Best Free Video Player For Mac 2018

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• Best Free Video Player For Mac 2018

Chances are, there are hundreds of videos languishing on your smartphone, DSLR or compact camera. Instead of letting it collect dust, why not polish it up to share with family and friends? That's where a good video editing program comes in.

Being easy-to-use, quickly, user-friendly, Leawo Blu-ray Ripper makes it the third best Blu-ray ripper software 2018. As a professional Blu-ray movie ripper, Leawo Blu-ray Ripper will effortlessly rip non-commercial and commercial Blu-rays with protections to MP4, WMV, MKV, FLV, F4V, etc. The best free music player 2018. Open source VLC Media Player is best known for its video-handling chops. Versions for Mac, Linux, Android and iOS are also available. Best free and paid blu-ray video player software for pc&mac 2018 Best 8 free 4k UHD video player software for PC&Mac 12 best html5 video players you should know.

Among the paid software, only one — Adobe Premiere Elements 2019— is truly cross-platform, and it emerged as our top pick. Despite its lack of emerging popular technologies, like 360-degree video handling and multicam editing features, it's the easiest video editor to learn and use, and offers plenty of advanced functions, such as guided edits and a revised home screen.

CyberLink PowerDirector 16 is the best video editing software for Windows, featuring a dazzling array of tricks and treats; plus, it's great for editing 360-degree videos, too.

Apple’s iMovie, which competes only with cross-platform free apps and Adobe Elements, is the obvious choice for the best Mac video editing software, thanks to its outstanding output, themes and trailers, macOS integration, and features that encourage good moviemaking skills. For the best free software, HitFilm Express gets the nod for its abundant cinematic capabilities and stylish interface. If you often share your videos on YouTube and other social media platforms, the free, cross-platform VideoPad is your best option.

Adobe Premiere Elements 2019

Adobe Premiere Elements continues its long reign as the overall best consumer video-editing app, with new automated features and simplified workflows for quick video editing.

CyberLink PowerDirector 16

PowerDirector 16 makes it easy to edit 360-degree videos, but there are a lot of other great features in this program, too.

Apple iMovie 10.1.8

iMovie gives Mac users an easy way to get started creating high-quality movies from videos shot on all kinds of devices.

Our Top Picks

Best Overall

Reasons to Buy

Reasons to Avoid

When it comes to user-friendliness, sophisticated features and ways to output your video, nothing beats the cross-platform Adobe Premiere Elements. For 2019, Adobe streamlined the Quick Edits interface, making it all the more easy for novices to jump in. The company's AI now creates collages and slideshows automatically, and can also trim the fat off your videos.

Best for Windows

Reasons to Buy

Reasons to Avoid

CyberLink PowerDirector offers a dazzling array of fun, advanced video editing features wrapped in a stunning, easy-to-use package. For this year, Cyberlink has beefed up its 360-degree capabilities, making it far easier to edit 360 videos.

Best for Mac

Reasons to Buy

Reasons to Avoid

Apple iMovie is the ultimate Mac video app for novice filmmakers, combining professional trailers and themes,abundant special effects and an easy-to-learn interface. Version 10.1 added 4K editing and sharing, as well as extended handling to video shot at 1080p and 60 fps. Recent updates tweaked the interface and added Touch Bar support for the latest MacBooks.
Update (June 2019): iMovie is now on version 10.1.12. Recent updates have disabled sharing videos to iMovie Theater and Facebook; you have to save your movies to iCloud Photos to watch them on other devices including Apple TV.

Best Free Video Editor

Reasons to Buy

Reasons to Avoid

The free HitFilm Express has a quirky but appealing interface and plenty of powerful features, including a new layout panel and better export tools. An optional Starter Pack ($9.99) adds even more editing options. It's good for prosumers and enthusiasts with cross-platform editing and compositing abilities, tracking options, 2D and 3D effects, speed controls, audio tools and an arsenal of instructional videos.
Update (May 2019): Hitfilm Express has been updated since our last review; improvements include new text tools, accelerated decoding of video files with Nvidia GPUs, native support for Dolby AC3 audio, and more. Stay tuned for our updated review.

Best for Beginners

Reasons to Buy

Reasons to Avoid

Corel VideoStudio, an outstanding editing package for beginners on the Windows platform, is a powerful but easy-to-learn app for anyone who wants to make simple videos quickly without fussing around with complex controls. Its spare but inviting interface offers 360-degree video editing, enhanced lens-correction tools, and 3D text editing.

Best for YouTube

Reasons to Buy

Reasons to Avoid

VideoPad is a comprehensive cross-platform software package for the YouTube social media crowd. While this app lacks the flashy, whiz-bang appeal of some commercial apps, it’s still a rock-solid choice for simple video editing. From the main menu, you can choose which social network you want to upload to. The app offers a number of YouTube choices ranging from 480p to 4K, as well as Facebook, Flickr, Dropbox and Google Drive, and is free for non-commercial use.

Best for advanced enthusiasts

Reasons to Buy

Reasons to Avoid

A powerful pro-level app, cross platform you’ll want to use a system with discrete graphics to get the most out of this editor.

The latest version of DaVinci incorporates Fusion, previously a stand-alone application, which brings with it four high-end video-production modules for editing, color correction, audio production, and video effects and motion graphics. This video editor is quite powerful, but has a bit of a learning curve. If its 256-page manual doesn't intimidate you, high-level enthusiasts will find a lot of tools at their disposal.

How We Tested

We tested more than a dozen programs — paid and free — on consumer Mac and Windows laptops for more than 100 hours, to see which are the best for editing, as well as sharing your videos with friends and family.

We evaluated all of the software based on functionality, ease of use, performance, sharing options and new features in the latest versions. We also judged the packages based on real-life uses for a number of categories, including best overall, best free app, best for beginners, best for YouTube maestros, best for Mac users and best for Windows platforms.

Free or Fee?

There’s no reason for the occasional video jockey to fork over any cash, as there are plenty of free apps available for both Windows and Mac. But while the deciding factors for free and paid software may appear to be based on cold hard cash, that’s not the whole story.

People who are looking for a more powerful editor with a variety of built-in resources, responsive technical support and more would be better off dropping some cash on a video editing program.

However, there’s a third option: You can download software such as VideoPad or HitFilm (which offer all of the basics) for free, and then purchase additional features à la carte as your experience and needs grow.

Speed

Performance results are important, but they’re not critical components of software evaluations, because depending on your hardware setup, your mileage will vary. By comparison, ease of use, interface and features carry more weight than export clock speed. Nonetheless, as a single measure among many, speed testing provides valuable comparative information.

As several of the programs on this page have been updated with newer versions since their initial review, we are currently in the process of re-testing them. At the same time, we are upgrading our testing platforms, from laptops with integrated graphics to those with discrete GPUs. This will better reflect the improvement in performance from apps that can take advantage of discrete graphics cards. Stay tuned for the results.

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Our editors independently research, test, and recommend the best products; you can learn more about our review process here. We may receive commissions on purchases made from our chosen links.

The Rundown

• Best Overall:Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K at Amazon, “Access millions of websites as well as music streaming services, podcasts, and live radio stations.”
• Best Budget:Roku Express (2017 model) at Amazon, “The latest generation corrects many of the inconveniences of earlier models, making it truly the best budget option out there.”
• Best Streaming Device with Antenna DVR:TiVO Bolt OTA at Amazon, “It allows you to record shows over the air and play them back at your convenience.”
• Best Value:Roku Stick at Amazon, “Platform agnostic and wants to give its customers all the options and it does so with gusto.”
• Best Smart Home Compatibility:Amazon Fire TV Cube at Amazon, 'A smart home and entertainment hub that follows your every voice command.'
• Best for Gamers:NVIDIA Shield at Amazon, “All the streaming TV options are just icing on the cake as the real prize is the gaming.”
• Best Features:Roku Ultra at Amazon, “A fantastic choice for streaming fans looking for the best-featured option.”
• Best Apple Device:Apple TV 4 at Best Buy, “Supports many of the same services as the Roku but adds the ability to play back content from your iTunes library.”
• Best Smart Home DVR:Fire TV Recast at Amazon, 'Watch live TV or record your favorite shows using Fire TV, Echo Show, or compatible mobile devices.'
• Best for Smartphones:Chromecast Ultra at Best Buy, “Maybe the easiest and best-designed streaming service around.”
• Runner-Up, Best for Smartphones:Google Chromecast (Newest Model) at Best Buy, “The Google Home functionality lets you control this device with your voice.”
• Best for 4K:Roku 4K at Amazon, “The addition of 2,500+ streaming channels, 4x the resolution of 1080p HD and advanced up-scaling for 720p HD TVs.”

Our Top Picks

Best Overall: Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K

The new Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K wants to upgrade your tried-and-true entertainment experience with its new streaming stick. Select from over 500,000 movies and TV shows from providers like Hulu, Netflix, STARZ, SHOWTIME, HBO, and Prime Video, and catch live TV if you have subscriptions like Playstation Vue, Sling TV, and Hulu. Users can access millions of websites like Facebook and YouTube, as well as music streaming services, podcasts, and live radio stations such as Amazon Music and Spotify. For the ultimate visual and audio experience, the stick is compatible with 4K Ultra HD, HDR, HDR10+, and Dolby Vision.

The Fire TV Stick’s latest iteration also features Amazon Alexa, which is capable of everything from helping you select what new show you should watch to controlling the lights, checking live camera feeds, and monitoring the weather. The stick features a powerful 1.7 GHz processor for rapid loading times and the addition of physical volume controls and power buttons, meaning you no longer have to deal with multiple remotes to control one device.

Best Budget: Roku Premiere

While the Roku Ultra is the current king of streaming devices, the Roku Premiere does nearly everything its big brother does but costs less than half the price, making it an especially good deal. The Roku Premiere wants to be the center of your entertainment universe, capable of streaming more than 1,000 “channels” like Netflix, Hulu, HBO Now, Amazon Video, Sling TV, and YouTube. And on top of being the unit that delivers HD shows and movies, the Roku Premiere is powerful enough to show you brilliant 4K and HDR content that will light up any 4K HDTV. The Premiere also has a 4K Spotlight channel if you want to easily find 4K movies and shows. If you want to control the box from your phone instead of the included remote, you can do that with the Roku mobile app for iOS or Android. One final and underrated thing that makes the Premiere such a good deal is the inclusion of a free HDMI cable, something people often have to buy separately.

Best Streaming Device with Antenna DVR: TiVO Bolt OTA

If you’ve “cut the cord” on your cable service and switched over to streaming services only, you may realize you miss some of the programming from over-the-air channels like ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, PBS, and The CW — there are a lot of great shows and sporting events on these channels that you can watch for free. TiVO has provided a solution for this. If you purchase a digital antenna and a TiVO Bolt OTA, you can record shows over the air and play them back at your convenience.

The TiVO Bolt OTA acts as a digital DVR for all the shows you watch from free channels. It has 1 TB of memory and can record up to 150 hours of HD content. The Bolt OTA can also stream shows from services like Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video, and YouTube if you feel like using only one device for everything. Unlike most other boxes in this category, the Bolt OTA requires you to buy the box for $250 and then pay for the TiVO service to get the most out of it. This will run you $7 a month, $70 annually, or a one-time payment of $250. This pricing is a little steep, but if you love network shows and live sports, it very well may be worth it to supplement your other streaming services.

Best Value: Roku Stick

The Roku stick has a powerful quad-core processor and dual-band wireless that provides up to 8x more processing power than ever before. The usual suspects are here with Netflix, VUDU, Amazon, Google Play and more.

Unlike Chromecast and Apple TV, Roku is platform agnostic and wants to give its customers all the options and it does so with gusto. We’d love to see 4K support, but that’s a sacrifice we can make thanks to the superb IR-ready remote control, excellent companion app for Android and iOS and hundreds of apps and services. In fact, the only big name missing here is iTunes and unsurprisingly, you won’t find iTunes anywhere other than an Apple-manufactured product. You might miss out on expandable storage but, again, aspects like best-in-class search allows us to overlook some of the Roku Stick drawbacks.

There are some additional downsides, like the fact that not every included streaming app is up to date with its most recent UX changes or that its HDMI-only which is bad news for older TV owners. Also, we’d love to see Roku do something about an average 2 minute and 52 second startup time. However, thanks to its selection of streaming content, a fast and incredibly responsive interface and cross-service search, the Roku Stick is an easy choice for one of our favorite streaming TV devices.

Best Smart Home Compatibility: Amazon Fire TV Cube

Amazon’s Fire TV Cube hopes to replace the TV remote entirely. A combination of the Echo speaker and Fire TV stick, it will be your new smart home and entertainment hub that follows your every voice command. And as with most of Amazon's other branded devices, you can use the Alexa assistant to control your TV, cable box, soundbar or other audio equipment. If you want to turn on the TV, just say “Alexa, turn on the TV.” Ask it to play your favorite shows or music, too. Even the volume can be controlled through voice commands.

Amazon's Fire entertainment hub gives you instant access to all your favorite streaming services like Prime Video, Netflix, HBO, Showtime and more. All totaled, there are more than 500,00 movies and TV episodes. That includes a large number of 4K Ultra HD-ready content that streams at a super-smooth 60fps. The Fire TV Cube also gives you direct access to YouTube, Facebook, and more with two built-in web browsers.

Want to take a look at some other options? See our guide to the best Amazon devices.

Best for Gamers: NVIDIA Shield

If it’s gaming you really want, the NVIDIA Shield is your Android TV streamer of choice. Rather than the more expansive and feature-rich options like the Xbox One or Playstation 4, the Shield is a happy medium between a gaming device and full TV streamer. While it’s pricey, it does come with 16GB of internal storage and performance that’s 3x faster than the Apple TV, 10x faster than the Roku 4 and 4x faster than the Fire TV. There’s no shortage of entertainment prospects here including Netflix, HULU, YouTube, ESPN, Showtime, Disney, Kodi, HBO, etc. Pick up the additional remote and say things like “Oscar-winning movies” or “Launch Netflix” and Google’s advanced voice commands will find exactly what you’re looking for. Although one notably absent service is Amazon’s Prime Video.

All the streaming TV options are just icing on the cake as the real prize is the gaming. Capable of streaming new and classic PC games from the cloud via GeForce NOW alongside a host of Android and SHIELD-exclusive gaming options, there’s everything from family favorites, indie hits to the biggest names in mobile gaming. Realistically, it’ll run gaming circles around the Apple TV or Amazon’s Fire TV but it’s still not a dedicated replacement for a game console. Included is a game controller which also functions as the main way to search.

Setup is relatively easy with Android TV and the Shield is no exception. Choose a language, Wi-Fi password, account log-in and you’re off. The Shield handles all OS and app updates behind the scenes leaving you to enjoy the fruits of technology.

Best Features: Roku Ultra

Roku’s new flagship, the Ultra is a fantastic choice for streaming fans looking for the best-featured option. At 4.9 x 4.9 x .8 inches, the square-ish Ultra is capable of supporting both 4K and HDR picture quality with a powerful quad-core processor. The 4K Ultra HD streaming is handled at 60fps, or four times the resolution of 1080p HD, and, thanks to a new design, runs without fans. There’s an HDMI port, Ethernet port (plus 802.11 a/c), digital output, microSD slot for additional storage and a USB port. Unfortunately, there’s no HDMI cable included, which is a strange omission.

Thanks to a powerful processor, navigating Roku’s already friendly menu system is a cinch. Channel selection is front and center and shows apps that have been downloaded. The Ultra, like a number of other Roku devices, offers voice search, which works fairly well overall. Speak the name of the show, actor, director or app into the remote control or mobile app (Android and iOS) and voila, your results will pop up. The remote is standard Roku fashion with the colorful Purple direction pad and a slew of shortcuts to big name apps and other controlling functions.

There is a 4K spotlight app that highlights UHD content across a variety of services. Night mode is a welcome addition that tones down big explosions and highlights dialogue so you can let the rest of the house sleep while you watch late at night. The combination of the new processor, 4K and HDR streaming, plus one of the most expansive channel selections, means the Ultra won't disappoint.

Best Apple Device: Apple TV 4

Apple TV 4 is a smaller, more expensive unit but retains the polished interface that has made Apple’s products some of the best-selling devices. The 1.66-ounce unit features incredible voice search from Siri, an excellent selection of apps and AirPlay for unsupported apps. Apple TV supports many of the same services as the Roku but adds the ability to play back content from your iTunes library. Throw in mirroring from your iPhone, iPad or Macbook through AirPlay and you’ve got a whole lot of possibilities.

Still, not everything is perfect as anyone not tied into Apple’s ecosystem won’t see the full value of the Apple TV. Given the cost, there’s little question this streaming TV device is only good for those completely sold on Apple’s closed ecosystem. Of 6,000+ native apps on the Apple TV now, 1,300 are for streaming video. Siri voice search does well, but its app limitation is an annoyance given how well Roku has performed this function at a cheaper cost. One particular note is that most buyers should be more than satisfied with the less expensive 32GB model rather than the 64GB model. Unless you’re looking to use the Apple TV as a heavy gaming machine, the smaller memory learns how to free up space on its own to allow for the introduction of new apps.

The lack of first-run content from other sources like Google Play is a notable omission, but hardly a surprise in today’s Apple vs Android world. Considering that most first-run content is available on each platform (save for some exclusives), it’s not a deal breaker.

Best Smart Home DVR: Fire TV Recast

With the Fire TV Recast, you’re able to watch live TV or record your favorite shows using Fire TV, Echo Show, or compatible mobile devices. Amazon’s first step into the future of entertainment, the Recast gives you access to over-the-air (OTA) channels, works with Prime Videos, and provides access to premium subscription services like HBO, Starz, and Showtime. Though a separate HD antenna is necessary to access OTA channels, the Fire TV mobile app helps you set it up in a spot with the best possible reception.

The entry-level, two-tuner Recast lets you record and watch up to two programs at once, and is able to store up to 75 hours of HD DVR recordings. Upgrading to the four-tuner, 1TB model will introduce the option to store up to 150 hours. Pair the Recast with an Alexa-enabled device to search for shows, change channels, browse, or schedule recordings, all with just a voice command.

Best for Smartphones: Chromecast Ultra

Google’s taking the “if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it” saying and throwing it right out the window by taking the already impressive Google Chromecast and making it even better. The Chromecast Ultra now offers streaming in 4K Ultra HD and HDR with additional speed boosts to handle the more intense quality. Like its predecessors, the Chromecast Ultra plugs right into your TV’s HDMI port and works with the iPhone, iPad, Android devices and laptops with thousands of Cast-enabled apps.

Google’s Chromecast supports more than 200,000 TV shows and movies, plus 30 million songs, radio, sports, games and more. While it’s arguable that options like the Roku are more feature-rich, Google’s Chromecast Ultra may be the easiest and best-designed streaming service around.

The inclusion of an Ethernet adapter will assist homes and Internet connections that might not already be optimized and ready to take advantage of 4K streaming. Chromecast users will find the ability to mirror websites right on the TV, as well as mirror their smartphone. Power is supported through a microUSB connection that can go right into any power outlet, while HDMI plugs right into the TV.

Runner-Up, Best for Smartphones: Google Chromecast (Newest Model)

If you’ve used a Chromecast before, you know basically what you’re getting into: a dongle-like device that plugs into your display or TV to which you can “beam” content from your smartphone using the Google Home app. Ostensibly, new generations of Chromecast basically just step up quality of use for the most part. The latest generation comes in either chalk or charcoal, so you can choose the one that best blends into your home entertainment setup. The resolution on the latest unit is 1080p at 60fps, which should do just fine for most modern displays — it is important to note that if you’re looking for a higher 4K resolution, you’ll need to look at the Chromecast Ultra.

This unit supports Wi-Fi at the 802.11ac (2.4GHz or 5 GHz), with that second band being a bit of an upgrade from a lot of low-level wireless devices. There is also improved Google Home functionality, letting you control this device with your voice and other Google integrations if you already have a Google Home Mini.

Best for 4K: Roku 4K

Best Video Player For Mac

Unlike most of its competition that strive for 1080p quality, the Roku 4 truly takes quality to another level. The addition of 2,500+ streaming channels, 4x the resolution of 1080p HD and advanced up-scaling for 720p HD TVs all seal the Roku 4’s place as a winner in our book. Capable of working with any TV with an HDMI connection, 4K streaming is limited to TVs that are already 4K UHD ready which isn’t as popular as 1080p models but expect that to change dramatically in the next few years.

One notable drawback is that the Roku 4 only supports HDMI 2.0, not HDMI 2.0a, which might not seem like a big detail today, but it could be in the future when additional support for high-dynamic streaming content is added. The Roku 4 matches its Stick companion in responsiveness and ease-of-use and we love the addition of quick-access buttons for both Netflix and Sling. All the major players are available through Roku including Netflix, Twitch, YouTube, Amazon, and Hulu. Want to stream photos, music and videos stored on your smartphone directly to the Roku 4? You’re just one app download away from yet another wonderful benefit of owning a Roku.

Tested by

How We Tested

We bought six top-rated devices for streaming TV and our reviewers spent more than 50 hours testing them. We asked our testers to consider the most important features when using these devices, from their connectivity to their display quality. We’ve outlined the key takeaways here so that you, too, know what to look for when shopping.

What to Look for in a Device for Streaming TV

4K resolution - If you have a 4K television, and a fast internet connection, then a television streaming device that supports 4K is the perfect way to watch ultra-high-definition content. If you don’t have a 4K television yet, then getting a streaming device with 4K resolution will future proof your setup.

Ethernet connectivity - Streaming devices typically connect to the internet via Wi-Fi, but plugging in a physical Ethernet cable is much more dependable. If you want to avoid annoyances like buffering, make sure that you have the option to use Ethernet when you really need it. Some TV streaming devices have an optional Ethernet adapter for just this reason.

App availability - Most TV-streaming devices support most video streaming services, but don’t take it for granted that this will always be the case. If you already subscribe to any streaming services, make sure that the streaming device you choose actually has apps for them.

1Test Results: Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K (Best Overall)

What We Like

• Fast performance

• Great streaming quality

• Few cords involved

• 4K and HDR

What We Don't Like

• No YouTube app available

• User interface can feel cluttered

Our tester thought this device was a truly excellent value: “Both the picture quality and streaming performance are really solid and consistent,” she said. “It's also such a powerful product given its small size. Plus, the lack of cords and equipment is attractive to people who want to minimize the number of entertainment devices they need.” The downsides? “It’s overloaded with content and a little frustrating to navigate,” she said. “And even though it’s an Amazon product, I think there's way too much front-loading of Prime content.” Lastly, she wished it was possible to rearrange the order of apps and channels.

Test Results: Roku Premiere (Best Budget)

What We Don't Like

• No power or volume buttons on remote

• No voice controls

• Sluggish at times

• Fuzzy picture quality

“I really like the slim profile of this device,” said our tester. “It has an appeal over other streaming devices that are like big black blocks.” She also liked having the option to stream 4K HDR content—especially for the price—and felt this device was very easy to use. On the other hand, she noted that its picture quality “wasn’t good or great consistently” and that there was “some sluggishness when trying to select items or move in and out of menus or apps.” Lastly, she noted its lack of support for 5Ghz bandwidth: “I do think that ultimately made the difference in the spotty picture and responsiveness,” she said.

Test Results: TiVO Bolt OTA (Best Streaming Device with Antenna DVR)

What We Like

Best Media Player For Mac

• Easy to navigate

• Convenient guide feature

• High picture quality for live TV

What We Don't Like

• Lengthy setup

• Poorer picture quality for recorded TV

“I really like the ease of toggling between live TV, Hulu, and Netflix at the push of a button,” one of our reviewers said of the TiVO Bolt OTA. In addition to how easy it was to use, our testers liked the high display quality when watching live TV. According to one of our reviewers, the helpful guide for upcoming shows was also a standout feature: “This is something I was not able to previously see by just using an antenna,” he explained. In terms of negatives, one of our reviewers cautioned that the display quality went down when watching recorded TV and also noted the bulkiness of the device.

Test Results: Roku Stick (Best Value)

What We Like

• Small and portable

• Minimal cords involved

• Supports voice controls

What We Don't Like

• Initial setup can be buggy

• Streaming stick can overheat

• No mute button on the remote

• Some lags in performance

Our tester really liked this product’s small size and intuitive interface: “It's not overwhelming, which complements the low-maintenance appeal of the streaming stick,” she said. Its voice assistant was another plus: “It’s pretty handy for searching for specific movies or actors,” she said. “The way that the search results appear—listing the app, channel, and price—is also very convenient.” In terms of negatives, she thought that the stick itself verged on too warm. She also experienced lag with the remote: 'This was frustrating, especially given that it happened even when I was simply trying to move around on the Roku home page,” she explained. She also pointed out that there was no mute button on the remote.

Test Results: Amazon Fire TV Cube (Best Smart Home Compatibility)

What We Like

• Hands-free usage

• Smart-home integration

• Sharp picture quality

What We Don't Like

• No HDMI cord included

• Voice commands not always intuitive

“The Fire TV Cube is pretty lightning-fast, no matter what you ask it to do,” raved our tester. She also said it delivered great picture quality (across apps and channels) and that she liked its design: “The cube itself has sort of a magical quality to it,” she said, “and the hands-free capability really distinguishes this streaming experience from others.” One criticism she had of the hands-free technology, however, was relying on Alexa: “This can be frustrating and inconsistent,” she said. “If that could be ironed out a bit more, it wouldn't take away from what's arguably the biggest feature of this device.” She also felt “bombarded” by Prime content frequently, and wished the device came with an HDMI cord.

Test Results: NVIDIA Shield (Best for Gamers)

Best Dvd Player For Mac

What We Like

Free Video Players For Mac

• Sleek design

• Generous memory

• Streams all sorts of media

• Smart-home compatible

What We Don't Like

• Console scratches easily

• Remote is prone to smudging

• No incremental volume controls

• No power button on remote or controller

Best Free Video Player For Mac 2018

Our tester thought that the build quality of this device reflected its price tag: “All the equipment feels and looks substantial,” she said. She also thought that its user interface was “very intuitive and streamlined” and that it “doesn't feel bloated with content.” Another highlight was that everything “loaded quickly and sharply.” On the other hand, although she thought the remote control was “sleek,” she reported it was “way too prone to picking up oils from hands.” A second ding against the remote, she said, was the volume feature: “The swipe action is a nice and sort of fun touch, but not having actual volume controls makes it difficult to incrementally lower or raise the sound level,” she said.