The original article is great to look at for further discussion in the comments.
For most people we would suggest grabbing a MXQ box > http://10ws.co/1IHVKYL or Mobie Dazzle > http://10ws.co/1IHZObr
However here are the other options available and it will depend on how you store your video content
► Google Chromecast (currently on offer at £19, normally £35)
http://10ws.co/1M85bYH (no subscription + free movie)
Cast or TabCast allows you to stream pretty much most content from a web browser to your Chromecast.
No real native support for apps but as above it doesn’t really matter. Only issue is the tech is a couple of years old now and we expect an updated version soon.
► NowTV box (from Sky)
Access to NowTv streaming but no Netflix support. Great budget device at between £9.99-£14.99.
Ideal if you want legit Sky Sports Streaming
Note: the newer black 2015 version launches August 6th 2015 and replaces the 2013 model
http://10ws.co/1hjMLHA or http://10ws.co/1hjMKDo
↪ learn more about making the older model better > http://10ws.co/1II0myc
► Amazon Fire Tv Stick £35 (most recent tech)
http://amzn.to/1BbKKR7
↪ very similar features to the £79 bigger brother which gives better RAM + processor > http://amzn.to/1hjL3G2
Anyway both are great for anyone who has Amazon content or Amazon Prime as they took over all of Lovefilm content, ideal for travellers who use hotel wifi (due to captive-portal) + most importantly anyone that wants to stream content from their computers (due to Plex support). Also natively supports Netflix. The best for gaming (although certainly isn’t going to replace your PS4 etc). Annoyingly Amazon content is quite heavily pushed down your throats!
► Apple TV – ideal for anyone with an iOS device (£49)
http://amzn.to/1hjMaFy
If you own tons of iTunes content this is for you. If you have other movie files then look at the Amazon Fire or MXQ due to Plex/Kodi support. If you have iOS + want Netflix support go for this. AirPlay is great for any Mac / iOS users. Quite restrictive in the other apps etc you can access. In fact we only ever use AirPlay to stream content (mostly YouTube / funny videos we filmed on our iPhones etc) but it’s always been a favourite and easy to use. We expect a newer version soon but at £49 it’s still worth it.
► Roku 2 (2015 version) – Very good at Plex support but no Amazon Video support and not the best Netflix support. Not super popular which is a shame as they’re very nippy boxes but the price & brand seems to put off some people, especially when you compare it with the similar spec’d NowTv boxes (which Roku actually manufacture)
http://amzn.to/1IHXLEv
► MXQ ‘Android’ box – think of this as a tablet computer that uses your TV as it’s main screen, in other words VERY versatile + TONS of options for content! In fact we would grab one of these alongside any of the other boxes above
http://10ws.co/1IHVKYL or Mobie Dazzle > http://10ws.co/1IHZObr
These come fully loaded with tons of software (including KODI/XBMC) which has tons of add ons.
Some boxes also claim to be able to stream Sky Digital however you will have to check the legality of any claims.