The Apple TV app on Fire TV (left) and Roku. David Katzmaier/CNET Apple has its own app for streaming TV shows and movies, and in typical Apple fashion the name is dead simple: It's called the TV app. Outside of the Firestick/Fire TV, Disney Plus is available as an app for installation on Roku, Android Box, TiVo Stream 4K, phones, tablets, Apple TV, PS4, Xbox One, and much more. For more information on Disney Plus and how to install both the Firestick app and Kodi addon, refer to our guides below. Shop for Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick apps or start with a category like Games, Music, or Entertainment. Featured Fire TV Apps Recommended New Fire TV Apps & Games See more.
If you've cut cable TV out of your life, you probably spend a ton of time on streaming services.
TV manufacturers like Samsung and Vizio know this and have started packing their latest releases with built-in streaming apps. Convenient, but better in theory than in practice.
There are plenty of reasons not to rely on the all-too-convenient streaming apps that appear as soon as you turn on your smart TV. You may not want to hear this after spending hundreds of dollars (at least) on a shiny new living room display, but you should really shell out for a streaming device.
Even if it's something on the cheaper end of the spectrum like a Roku Stick or a Fire TV Stick, you are likely to have a better streaming experience than you would by relying on what's built into your TV.
Life in slow motion
The number one thing you've probably noticed if you've ever relied on a smart TV's native streaming interface is just how slow they can be. Trying to navigate from one menu item to the next is practically glacial; you can feel yourself aging as you try to figure out the best place to watch that Marvel movie you forgot to see in theaters.
I swear I'll get to Captain Marvel eventually.
Anyway, this is a real problem with smart TVs. I reviewed Vizio's newest M-Series Quantum set earlier this summer and it really put a damper on the experience. The menus were well laid out and actually streaming things was fine, but getting there was a massive chore.
![Fire tv app crashes Fire tv app crashes](/uploads/1/3/3/4/133401773/538961671.jpg)
The hardware powering an Apple TV or Roku is most likely going to be more powerful than the processor inside a smart TV. In addition, smart TVs can become outdated quickly. So can streaming devices, but they're cheaper to replace on a regular basis.
Keeping up with the Joneses
Sadly, the smart TV version of Netflix, Hulu, or any other streaming service app might not be the latest release with every new feature. Netflix, for instance, offers HDR support through Dolby Vision or HDR10 on a host of devices, including PlayStation 4 Pro, Xbox One S and X, Chromecast Ultra, and so on.
That feature is available on some smart TVs, but not all. The same goes for Hulu's Live TV feature, which is available on 'select models' of smart TVs from various manufacturers, but also available on pretty much any recent streaming device.
Instead of worrying about whether or not your TV can support the latest version of each app, you might as well cut out those headaches by just getting a streaming device. According to a 2016 Forbes interview with a TCL executive, app makers are much more likely to support their apps on a handful of popular devices than do it for every model of TV under the sun.
Smart TVs are creepy
One of the inevitable realities of connecting any device to the internet is that it's probably tracking what you're doing to sell things to you. The world is a cold, bitter, and cynical place like that.
Smart TVs are no exception. Once you connect your shiny new TV to a network, there's a good chance it's tracking your activity, so it knows which shows to advertise to you.
Seriously, there are already enough ads on TV. We don't need to see them on the main menu.
As The New York Times pointed out last year, the easiest way to turn tracking off might be to never turn it on. If you just don't connect your TV to the internet, it's a lot harder for it to track what you're doing.
Since streaming devices are also connected to the internet and made by companies that want to make a profit, there are privacy concerns with them, too.
The good news is you can research the privacy protections that come with each individual streaming device. If you don't like what one device does with your data, just use another. Problem solved.
Between the performance and privacy issues, and delayed feature updates, it's hard to make a case for relying on a smart TV's native apps.
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- YouTube TV is available nationwide in over 99.5% of households in the United States.Enter your 5-digit ZIP code in the 'Channels' section of tv.youtube.com/ for a full list of your area’s channel lineup.
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- YouTube TV is available on many supported devices. Our goal is to let you watch YouTube TV anywhere, on any device and platform, and we’re always working to add more.Watch on mobile devices:
Smartphones and tablets running Android L or later
iPhone and iPad devices running iOS 11 or later
Download the YouTube TV app in your device’s app store by searching 'YouTube TV'.Watch on computers:
Watch directly on the web at tv.youtube.com/
For the best YouTube TV viewing experience, download the latest version of Chrome or Firefox.Watch on TVs with streaming media players, smart TVs, and game consoles:Download the YouTube TV app on select devices by searching “YouTube TV” in your device’s app store. Supported devices include select Amazon Fire TV devices, Roku players and TVs, Apple TV and Apple TV 4K, Vizio SmartCast TVs, Samsung & LG smart TVs, HiSense TVs, Xbox One, and more. Additional info.Stream YouTube TV to your TV using Google Chromecast, TVs with Chromecast built-in like Android TV, AirPlay for Apple TV, or Google Smart Displays. - YouTube TV lets you stream live & local sports, news, shows from 85+ channels including ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, ESPN, HGTV, TNT, and more. Local and regional programming is also provided with YouTube TV, offering complete local network coverage in over 98% of US TV households. Enter your 5-digit ZIP code in the above “Channels” section for a full list of your area’s channel lineup.Movies and many recent shows are also provided by networks on-demand. Premium add-on networks are also available for an additional monthly charge including Fox Soccer Plus, SHOWTIME, STARZ and more.
- Many networks provide recent episodes of shows, movies, and more on-demand.
- Yes, many of the TV networks we offer have ads.When YouTube videos are shown on YouTube TV, the majority of the ad revenue from them will support the creators of those videos.
- Live TV: Like with traditional TV, you can't fast forward through ads while watching live TV. However, if you pause a show, you can fast forward until you catch up to the live version of the program.DVR: You can record a program by adding it to your Library. This means that all airings- including upcoming airings and reruns- will be recorded automatically. You can typically fast forward through ads on recorded programs once they've aired on live TV.Video on demand: Many networks provide recent episodes of shows, movies, and more on demand. If you've recorded a program that's available on demand at the time you're watching, in some cases the on demand version will be played back instead of your recording. You typically cannot fast-forward through video on demand ads.YouTube videos: If you're a YouTube Premium member, you won't see ads on any YouTube videos in YouTube TV. If you’re not a YouTube Premium member, you will see ads on YouTube videos, which allows us to support the creators of those videos.
- What's the difference between YouTube TV and YouTube Premium?YouTube TV is a live TV streaming service with major broadcast and popular cable networks. YouTube Premium, gives you YouTube and YouTube Music ad-free, offline, and in the background.YouTube Premium isn’t included in your YouTube TV membership. However, if you are a YouTube Premium member, you can watch YouTube content (including YouTube Originals) on YouTube TV without ads.
- Contact us or visit the YouTube TV Help Center.