


Should you buy a "smart TV" to watch, say, Netflix ? Or should you make an older TV "smart" by attaching a box that includes Netflix? Or should you buy an adapter and just beam Netflix wirelessly from your smartphone or tablet? And then, should you stream a movie or download it? Do you have to pay to get TV shows and movies from the Internet, or can you get them for free?

There's no one right answer for everyone, or every situation. To help sort out the choices, here's a primer for watching Internet video on a TV, legally. This isn't a review of any one product and it's aimed at average, non-techie consumers. Techies reading this won't find some of the more obscure products and methods. I've also chosen to omit the oldest, but most complex, method—hooking up a PC to a TV using cables. That's so 2008.

Streaming vs. Beaming vs. Downloading

First, let's sort out some confusing terms. Downloading, the method used by Apple's iTunes, usually means you are buying or renting a show or movie individually and typically storing it on your device. Streaming, used by services like YouTube or Netflix, generally means you aren't buying a program or film, but are watching it as it flows from the company's servers. Beaming simply means you're streaming the video from a smartphone, tablet or PC to the TV, usually via an adapter device plugged into the TV.

But when watching Internet video on a TV, it isn't that simple. If you're using iTunes on an Apple TV, you're downloading the movie or show to your Apple cloud-based storage, not to the device itself. And after a short amount of downloading, the device allows you to start watching, which is essentially the same as streaming.


To you, the viewer, the experience on the TV screen is pretty much the same. So don't be put off by the terminology.

What's Free and What's Not



Apple's iTunes, as noted, charges for shows and movies individually. Amazon's Instant Video offers many free streaming shows and movies to members of its $79-a-year Prime service but also sells shows and movies individually.

Smart TVs



Pros: You don't need an add-on device and you don't need to change inputs on your TV to watch Internet video. LG offers Google TV, which includes lots of Android apps.


Game Consoles

Many people don't know that Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation also have many entertainment offerings for users who belong to their online gaming networks.

Xbox 360: The Microsoft game console has many entertainment options. Microsoft

Pros: Lots of homes already have them for gaming.

Cons: They are larger than add-on boxes and with Xbox, you have to pay $60 a year for the gaming network in addition to fees the Internet-entertainment services charge.


Best known for pioneering digital recording of standard TV shows, TiVo is mainly a cable box that's a premium alternative to the boxes provided by cable providers. But many users don't know it also offers Internet TV services like Netflix, YouTube, Amazon and Hulu Plus.

TiVo: Many users don't realize TiVo offers Internet TV services such as Netflix, YouTube, Amazon and Hulu Plus. TiVo

Pros: It has a slick interface and combines a cable box and Internet TV, so you don't have to change TV inputs.


Apple TV


Apple TV: It's the only option with iTunes and the company's cloud services. Apple

Pros: It is the only contender with iTunes, integrates with Apple's photo and music cloud services, features all three methods of getting Internet video on your TV—downloading, streaming and beaming from Apple devices.




Roku: It comes in four models and has 750 Internet services. Roku


Cons: It lacks YouTube, and can't yet beam video from a mobile device.




Cons: It only gets beamed content from other devices and has no built-in services. It only works with four services on Android, two on iPhones and iPads, and the Chrome browser on PCs. There's no remote so you must have a mobile device to use it.

WD TV Play





Bottom Line

With all these choices, there's no excuse not to start watching.

—Email mossberg@wsj.com. You can find Mossberg's Mailbox, and my other columns at the All Things Digital website, walt.allthingsd.com.