Until the beginning of the early 2010s, cable TV and DVDs were the main sources of home entertainment. The one limitation of cable TV was that you had to watch what was shown on TV. DVDs and blue ray discs were not always an option since they were quite expensive and you had to purchase them online and wait to watch it. But as with all other aspects of our life, advancing technology made the entertainment industry more accessible to us too. With online websites, all we had to do was log in, download content and watch it later at a convenient time. A lot of streaming sites came with the risk of malware in the beginning, but even that seems to have been circumvented now.

High-speed internet, advances in video technology and the availability of Wi-Fi, allow sending large amounts of data online. Users no longer have to download audio or video files. High-speed internet enables the data to be transferred without any interruption and users can access the media file in one steady stream. Media streaming, therefore, is referred to all media files that include audio and video that can be transmitted over the internet and is available for continuous playback.

Devices like a smartphone, laptop, and PC that have internet can access media streams but they have their limitations and the small screen size is a deterrent for many. It was this disadvantage that led to the invention of streaming media players. These streaming devices act as a mediator between the internet and TV. Thus instead of watching movies and TV shows on smaller devices, you could watch in on your TV. This invention has completely changed the way individual users consume and enjoy media content.

Some features of streaming media players are:

• It connects your TV or home theater with the internet and helps stream music, videos, TV shows and movies from online websites or streaming services.
• The player will have provision for a few different connections and will have a remote. Advanced streaming media players have built-in Wi-Fi.
• You can watch videos downloaded in your device on a TV or directly from any website or any app that is supported by the player. For example, you can watch videos from Twitter or YouTube directly on your TV.
• You can connect your mobile and watch your video calls on TV. These are helpful for long distance and official calls if you do not have access to professional conferencing services at any time.
• All you need to view content using a streaming media player is HD TV, good broadband or a Wi-Fi connection, a home network and a subscription to a streaming media service.
• Some of the most popular streaming media players are Apple, Roku, D-Link, Sony, and Western Digital. You could tie up with streaming media services like Netflix, Amazon Prime, HBO, and the latest, Disney.
• Streaming media players are not very expensive and even the devices with advanced features cost less than $100.

A wonderful invention, especially in times when people have barely any time to spare, streaming media players are here to stay for a while.