and visionOS.

That means that if you want the sound from your Apple TV 4K beamed directly into your hearing aid, you could do it with just a couple of clicks, and no fiddly pairing process.

The new features are part of a wider package of accessibility improvements that'll be coming to the next generation of Apple operating systems later this year, and we'll no doubt see at least some of them demonstrated at WWDC 26 next month.

• Original Chromecasts have been fixed by a Google update
• Multiple users had reported their dongles had stopped working
• Gemini is appearing on 4K Chromecast with Google TV models

A couple of days ago it seemed as though it was the end of the road for the original, 1st-gen Chromecast launched in 2013: multiple users reported that their dongles had stopped working, but it seems the death of these devices has been greatly exaggerated.

As per Android Authority, Google has now acknowledged the issue with these old Chromecasts, and rolled out a fix. "The issue impacting the ability to cast some services to Chromecast devices has been resolved," says Google.

That doesn't mean these Chromecasts are suddenly being fully supported again — Google officially stopped issuing updates for the first-generation models in 2023 — but it does seem as though these devices will work for a while yet.

It's also worth bearing in mind that the streaming apps need to support the older hardware too: Peacock+ is one of the apps you won't be able to get working on a 2013 Chromecast, because it's no longer compatible.

Now with added Gemini

In more Chromecast update news, the Chromecast with Google TV has been given a significant Gemini AI overhaul, as reported by Android Headlines and others. For now, it looks as though it's just the 4K model that has the update, and not the HD version.

While Gemini has already arrived on the Google TV Streamer, it wasn't clear if the older Chromecast devices would be getting any AI upgrades: Google has stopped selling them, and it's not certain if the hardware can support Gemini.

I've now got the Gemini upgrade on my own 4K Chromecast with Google TV. There's a whole new Gemini screen to explore, which lets you create images and run voice prompts just like you can inside the Gemini apps for the web and mobile.

It makes sense for this device to get Gemini, as it essentially runs the same operating system as the Google TV Streamer. The older Chromecasts, in contrast, don't have any real on-board software of their own, and are controlled by the device doing the casting.

• Original Chromecasts are starting to fail en masse
• Support for the devices officially ended back in 2023
• The tech lives on with the Google TV Streamer box

Some 13 years after making its debut — and getting a 5-stars-out-of-5 review from us, by the way — it looks as though it's finally the end of the road for the original, first-generation Chromecast, with many users now reporting that their devices have stopped working.

As spotted by 9to5Google, there's been an uptick in the number of these reports on Reddit, with a significant number of people saying their dongles are no longer able to cast anything. The change seems to have happened over the last couple of days.

For context, Google stopped updating the device back in 2023, and certain apps (including Peacock) have pulled support since then. There are also some contributors to the Reddit thread who say they're still able to cast video in certain apps, such as Prime Video and Disney+, and from a web browser.

However, it's clear that a large chunk of devices have now stopped working. It's possible that certain security certificates (needed for wireless hardware connections) have expired, or that an update to the Google Home app has broken compatibility with the original Chromecast for good.

Nothing like it

Those who were still using their 1st-gen Chromecasts are understandably disappointed to see them stop working. "Rest in peace good buddy" says one commenter, while many users are clearly relying on their original Chromecasts on a regular basis.

Others in the thread suggest that 13 years is a good run, by tech gadget standards, and that Google should get credit for letting it work for so long. For now, it appears that the 2nd-gen (2015) and 3rd-gen (2018) models are still working as normal.

Chromecasts have been retired as a category now, though the casting technology lives on in Google TVs and in the Google TV Streamer that Google sells — essentially a Chromecast with a remote and a few extras. You can also pick up third-party gadgets, including streaming boxes from Walmart, with Google TV smarts inside them.

While the eventual end of the first Chromecast was inevitable, it's worth taking a moment to remember just how innovative it was when it launched, and how it unlocked streaming app access on just about any TV set. As we put it at the time: "There is simply nothing out there quite like the Google Chromecast."

• "Now is the time to start thinking about pointing input" for Google TV says Google
• No Google TV manufacturers currently use pointy remotes
• Gemini AI features seem to be the reason for the push

I believe there are two kinds of TV user in the world: people who hate LG's Magic Remote, and people who haven't used LG's Magic Remote. I'm in the former camp, so I'm bemused by Google's latest announcement: it looks like something very similar is coming to Google TV.

If you're not familiar with the Magic Remote, it uses Wii-style motion control with similar accuracy, so trying to point at anything can be frustrating: the cursor drifts with even the slightest movement, turning channel hopping into what feels like a round of Wii Tennis. It's an attempt to solve the ongoing challenge of controlling a smart TV from a distance, and I don't think it's a successful one: my kids' TV has a Magic Remote and they, and I, hate it.

But Google seems to disagree. "Now is the time to start thinking about pointing input", Google TV developer relations engineer Paul Lammertsma told app makers at Google I/O this week (via FlatpanelsHD)

What's the point of a pointing remote?

To the best of my knowledge, the only mainstream TV manufacturer using pointing remotes is LG, and LG doesn't use Google TV. So what's going on?

It's all about Gemini and ever more feature-packed TVs, it seems. As Lammertsma explained: "The TV experience that we once knew is changing. Gemini is changing the way we discover and stream content with voice, but how we use the remote is evolving too. Pointer remotes bring motion-controlled input to the big screen, unlocking faster user navigation across the Google TV Home page and within content-heavy apps."

It seems unlikely that LG is going to dump its own webOS platform in favor of Google TV, so Google encouraging the adoption of pointing remotes in apps strongly suggests that either Google or one of its partners is developing pointing remotes for Google TV sets. It's unclear whether the support will be backwards compatible or limited to new TV models only.

Making TV remotes is hard, I know: some are far too complicated and others are far too simple. I hope Google has cracked the drift and accuracy problems that plague handheld remote controls and that the movement looks like it does in the animation above — and not like the remote control in my kids' room that drives us all mad.

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• Roku reveals two projectors that will use its smart TV platform
• The two projectors are made by Aurzen and Sharp
• It's also bringing a free update for the World Cup to existing devices

Roku has announced it's bringing two new projectors, which use its smart TV platform, to the UK market. It has also confirmed a free update for the World Cup is on the way.

Let's start with the projectors. The first one is made by Aurzen, and supports 1080p resolution with 280 ANSI lumens. It will have Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, as well as 2 x 5w speakers built-in that support Dolby Audio. It can project an image size from 40-100-inches and will come with Auto Keystone and Auto Focus features. It also has an HDMI and USB port. It will be available on Amazon in June.

The Sharp Roku projector has a similar spec list, with 1080p resolution with 200 ANSI lumens brightness. It comes with 2 x 3w speakers that support Dolby Audio and also supports Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. It will project an image size from 40-120-inches. It's set to launch in June at Asda and July at Tesco.

While UK pricing hasn't been confirmed, the Aurzen Roku was launched in October 2025 in the US and retails for $229 (around £170) now.

The other news from Roku is that it's bringing a free update, called Football Zone, to existing devices. This will serve as hub for all coverage of the World Cup, with the ability to follow particular teams, catch highlights and full game replays and even find recommended extra content such as documentaries. Roku said it had had success with this 'zone' for the Olympics. The update is free and will come to all existing Roku players (including streaming sticks), TVs and the new projectors.

Roku: the perfect World Cup companion

I got the chance to see the Aurzen Roku TV projector in action, and while it's not going to dethrone any of the winning options in our best projector ranking anytime soon, it did deliver decent picture quality. Watching some clips from a David Attenborough documentary, textures seemed crisp enough and colors were fairly accurate.

I was pleasantly surprised by how smooth using Roku TV was, too. Navigating the Roku menus was easy and its performance was good for a budget projector. While I only got a brief demo of the Auto Keystone feature, again it seemed pretty effective.

Bringing Roku TV to projectors is a great idea, as it's one of the best smart TV platforms around. Having just bought a Roku TV 4K Stick myself, it's one of the best interfaces I've used on a TV. What Roku has done right however is bring its excellent OS to a budget projector that's cheaper than most of the best TVs.

If the Aurzen releases for a similar price in the UK to the $229 it is in the US, this would make a great, affordable option for those who want to watch the World Cup in a big group without forking out too much money.

Roku has always been great with its free updates and the Football Zone sounds like another excellent addition. Pair this with the Aurzen projector, and Roku could be the perfect World Cup companion.

When I think of streaming sticks, I immediately think of Amazon. Not only are they the creators of many of the best streaming sticks, but they're also some of the most affordable. This is currently evidenced by the fact that the Amazon Fire TV Stick HD is on sale for £25.99 (was £39.99).

Given that Amazon only released a new version of this device a couple of weeks ago, it will be no surprise to hear that this is its first price cut. That said, at 35% off, I think it's a pretty good one. This sort of price drop is usually reserved for much later in a product's life cycle, when the manufacturer is looking to shift stock.

This streaming stick serves up your favourite shows and movies in full HD, offers controls via Alexa Voice, and personalised recommendations courtesy of Alexa+. It falls short of 4K, but if that resolution is overkill for most anyway, or if you just want to add streaming services to an older TV. Ultimately, this is a cracking streaming stick at a seriously good price.

Today's best TV streaming stick deal

We've not reviewed this particular streaming stick from Amazon's lineup, but by looking at the specs, we get a pretty good idea of what it's capable of. At the heart of it is a redesigned Fire TV experience, which makes it easy to get to the entertainment you love quickly. It's also possible to browse dedicated content categories, pin more of your favourite apps and get personalised recommendations from Alexa+.

With support for all the top services such as BBC iPlayer, Netflix, Prime Video, YouTube, Disney+, Apple TV, HBO Max, Now, Paramount+ and many more, you'll have all your favourite apps located in one easy-to-access place. Resolution support maxes out at HD (1920 x 1080 pixels), which is more than enough for most TVs and for what most people require.

If you're interested in 4K resolution, then you could go for the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K. You might also be interested in our Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Select vs Amazon Fire TV 4K Stick comparison to help with understanding the pros and cons of these two options.

• HBO Max now requires Fire OS 6 or later on Fire TV devices
• Some Fire OS 5 devices were sold as recently as 2020
• Fire OS has been superseded by Vega OS on newer devices

If you have a Fire TV device from 2020 or earlier you may lose access to the HBO Max app — it only affects you if your device is running Fire OS 5, but that's still estimated to be "millions" of people, potentially.

The news comes via AFTVnews, which spotted that the HBO Max app support page has been updated and details Fire OS 6 as the oldest supported version of Amazon's TV OS.

That's bad news if you have the older OS, because while Amazon does deliver software updates to existing hardware, it almost never upgrades the version of the operating system.

AFTVnews notes that "this likely leaves millions of Fire TV devices still in use with no way to access one of the most popular streaming services."

That means if you've got one of the affected devices and you're looking forward to whichever Game of Thrones spin-off is coming next, it's time to buy a newer model.

What does HBO Max say about Fire TVs?

HBO isn't the only streamer to stop supporting older Fire TV devices. Netflix ended support for first-gen Fire TV devices in 2025 because the streamer now relies on video formats those devices don't support.

You can see the list of HBO Max supported devices here, and under Amazon Fire TV it says "Amazon Fire TV devices with Fire OS 6 or later [or] Vega OS 1 or later. This includes Fire TV Stick devices, Fire TV Cube, Echo Show devices, and Smart TVs with Fire TV built in."

Fire OS 5 is on Fire TV products sold between 2015 and 2020, including the second generation Fire TV stick. That was a massive seller, so HBO dropping support is going to affect a lot of people's devices.

From Amazon's perspective, upgrading the OS on older devices isn't always the best policy: newer OSes are built for newer hardware, and that can mean problems bringing new versions to devices they weren't built for.

And having people buy new models doesn't just enable Amazon to sell you a new Fire Stick running its new and preffered Vega OS: it also means moving people to a version of the product that can't be used for sideloading or dodgy free streaming.

At the time of publishing, deals on newer Fire TV devices (or Roku devices, if you're feeling a little burned by Fire TV) aren't widespread, but they're common, so keep your eyes open if you need an upgrade.

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• The new Amazon streaming stick stops sideloading
• A message to this effect is popping up on its online listing
• This is part of Amazon's rollout of its own Vega OS

Alongside a revamp for the Fire TV OS interface, Amazon announced a new Fire TV Stick HD earlier this week, that's slimmer than its predecessor — and it's now been confirmed that sideloading won't be allowed on the new device.

As spotted by Cord Cutters News, the product listing on Amazon has this to say: "For enhanced security, this device prevents sideloading or installing apps from unknown sources. Only apps from the Amazon Appstore are available for download."

The message doesn't seem to show up for everyone, but it's definitely there in some cases. Of course, when Amazon says "for enhanced security", it means for the purposes of preventing any dodgy and legally suspect apps from being loaded up.

However, this is also going to affect users who liked to customize and hack their Amazon streaming devices in a variety of other, perfectly legal ways: think custom launchers, local media streaming, and smart home tools, for example.

The future is Vega OS

Part of the way Amazon has locked down its latest streaming stick is by using its own, proprietary Vega OS rather than an adapted version of Android. That gives Amazon much more control over what's possible on the software.

This was all announced last year, but it wasn't clear just how speedy the rollout would be, or which specific devices would be affected. We can safely assume that this 'no sideloading' rule will apply to all Amazon devices going forward.

In fact, as Ars Technica highlights, Vega OS and the same sideloading restrictions apply to the Fire TV Stick 4K Select that came out in October as well — and we noted at the time that you wouldn't be able to sideload apps on it.

Amazon has made sure that the majority of the best streaming apps work on Vega OS and on its new streaming devices, including Prime Video, Disney+, Netflix, YouTube, and Apple TV. Beyond official entertainment apps though, your options are limited.

• Amazon has been hit with a new class action lawsuit for tethering old Fire TV Sticks
• It accuses the company of restricting vital software support, forcing users to upgrade
• The lawsuit also claims Amazon didn't disclose the true lifespan of Fire TV Sticks

Amazon has found itself at the center of a new class action lawsuit in the US, which claims the company has been quietly stopping software updates as a way to slow down older Fire TV Stick devices until they become unusable — all while advertising their ‘instant’ streaming features.

The lawsuit was filed by Californian plaintiff Bill Merewhuader, who accused the tech giant of ‘bricking’ its first and second generation Fire TV Stick models as a way to force users to upgrade to its more expensive options, as reported by Top Class Actions. Essentially, older models have been diminishing in functionality even though the hardware has been untouched, resulting in slow performances, lagging, and delayed responses.

What does the lawsuit allege?

In his claim, Merewhuader accounts his own experience of purchasing two second generation Fire TV Sticks in 2018. He says he started experiencing performance issues just a few years into owning them, eventually feeling forced to upgrade to a newer, more expensive model in 2024 after the devices became unusable — effectively blaming Amazon for ‘software tethering’.

This refers to a device’s usability, which relies on software updates manned by the company that releases them to ensure a high level of performance. By stopping this support, companies can cut the lifespan of a device prematurely in order to force consumers to upgrade. Merewhuader has accused Amazon of doing this to the first generation device as early as 2022, ending support for the second generation shortly after despite Amazon’s claim that software support would continue until 2024.

Additionally, Merewhuader says Amazon never disclosed information that said software support could be discontinued, as the company initially marketed the devices as ones which offer ‘instant’ entertainment across a wide variety of content from the best streaming services — which the plaintiff says was the main reason why customers purchased the devices in the first place.

Overall, the lawsuit is centered on two things. The first being the act of software tethering and the second being the fact no one was told the truth about the devices’ lifespan, which risks jeopardizing user trust. As a result, Merewhuader is looking to take his case nationwide in hopes that Amazon will compensate users in his position while tightening laws to prevent future software tethering practices.

Amazon hasn't publicly addressed the lawsuit, but we'll update this story when we know more.

• Amazon has announced a significant refresh to the Fire TV interface
• It will include new streaming channels and will head to older devices too
• The company had also revealed a faster, slimmer Fire TV Stick HD

Amazon has revealed it is refreshing its Fire TV platform with a new look and new streaming channels. It also reveals a new Amazon Fire TV Stick HD.

The update, which will be coming to all older Fire TV devices such as the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K, will see a new layout with a focus on getting users to their content easier. Categories have been introduced so customers can quickly access their preferred movies, TV shows, news and sports. Amazon also claims the update will make Fire TV 30% faster.

The update will also introduce Fire TV channels, a new feature that brings in free, ad-supported streaming channels covering a wide range of genres such as news, comedy, cooking and travel to name a few. These 'FAST' channels are becoming increasingly popular across some of the best TVs, with both LG (with LG Channels) and Samsung (included in Tizen) including the feature.

The Fire TV update is free and will begin rolling out to customers internationally at the end of the month, so it will vary depending on region and device as to when you'll see the new UI.

Amazon also revealed a new version of its Amazon Fire TV Stick HD. Amazon says it's 30% narrower than the previous generation's model, making it easier to fit alongside devices in other HDMI ports.

It will run off Direct Power through a TV's USB port, eliminating the need for a bulkier, external power adaptor. Amazon also says the new Stick will be 30% faster than the previous generation, too.

The new Stick HD will also receive an Adaptive Display accessibility feature that will make text and menus easier to see on screen. It will enhance smaller items such as text while simultaneously scaling up larger things like artwork.

The Amazon Fire TV Stick HD will launch for £39.99 / AU$79 (US price TBC), with pre-orders live at Amazon UK and on Amazon Australia.

A Fire TV refresh

Fire TV is featured in a wide range of devices, so it's great to see that it's getting an update in 2026. In my time using the smart TV platform, I've sometimes found it can be clunky, slow to navigate and slow to respond to commands. If this new update does indeed up the speed by 30%, that could make a huge difference.

The inclusion of FAST channels (free, ad-support streaming channels) is a welcome one, as it gives users more content they can watch without extra fees.

While I haven't seen the new Fire TV interface in-person yet, from the image above, I can see that large banner ads will still likely be a feature. This is now common across most smart TV interfaces and continues to be a bit of a frustration. I'll reserve full judgement however until I use it myself.

It will take a lot for Fire TV to de-throne the top smart TV platforms such as LG's webOS, Roku and Samsung's latest Tizen iteration (though I'm yet to test the 2026 version yet), but hopefully this refresh will do just the trick.

As for the Amazon Fire TV Stick HD, it's again nice to see an update to the HD models, as the 4K now has three different varieties available. It looks like the upgraded model will be the same price as the previous HD Stick (£39.99 in the UK) and it's likely to receive discounts during big sale events during Prime Day and Black Friday.

• Roku adds more free channels covering reality TV and westerns
• Instant Resume is coming to more popular streaming apps
• Roku Store apps of a certain size must use the feature from October 2026

Roku has added another six free channels to its Roku TVs and Roku streaming devices. As with previous additions there's quite the mix here, with classic Westerns, comedy, reality shows and music, as spotted by Cord Cutters News.

Roku is also planning to improve its Instant Resume feature. From October 1 2026, the feature will be coming to stacks of apps in Roku's streaming store, again according to Cord Cutters News.

High-traffic streaming apps that meet certain criteria (audience size, hours streamed) will be obliged to support Instant Resume, which enables you to pick up from exactly where you left off even if you've been watching on a different device or haven't used your device in a while. It's a handy feature and a welcome addition to third-party streaming apps.

Roku's new free channels for April 2026

The first new channel, channel 313, is dedicated to the classic TV show Rawhide. Rawhide is one of the most famous Western shows of all time, has one of the most famous theme songs of all time (a song that also soundtracked a memorable bit of The Blues Brothers movie) and introduced the world to a young actor called Clint Eastwood. It's a classic of 1950s and 1960s TV and I've got the theme tune in my head right now. Hah! Rawhide!

There are more Westerns where that one came from. Channel 6036 is going to be streaming a wide selection of vintage and classic cowboy movies and shows, and once again it's going to be round-the-clock streaming of gunfights, cattle ranches, showdowns, wagon trains and outlaw gangs.

Meanwhile over on channel 314, there's another classic: the Beverly Hillbillies, the much-loved 1960s show that follows the adventures and misadventures of the Clampett family as they bring their simple, folksy ways to the rich neighborhoods of Beverly Hills.

If you prefer a bit of reality, channel 624 is where you'll find Ink Master. That's a reality TV competition where tattoo artists take on challenges that push their skills and their patience to the limit. We're promised drama, excitement and dramatic reveals.

For younger Spanish speakers, channel 978 delivers MTV en Español, a high-energy, youth-oriented channel mixing music videos (an MTV that still does music!), reality shows, celebrity interviews and "culturally resonant programming" that showcases Latin music and lifestyles.

Last but not least there's Toso.o on channel 815. I'm intrigued by this one, because the description doesn't really describe anything: it's "vibrant", "eclectic", "unique" and provides a "variety of niche content". How very mysterious.

Thinking of buying a new TV?

Try our TV size and model finder! You tell it how far you sit from your TV, we'll tell you what size to buy based on viewing angle advice from image quality experts, and we'll recommend our three top TVs at that size for different prices.

• Netflix on Apple TV no longer uses the tvOS video player
• This results in small but annoying interface changes
• But it also means some features are now missing from the app

Netflix has changed the way its app works on Apple TV HD and Apple TV 4K streaming devices, and given how popular these devices are with home theater enthusiasts, it's no surprise that lots of viewers are unhappy with the results of this particular update.

Instead of using the tvOS operating system's built-in video player software and screen, which ensures a consistent experience irrespective of the streaming service you're using, Netflix has decided to do things differently. Netflix has now replaced the tvOS player with its own custom player, and that player not only looks different, it also doesn't work with a bunch of playback features that users have been used for years and years.

Netflix isn't the only streamer to do this; Disney+ uses its own player too. But the Netflix player removes some basic functions when you're skipping or playing shows and the changes aren't going down well with some viewers. (It's also not Netflix's first time breaking from integrating with Apple's tech — it already skips the Apple TV app's Up Next section.)

What has Netflix done to the Apple TV app?

The Netflix app update has changed some standard features. For example, when you click back or forward on your Apple TV remote, the standard behavior is that the show will skip backwards or forwards by 10 seconds, and users are used to this.

Not any more: as viewer iamonreddit explains, "now it pauses and brings up the frame selector, and then you have to click again. Did they not do any research or usability testing before releasing this? It's also not smooth at all."

According to FlatpanelsHD there are multiple other features of the tvOS player that are now unavailable in the Netflix app including the handy auto-subtitling that kicks in when you rewind or mute the show; the option to use Enhance Dialog; the info and video/audio format details in the slide-up menu, the ability to double-tap and find out when the show or movie ends, and even integration with the useful 'Remote' app on iPhone and iPad.

That may sound like a lot of fuss over nothing, but one of the reasons people buy Apple TV is because of its user interface: it's a nice place to spend time in. And when apps go against that, for example to deliver the same experience that you'd get on a Fire TV or an Android device, they make the experience on Apple TV worse – maybe not by much, but enough to be another irritant. And irritants accumulate.

But may not just be about the interface. Other Redditors shared their negative Netflix experiences. "The new player is pretty bad. And 4K doesn't look like 4K," lusid1 posted. Leckie described "consistent quality issues... things will randomly go pixelated and I need to force close the app... nothing else has an issue and all other apps work great." And aisuperman is "at the verge of unsubscribing to an app which has a video player from the 2000s."

I think redditor b2717 put it very well: "for me it’s like someone moved all the doorknobs in my house to the other side, right by the hinges. They may still technically work, but it makes using them harder and more annoying. And every time I’m going to be reminded how unnecessary it all is."

This also comes hot on the heels of Netflix announcing yet another price hike in the US, which includes the second price increase on the Premium plan in just 14 month, so already people will have been asking themselves if they want to keep the service.

Reddit user motorik puts their view very simply: "Latest Netflix app update is 'time to unsubscribe' bad."

• New Manhattan Aero 4K TV stock going to John Lewis and Currys
• Move fast if you want one, because it sold out fast last time
• £69.99 for 450+ free channels

If you've been trying and failing to get your hands on the Manhattan Aero 4K TV streamer with Freely, you're not the only one: the streaming box sold out almost immediately when it went on sale last month. But now it's back, and if you move quickly you should be able to snap one up.

• Currys: See stock of the Manhattan Aero 4K TV
• John Lewis: See stock of the Manhattan Aero 4K TV

Manhattan TV tells us that it's sent new stock to Amazon, but that this stock is likely to go to existing pre-orders only. So if you haven't already ordered there, you'll probably do better at the Currys or John Lewis links above. We're told that new stock will be available to order from both retailers from today, 31 March.

Why did this Freely streamer sell out so quickly?

As we reported back in January, the Aero 4K TV Streamer with Freely is a really simple way to add Freely's free streaming channels to your existing TV. Freely is effectively an online version of Freeview and Freesat, delivering channels from the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5, and Manhattan TV knows what it's doing: it also makes hardware for those broadcast and satellite services.

The Manhattan Aero streamer is powered by TiVo OS and comes with Netflix, Disney+, YouTube and Prime Video apps as well, and it also gives you access to over 400 free streaming channels via TiVo+. Not bad for £69.99, which is one of the reasons it sold out so fast.

I haven't tested this device myself, but our colleagues at T3.com gave it the full five stars and it's been well-received elsewhere. TiVo's OS is really nice, there's tons of free stuff to watch and the Aero's plug-and-play setup makes it an easy upgrade.

• Currys: See stock of the Manhattan Aero 4K TV
• John Lewis: See stock of the Manhattan Aero 4K TV

• Fire TV's massive makeover comes to the phone app too
• The app becomes a second screen to control your Fire TV
• Rolling out to everyone in the coming weeks

Amazon's Fire TV mobile app has just been upgraded, and it looks like it could become your go-to remote for all your Fire TV needs, whether you have a Stick or a full Fire TV set.

The app hasn't just been given a makeover. It's been designed as a second screen for your Fire TV, enabling you to browse for stuff to watch on your phone and manage your watchlist, then play titles on your TV by selecting them in the app.

You can also use your phone as a full remote control, and it seems like it could be way more convenient than endlessly scrolling using your TV remote, especially for looking at different categories.

It's also been redesigned to match the current, newly updated Fire TV user interface that we saw Amazon announce last week. And it looks like it'll be arriving faster than the TV upgrade, especially if you're outside the US.

What's new in Fire TV?

The Fire TV redesign is the most significant rework in five years, and while it's currently US-only and for three Fire TV models it'll be rolling out to more devices in more countries this spring. The redesigned mobile app isn't rolling out so slowly and it isn't limited to the US: it'll be rolling out to all customers in the next few weeks, starting today.

Amazon says it's redesigned the Fire TV user interface to be "cleaner, faster and better organized" so that you'll spend less time searching and more times watching: Amazon quotes research saying that on average US customers spend 12 minutes deciding what to watch, and Amazon wants to reduce that.

In addition to the redesigned layout, Amazon's engineers have also made Fire TV faster: according to the firm "we're seeing up to 20-30% gains in speed" in some cases.

One of the simplest and most effective changes in the new UI is that you can now pin up to 20 apps to your home screen, up from the current six. And the menu button on your remote delivers faster access to games, art & photos, and Amazon's Ambient Experience.

Alexa's a big part of the new interface too, especially in its Alexa+ incarnation. That's free to Prime subscribers and available as a separate subscription to non-subscribers. Amazon says you'll be able to ask Alexa+ for informed recommendations, for example telling you about movies that share a visual style, and to ask questions as if you were talking to a friend rather than your TV.

The Amazon Fire TV update is rolling out to US customers now and more widely in the spring.

• Amazon's first major Fire TV software rework in five years
• Initially for Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2023), Fire TV Stick 4K Plus, and Fire TV Omni Mini-LED
• Rollout is currently US-only; will be expanded in the Spring

Amazon is now rolling out its most exciting Fire TV device upgrade to date, featuring the first major redesign of this software in five years, and some important under-the-hood change that promise to majorly speed up your devices.

The rollout has started in the US, and it looks like Amazon is taking it slow: it's coming to just three devices to begin with. Those devices are the Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2023, 2nd Gen), the Fire TV Stick 4K Plus, and the Fire TV Omni Mini-LED TV.

The update will roll out to more countries and more devices in the Spring of 2026, with third-party Fire TV devices (such as TVs from TCL, Panasonic, Hisense, Insignia and more) getting upgraded too.

What's new in the Amazon Fire TV upgrade?

This isn't just a minor refresh, although everything has been tweaked to make it look better. There's much more room for pinned apps and subscriptions, giving you 20 slots instead of the current six. There's a new streamlined navigation bar too.

One of the key goals of the update is to reduce the amount of time you spend searching for something to watch, with improved recommendations and easier access to live content too.

The focus on watching means that less commonly used features such as games, photos, music videos and the Appstore are tucked away in a three-line hamburger menu.

Alexa+ will enable you to ask questions using natural language, ask follow-up questions and generally chat with Amazon's digital assistant. If it's as good as Amazon says you'll be able to do interesting things such as ask Alexa to recommend movies that have a similar visual style. Alexa+ is included in your Prime subscription; non-subscribers can pay separately to enable the feature.

Perhaps most excitingly, Amazon says that its reworking of the underlying code makes the update "20–30%" faster – and responsiveness has always been an area where Fire TV could use a little nudge.

This also comes hot on the heels of Nvidia GeForce Now cloud gaming coming to Fire TV devices, albeit not quite in the full quality that we'd hoped for – but it's still a great combo.

According to TechCrunch, the spring rollout will cover more countries and more Fire TV models including the latest Fire TV 4K streaming players, the Fire TV 2-Series and 4-Series, and the Omni QLED Series. You'll also have it on the new Amazon Ember Artline TVs.

• Humax's new set-top box has Freely streaming
• 2TB drive can also record broadcasts for up to 1,000 hours of recording
• Available now for £249

Humax has launched the Aura EZ 4K TV recorder with Freely, the free-to-view UK TV service that combines multiple broadcasters in a single app – it's essentially Freeview or Freesat but transmitted over the internet.

The recording part is separate to Freely – that's for aerial transmissions, which it also picks up. It's capable of recording up to four channels at once while you watch something else.

Between this ability to record from live channels and over 60 live channels and over 75,000 hours of on-demand programming over the internet via the Freely platform, there's basically no reason to ever miss something you wanted to watch.

Humax Aura EZ: key features and pricing

The recorder has a 2TB drive that can store up to 1,000 hours of recorded TV, and it supports 4K HDR and Dolby Digital Plus sound. It'll also be getting an app that'll enable you to navigate, plan and schedule recordings from anywhere. That's currently in testing and promised to launch soon.

Connections are straightforward. There's an RF aerial input and RF output; HDMI for your TV; SPDIF optical digital sound; and Ethernet. Wi-Fi is dual-band 2.4Ghz and 5GHz.

The new Humax recorder isn't the only way to add Freely to your TV, but it's designed to be one of the simplest. It features a seven-day TV guide and a Freely guide too, and it connects to your home network over Wi-Fi.

Freely is operated by Everyone TV, formerly Digital UK, which also operates Freeview and Freesat. It's supported by the BBC, Channel 4 and 5 and features a large selection of channels from those broadcasters, much like Freeview/Freesat does. It also includes channels from elsewhere including PBS America, QVC, the Food Network and more.

The Humax Aura EZ is available now for £249.

Thinking of buying a new TV?

Try our TV size and model finder! You tell it how far you sit from your TV, we'll tell you what size to buy based on viewing angle advice from image quality experts, and we'll recommend our three top TVs at that size for different prices.

• Nvidia is considering a new Shield "if we find something we're super-excited about"
• Priorities would include VP9 Profile 2 decoding, AV1 and advanced HDR
• Shield can be a relatively ad-free Apple TV 4K rival

10 years is a long time in the tech and TV businesses, so it's to Nvidia's immense credit that its 10-year-old Nvidia Shield is still a much-loved streaming device. According to Nvidia's senior VP of hardware engineering, Andrew Bell, he'd "love to" see a new Shield TV box. And so would I.

That doesn't mean a new Shield is imminent, or even happening. But as Bell says, "We've played with new concepts for Shield and we'll continue to play, and if we find something we're super-excited about, we'll probably make a go of it."

Although the Shield range is 10, the most recent model is newer: it was released in 2019. And as we said in our Nvidia Shield (2019) review, it's a great bit of TV tech that's part console, part streamer, and completely convincing thanks to its excellent upscaler and powerful processor. But there are still some improvements that could be made – here's what I'd like to see from a next-gen Shield.

1. 4K 120Hz support

As I wrote last year when the Shield got a 120fps cloud gaming upgrade, the Shield has HDMI 2.0 only plus a now somewhat aged processor, and that limits what it can decode and output; "it has similar hardware to the original Nintendo Switch and is still running Android 11, and while it's great that Nvidia keeps updating it it does feel that it's time for a new one – not least because it's facing ever more rivals."

Nvidia GeForce Now, its own cloud gaming platform, can do 4K 120Hz, and this is supported in some LG TVs – but the Shield can't deliver this. A new version with HDMI 2.1 for 4K 120Hz and enough processing power to handle it seems like a slam dunk.

2. Up-to-date wireless connectivity

Other than HDMI and processor updates, the most obvious upgrade points are the Bluetooth (currently 5.0 – newer versions can deliver lower latency) and Wi-Fi (currently 802.11ac – I'd like to see Wi-F 7, of course). And the Android version on the Shield is currently Android 11, so that's due an upgrade too.

3. Modern HDR and format support

Bell told Ars Technica that for this so-far imaginary device, priorities would include VP9 Profile 2 hardware decoding for YouTube HDR; the AV1 codec; the HDR10+ standard; and Dolby Vision profiles – certainly, the latter two would be high on my list.

4. Keep the software flexibility it has now, so we can beat the ads

The hardware above would bring the Shield up to date, but as important as the hardware is, the Shield's software matters a lot to its fans as well – and with many platforms' increasing use of advertising and data collection in the interfaces, the Shield's current customization abilities are worth highlighting: while it's not ad-free by any means (it's Android after all), and I doubt that'll change, many customers have noped-out on the default interface and gone for options such as the ad-free Projectivity launcher instead.

There's definitely a committed group who want TV streamers that don't fill their home screen and browsing spaces with obnoxious ads, which is why I have an Apple TV 4K rather than a cheaper streaming stick – but the Apple ecosystem isn't for everyone.

While the Shield's default interface does run ads, having a device where you can turn them off relatively easily is a big plus. So here's hoping that if there is a new Shield in development, it'll still be open to customer customization.

5. A much smaller Netflix button on the remote

Unnecessary!

• Nvidia exec Andrew Bell has been talking about the Shield TV
• The streaming device first launched back in 2015
• Updates are continuing, and we just might get a new model

Ten years after it first launched, the Nvidia Shield TV streaming box has gained a loyal following, and the devices continue to get updates – and one of Nvidia's executives has hinted that a new refresh of the hardware might eventually see the light of day.

In a detailed Ars Technica report, Nvidia's senior VP of hardware engineering Andrew Bell says that he'd "love to" see a new Shield TV box one day, and that it's something that's not completely off the table at Nvidia.

"We're always playing in the labs, trying to discover new things," says Bell. "We've played with new concepts for Shield and we'll continue to play, and if we find something we're super-excited about, we'll probably make a go of it."

The article covers the entire history of the Nvidia Shield TV series, from the launch of the first model in 2015. Since then we've seen updated models appear in 2017 and 2019, and that 2019 version of the Android streaming and gaming box is still on sale.

The updates will keep coming

According to Bell, the Nvidia Shield TV 2019 is still selling well, despite its age. One of the reasons for that is likely to be that users know Nvidia is committed to pushing out new software patches to keep the device up to date and secure.

Bell says that right from the beginning, when he and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang first came up with the idea of the Android-based streaming device, keeping the full range of devices supported over the years was a priority.

"Early on when we were building Shield TV, we decided we were going to make it for a long time," says Bell. "Jensen and I had a discussion, and it was, 'how long do we want to support this thing?' And Jensen said, 'For as long as we shall live.'"

Bell reveals that people are still buying the 2019 Shield TV, and that there are no plans to stop pushing out updates "any time soon". That will encourage Nvidia Shield TV fans, and so will the suggestion that new hardware might possibly appear.

• Roku has added a new Subscriptions section to its home screen
• It brings together all your subscribed services in one place
• Not everyone is pleased about the change that's been rolled out

Roku users, your home screen interface layout is changing again: you should now notice a new Subscriptions view available from your Roku device home screen, which keeps you up to date with content from the various services you're signed up for.

As spotted by Cord Cutters News, this new section displays the programs you've most recently watched via your subscribed streaming services. There are also spots for new and popular films and shows from these services.

In theory, this should make it easier to keep track of content on platforms like Netflix, Disney+, Max, Paramount+, or Peacock, as long as you've signed up through the Roku interface rather than directly on the relevant apps and sites themselves.

It works automatically too: Roku will do the work of figuring out the subscriptions you have active, and what you're currently watching through those subscriptions. It should make it easier to manage your viewing across multiple platforms.

'The last thing I want'

Reaction to the change has been somewhat mixed, according to one Reddit thread. While several users are welcoming the innovation and the boost in convenience it might bring, others are asking how the feature might be disabled.

"The last thing I want to do is open an app right to the last sappy thing my wife watched," opines one Roku user – but the new Subscriptions option can be hidden, like everything else in the home screen menu, via Settings > What to Watch.

Other users aren't noticing much difference between the Subscriptions tab and the existing Continue Watching and What to Watch sections. It seems as though your mileage may vary depending on how many services you're signed up to through your Roku.

Being able to subscribe to the best streaming services through other devices and platforms is fairly common now, and it can be more convenient to have everything in one place – but bear in mind you could miss out on the best pricing and bundle options.

• The first streaming box with Freely free TV, to add it existing TV
• TiVo software means the likes of Netflix, Disney+ and Prime Video are also here
• Launching for £69, in February 2026

If you're looking for a simple way to add Freely to your TV, the new Aero 4K TV Streamer from Manhattan TV could be just the thing.

Freely is the new free streaming platform from the BBC, ITV and Channel 4, and since it launched last year it's been expanding its offering to add ever more channels. And the Aero 4K makes it easy to add the service to your existing TV: all you need is Wi-Fi and the supplied HDMI cable.

Aero 4K TV Streamer with Freely: key features and pricing

The Aero streamer is powered by TiVo OS with voice search and features Netflix, Disney+ and Prime Video, YouTube and more as well as Freely's options, although these kinds of services will require a subscription. It also has TiVo+, which gives you 400+ free streaming channels and free on-demand movies and TV shows.

As for Freely itself, it gives you over 60 live TV channels and more than 75,000 hours of content from BBC iPlayer, ITVX, Channel 5, and others.

The Aero TV streamer has a quad-core processor, Wi-Fi 6 and Ethernet, and it supports resolutions up to 4K/60Hz. There's support for HDR10, HLG and HDR10+ but not Dolby Vision, and there's Dolby Atmos audio passthrough – so as long as your TV, soundbar or AV receiver supports Dolby Atmos, you'll get its 3D sound.

The Aero TV 4K Streamer with Freely is £69.99, making it more expensive than a Fire TV Stick 4K or a Roku Streaming Stick Plus but considerably cheaper than an Apple TV 4K – but at the time of writing, you can't get Freely on any of these.

If you have certain Fire TV sets (not the streaming sticks), the Freely app is currently available on the Amazon App Store to download, and it's pre-installed on smart TVs from the likes of Roku, Bush and Philips. You can see the range of TVs that Freely supports here.

Thinking of buying a new TV?

Try our TV size and model finder! You tell it how far you sit from your TV, we'll tell you what size to buy based on viewing angle advice from image quality experts, and we'll recommend our three top TVs at that size for different prices.

• Roku streaming sticks don't come with an HDMI cable in their box
• ... but you can still get one for free if you ask
• The request process is simple and should only take a few minutes

If you’ve tried a few different streaming stick brands, you’ll have noticed that Roku sticks lack a bonus HDMI cable that you’d get for free with an Amazon Fire Stick. Well, it turns out you can get this cable for free with Roku sticks too – if you know where to ask.

Whether you’re upgrading an older TV, want access to your favorite streamed content when you travel, or have some other need for one, streaming sticks from the likes of Amazon and Roku can be super handy.

But based on the design and port layout of your TV, and the other devices you have connected, it can be tricky to plug a streaming stick directly into your display – which is why Amazon Fire Sticks and others can come with an HDMI extender, a short additionable cable that creates more space between your stick and screen.

In your Roku stick’s box, you won’t find an extender, but you can request one for free from an official Roku HDMI page. You’ll just need to fill the form in with your name, address, telephone number, and your streaming stick’s serial number.

The serial number will be printed on the stick itself, with a label ‘SN:#####’ – with your device’s serial number replacing the #####. Alternatively, your stick’s serial number should appear in the Roku App; go to your Devices page, tap the three-dot menu icon next to the streaming stick, and then tap to View System Info.

With all of your information filled in, the HDMI extender will be shipped to your home free of charge – you shouldn’t even need to pay postage.

Cord Cutters News recently flagged this hidden feature, and while the request form has existed for some time, it has reportedly become a much simpler process to request an extender.

Though it’s not as streamlined as including the HDMI cable in the box to begin with, this approach does save Roku some costs and reduces tech waste. It obviously means for us consumers that setting up a Roku streaming stick can take a little longer, since we have to wait for a second package to arrive at our homes.

Not including this tool in the box might also reduce the effectiveness of Roku’s streaming sticks, as an extender can improve airflow to the stick, which helps with performance.

Though if you’ve been having any Roku stick troubles, this could be the solution you needed.

• Amazon is expanding its collection of free straming channels in its new partnership with Roku
• Fire TV users now have access to around 50 free channels from The Roku Channel streaming platform
• This follows Amazon recent Fire TV interface upgrade, which saw its biggest overhaul in five years

Hot on the heels of Amazon’s successful showcase at CES 2026, where it unveiled the new Ember Artline ‘lifestyle TV’, the company is joining forces with Roku to bring you new free streaming content from The Roku Channel – one of our best free streaming services.

Now, Amazon Fire TV users can access a selection of around 50 free new streaming channels, expanding its wide collection of FAST entertainment and sports programming. In addition to Fire TV’s new Roku channels, Amazon is also adding select channels from Fubo, which is another popular free streaming service for entertainment and sports.

One of the biggest wins with this partnership is that you don’t need any additional subscriptions or hardware such as streaming sticks to enjoy free viewing, which sounds too good to be true. Previously, you could only access Roku’s flagship FAST service on a Roku device, be that the Roku Streaming Stick Plus or the Roku Pro Series (2025), but now the company is slowly migrating out of that business model while also upgrading its own collection of channels. In October 2025, Roku devices in the UK received over 40 new free TV channels.

You can find new FAST content from The Roku Channel in the newly updated Live Guide tab on Fire TV devices, which serves as the home for all of Amazon’s free streaming platforms including PlutoTV, Tubi, and its very own Freevee.

Now that The Roku Channel is joining the Fire TV family of FAST, this brings it to a total of 14 free-to-stream services, meaning that there are now over a staggering 1,900 channels across these platforms to stream, encapsulating designated channels for reality TV, classic cinema, food, 24/7 news reports, and more.

Not only will this move result in wider access of Roku channels to non-Roku device owners, it’s also a big win for Fire TV itself as it expands its plethora of entertainment options for customers, increasing its value as a streamer.

Recently Amazon gave the Fire TV interface a huge facelift – the first one in five years I should add – which now allows you to pin up to 20 of your favorite streaming services in your homepage, making it easier for you to find its new array of free Roku channels.

• Amazon has unveiled the first major Fire TV redesign in five years, which features new layouts and smarter color schemes
• As well as its redesign the Fire TV interface reduces the amount of time you spend searching for titles to watch, making it easier for you to find movies from your streaming services
• Additionally, you can now pin up to 20 different apps to the home screen and use Alexa+ across the entire interface

The Amazon Experience at CES 2026 has brought us some exciting new announcements for the company, and after unveiling the new Amazon Ember Artline ‘lifestyle TV’, the company announced a huge piece of Fire TV news: a fresh interface revamp is coming after five years – and there’s no doubt it’s aimed at seriously competing with Google TV.

Launching in February on the Fire TV Stick 4K Plus, Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd Gen), and Fire TV Omni Mini-LED Series in the US first, the new Fire TV look is modern with seamless animations and polished design upgrades, and promises to be easy to navigate. It also comes with a brand-new navigation bar with dedicated movie, TV shows, and other entertainment sections – but that’s just scratching the surface.

In its blog post announcing the new interface, Amazon described the redesign as “cleaner, faster, and better organized,” aiming to help you spend more time streaming and less time searching – a common issue us movie buffs run into. The new Fire TV revamp aims to cut down on this time by grouping movies, TV shows, sports, news, and live content from your streaming services into one space in the UI.

Already, it sounds like a winner in my eyes, but Amazon has promised even more handy functions including new organization tools. For years, Fire TV users have been restricted to pinning only six apps to the home screen, but now that’s increasing to a staggering 20, allowing you to keep all your subscriptions in one place, while taking away the chore of scrolling endlessly to find them.

As Amazon prepares to step into the world of lifestyle TVs with the Ember Artline, Fire TV Sticks are getting a similar treatment of their own. With the redesign, you can now use the 'Menu' button on the remote to launch art and images from your personal Amazon Photos account right to your TV, as well as launch games and the Ambient Experience.

Each new upgrade is one ingredient to what sounds like a delicious, multi-functional final product, but the icing on the cake is Alexa+.

Alexa, I'm in the mood for Emma Stone

Of course, it wouldn’t be an Amazon announcement without mention of Alexa+, which the company unveiled will be “available in every part of the Fire TV experience”.

Since Alexa+ was announced in February last year, Amazon has been slowly rolling its advanced AI voice assistant across its family of devices. It just launched on the web for everyone, and now it will find a new home across the Fire TV interface. You can tell it what mood you’re in, who you’re watching with, and even give examples of directors and movie stars you like for more precise results.

Needless to say, I’m quite excited to make the most of Fire TV’s next upgrade and compare its smarts to other smart TVs. But this is just the beginning of Fire TV's next era, and following its US release in February Amazon will be expanding the interface upgrade to more countries and even more devices in the spring.

TechRadar will be extensively covering this year's CES, and will bring you all of the big announcements as they happen. Head over to our CES 2026 news page for the latest stories and our hands-on verdicts on everything from wireless TVs and foldable displays to new phones, laptops, smart home gadgets, and the latest in AI.

And don’t forget to follow us on TikTok and WhatsApp for the latest from the CES show floor!

• A new reference remote for Google TV has appeared
• It's the work of Ohsung Electronics and Epishine
• The remote is powered completely from indoor light

Besides televisions with Google TV built in, we're seeing a growing number of Google TV devices appear, both from Google and third parties – and now one of Google's partners has made a Google TV remote that gets its power from indoor light.

This comes from Ohsung Electronics in South Korea (via 9to5Google), and it's what's called a reference device: something that you can't go out and buy yet, but which may well inform the design and features of future products.

According to Swedish company Epishine, which supplied the solar cell, the remote "never runs out of power" thanks to the indoor solar tech – assuming, presumably, that you're not watching movies and shows in the dark all the time.

There are solar cells on either side of the remote to capture whatever light is available, which means the device is still getting power even when it's lying face down flat. There's actually no battery inside – the remote works solely from indoor light.

Good for users and the environment

The way that the Google TV remotes of today are powered depends on the device, but both the Google TV Streamer and the older Chromecast with Google TV have batteries inside the remotes that need to be replaced every so often.

That can lead to a frustrating hunt through drawers and cupboards for spare batteries if your remote dies mid-watch – though, pro tip, you can also control Google TV devices using the Google TV app for Android or iOS.

A remote like this would do away with that frustration, and of course it's also much better for the environment, as you don't have any used batteries to dispose of. Epishine says these remotes can be lighter and cheaper as well.

In fact, there's nothing bad to say about this idea, and I'm all for it – so let's hope we start seeing remotes like this appearing sooner rather than later. Eventually, you might even be able to buy it separately from your streaming device of choice.

• The Roku app has been updated on Android and iOS
• The interface has been overhauled, and there's a new design for the remote control
• 12 new channels have been added for free, including BBC Drama and BBC Adventures

Roku owners are getting some nifty upgrades for absolutely nothing: a refreshed mobile app with much-improved remote control functionality and a dozen new channels.

Let's start with the new Android and iOS apps for Roku TVs and players, which, as Cord Cutters reports, include a major upgrade in terms of the remote. Instead of the buttons that you previously had to tap, there's now a virtual touchpad that you can swipe in any direction to navigate the menus.

So, rather than tap-tap-tapping to shift the selection cursor to the right, you can just swipe the cursor across, a much more natural way of navigation, which isn't so stressful on the fingers. A further embellishment is haptic feedback that delivers subtle vibrations while swiping, adding to the natural feel of touchscreens that support this.

If you don't like the sound of the new way of working, then you can simply switch off the swipe control scheme and revert to tapping the directional arrows.

Alongside that, the interface of the Roku mobile app has been given a makeover, including a more streamlined home screen and quick shortcuts to access recently viewed channels. A networking tweak should also mean faster pairing over Wi-Fi networks.

The refreshed app is currently rolling out for Android and iOS, so you should have it soon.

A dozen new free channels

As for the 12 new channels added to the Roku experience, these freebies were also picked up by Cord Cutters.

They are as follows:

• Channel 343: Heartland Classic
• Channel 369: BBC Drama
• Channel 498: PBS Travel
• Channel 499: PBS Nature
• Channel 547: Acorn TV Mysteries
• Channel 555: Grownday Network
• Channel 730: BBC Adventures
• Channel 731: Braxton Family Adventures
• Channel 732: Bridezillas
• Channel 931: Teleports Ahora
• Channel 952: Homeful en Español
• Channel 989: Cucando Los Ángeles

As you can see, those channels include a couple from the BBC, and as the name suggests, BBC Drama will show a bunch of critically acclaimed drama series.

There's also BBC Adventures, which features exploration and survival stories, and it's worth noting that Acorn TV Mysteries carries British (as well as international) crime shows.

Some of the best Black Friday deals aren't on massively expensive products; they're the deals that take useful gadgets into "oh hell yeah" territory. And that's the case with these streaming stick deals – two US and one UK – because they make already keenly priced streaming dongles even cheaper.

There are two key models on offer here: the Roku Streaming Stick Plus 4K is down to $29 at Walmart, while the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Plus is just $24.99 (was $49.99) at Amazon.

In the UK, you can get the same Roku Streaming Stick Plus 4K for £24.99 (down from £39.99) at Argos. We're still waiting on Fire TV deals to arrive in the UK.

Today's best early Black Friday streaming stick deals in the US

Today's best early Black Friday streaming stick deal in the UK

Both sticks deliver 4K with Dolby Atmos audio and HDR10+, but they're aimed at slightly different buyers.

The Roku is an entry-level streamer that's ideal for bringing TVs into the streaming era, and its tiny size means it's also really well suited to TV setups where there isn't much space to stick anything behind them.

I think the mid-range Fire TV Stick 4K Plus is a better option for more demanding viewers thanks to its improved performance and Dolby Vision HDR support too.

Today's best Black Friday deals - quick links

• Amazon: 45% off TVs, AirPods, air fryers & vacuums
• Apple: iPads, AirPods & MacBooks from $119
• Best Buy: $1,000 off TVs, laptops & headphones
• Dell: laptop deals from $249.99
• Home Depot: 40% off appliances, furniture, grills & tools
• Lenovo: 45% off laptops & tablets
• Lowe's: up to 30% off appliances, holiday decor & tools
• Samsung: up to $2,000 off appliances, TVs & phones
• Target: 40% off Christmas decor, clothing & furniture
• T-Mobile: up to $1,100 off latest iPhone 17
• Walmart: furniture, cheap TVs & vacs from $69
• Wayfair: 54% off Christmas, furniture & decor

Today's best Black Friday deals - quick links

• Amazon: up to 66% off tech & essentials
• AO: up to £500 off Dyson, Bosch & Hisense
• Argos: up to 50% off appliances, tech & toys
• Boots: save on 1,000s of beauty products
• Currys: deals on Ninja, Shark & Lenovo
• Dell: laptops from £279
• Dyson: up to £550 off vacuums
• EE: Switch 2 bundles from £20/month
• John Lewis: up to 50% off tech & fashion
• Lego: sets & accessories from £2.99
• Samsung: deals on appliances & phones
• Very: up to 40% off tech, toys & fashion

• Gemini for TV is coming to the Google TV Streamer, with updates rolling out today
• If your device is eligible for the update, you'll be able to have natural conversations with Gemini to search through the streamer's content
• Google also shared that you'll be able to use Gemini to 'bring learning to the biggest screen in your home'

The Google Assistant phase-out is still underway and Gemini is about to reign supreme across Google’s products – and the next one to get Gemini’s smarts is the Google TV Streamer.

Google announced on Monday in a blog post that Gemini for TV is starting to roll out to Google TV Streamer over the next few weeks. The company first unveiled its plans to expand Gemini to select TCL devices in September, with the TCL QM9K being the first Google TV model to receive the upgrade.

Now that Gemini is finally coming to the Google TV Streamer, users will be able to ask more advanced voice requests, with the company sharing that ‘Gemini for TV isn't just for entertainment’ and packs a plethora of capabilities.

Gemini for TV will now allow you to use your voice more naturally to access content on the Google TV Streamer. For example, if you and your partner or friend can’t agree on a movie to stream, you can say to Gemini, "I like dramas, but my wife likes comedies. What’s a movie we can watch together?" and it will generate ideas for you – but that’s not all.

If one of your favorite TV shows is returning and you need a recap but want to avoid having to watch an entire season, try asking, "What happened at the end of ‘Outlander’ last season?" and Gemini will bring you up to speed. Alternatively, if you can’t remember the name of a popular title but want to check it out, you can use the prompt, "What's the new hospital drama everyone's talking about?" to find your next TV binge.

As mentioned, Google’s blog post shares that Gemini for TV stretches beyond entertainment, and you’ll also have the ability to ‘Bring learning to the largest screen in your home’, as the company puts it. You can do this by having Gemini explain certain educational topics to your young ones by asking, "Explain why volcanoes erupt to my third grader" – it can even guide you through recipes and DIY projects with YouTube videos.

When Gemini for TV lands on your Google TV Streamer, you’ll be able to take advantage of its fresh update by using the microphone button on your remote. Additionally, you can check if the update is available on your Google TV Streamer device by going to Settings and into ‘Accounts & Profiles’. From there, select ‘Voice Assistant’ and you’ll find an option for ‘Gemini for TV’ if your device is eligible for the update.