Previously on Cord Cutter Weekly …

Nothing’s more important than app selection when you’re shopping for a streaming TV device. Without access to the streaming services you require, it doesn’t matter what kind of fancy features are included in the box.

With HDMI-CEC, streaming boxes such as Apple TV and Roku can control your television’s power, volume, and input, making additional remotes unnecessary.

Apple’s $150 streaming box isn’t a bad product, but it faces the same fundamental challenge as other streaming boxes: With so many apps competing for users’ attention, managing and sorting through them all can be a chore.

AT&T made some waves this week when it announced that its upcoming DirecTV Now streaming bundle would cost just $35 per month for 100 channels. Still, AT&T won’t be alone in trying to bring more TV bundles to the Internet.

As online video transitions from “skinny” bundles to more standalone streaming services, you might wish for a way to bundle them all under one bill—kind of like you did with cable. Streaming platforms from Apple, Amazon, Google, and Roku are best-suited for this new type of bundling.

The Roku Express is currently the cheapest streaming device on the market at just $30. Unfortunately, it makes several compromises to get there, including a sluggish processor, no dual-band Wi-Fi, and an IR remote that requires line-of-sight to the box.

It turns out some folks at Roku read last week’s column about how the quality of its streaming video apps is falling behind other platforms.

Roku is no longer the primary destination for some major content providers such as PlayStation Vue and Twitter, and when those providers do get around to supporting Roku, the quality of their apps doesn’t match other platforms.

One of the best things about ad-free streaming services such as Amazon Video and Netflix is that there’s no friction when you sit down on the couch. Just hit play, and the video you’ve selected launches without interruption. At least that’s how it’s supposed to work.

Although Amazon’s Fire TV has the makings of a great streaming device, it’s always been way too emphatic about pushing Amazon content. A recent software update for Fire TV moves things in the right direction.