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If you're an Apple lifer and enjoy the seamlessness of its cross-device ecosystem, the Apple TV 4K still has a lot to offer, even at its now very high new price. You'll also struggle to find a more impressive picture on any rival media streamer. Whether all that is worth $200 is up to you, but there's no doubt that after the recent price hike you can pick up a comparable device for a lot less. Apple devices usually come at a premium, but in the case of the Apple TV 4K, it's now a pretty huge one.

Devindra Hardawar for Engadget To be clear, there remains a lot to like about the Apple TV 4K. When Engadget's Devindra Hardawar reviewed the most recent version of Apple's streaming box back in 2022, he called it the best of its kind "by a long shot." It also ranks as the "best premium streaming device" in our buying guide of the best streaming devices. Everything that was great about the Apple TV 4K in 2022 remains good now. It supports all the major HDR formats, including Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos sound, and pumps out a picture that looks really quite fantastic, whatever you're watching.

Apple Your streamer options extend well beyond the big three, with the likes of Roku also offering a variety of devices, from budget-friendly sticks to premium options like the Roku Ultra 2024. At $100, it's yet another alternative pick that is now half the price of the Apple TV 4K, despite having a very similar spec sheet. And then you have the left-field options, like the NVIDIA Shield Android TV Pro. While targeted as much at gamers as at cinephiles, and saddled with the slightly outdated Android TV, a lot of people still swear by the Shield TV Pro as an all-round media-streaming powerhouse