Tom's Guide

If Apple does come out with a new Apple TV, it will be the first update to the product line in two years. Apple's rivals have been hard at work updating their streaming boxes in that time, so it's no wonder that Apple TV now lags behind the competition. A Parks Associates report released this week puts Apple fourth in the streaming media player market, with a 15 percent share. Roku dominates with 37 percent of the market, and even the Google Chromecast and Amazon Fire TV are loo ...read more

However, most of these networks also need a "primary" device that serves as a network controller. If the primary device drops out of service, another device can often take over. Interfaces with smartphones or tablets can be handled by hubs, commercially available devices that are often compatible with two or more of these standards, as well as with Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.

"You have to have a hub to connect with the home network" for most of these protocols, said Tom Kerber, dire ...read more