A few years ago, the task of a television was still clearly described: To receive a current television program, had a antenna. satellite dishor cables are connected. In addition, only external players such as DVD or Blu-ray players and game consoles could be used. New possibilities: Video streaming at any time Today, the TV set is increasingly linked to the Internet: Fast lines enable streaming in HD quality. It is no longer necessary to watch the TV program live – the media libraries of many channels allow the playback of most broadcasts at any time. Hollywood blockbusters no longer need to be lent from the video library, with video-on-demand virtually every movie available. TV stick as an alternative to Smart TVTo use this streaming, there are basically two variants available: On the one hand it is possible to use one TVto buy with so-called Smart TV. Here you can install apps that allow streaming. The disadvantage: A smart TV is noticeably more expensive, and many systems of the manufacturers do not work satisfactorily. Crashes, tough operation and missing apps spoil the fun of the new TV experience, especially for low-cost devices. Small computer on the home TV Here are so-called TV sticks interesting. Connected to the HDMI socket of the TV, it is almost a small computer. The computing power is not high, but no annoying fan is needed. In addition, the power consumption is low. Although most TV sticks are not expensive, the functionality is high: In addition to the already mentioned streaming often own storage media can be connected, for example, to watch vacation photos on the TV. Furthermore, it is possible, for example, to access the cloud and view media directly from there – annoying handling with an additional USB stickis omitted. Even small games can be played with most TV sticks. The internet connection receives one TV stick very easy and uncomplicated via WLAN. Fire TV Stick One of the most popular products, especially in the lower price segment, is the „Fire TV Stick“ from Amazon. Already equipped with a wireless remote control, the stick can be put into operation immediately without any additional accessories. Installed is a customized version of the Android operating system. Operation is easy, but the selection of apps is somewhat limited. For the media libraries of public broadcasters, Netflix and of course Prime Instant Video, the stick is perfectly adequate. For a small extra charge, the Fire TV Stick can also be ordered with a voice remote control. Then film titles no longer have to be laboriously per remote Controlbe entered by voice response, the stick finds the right film or the desired series. Mini PCon a Stick An interesting alternative is the „Mini PC on a Stick“. Noticeably more expensive than the Fire TV stick is the operating system on this product Windows 10Installed. In principle, there are much more extensive uses: Any application that you know from the Windows laptop or desktop can be installed. Via Bluetooth or the full USB port you can use accessories like a mouse and keyboardconnect. Thus, the TV can thus be converted into a full-fledged living room PC. However, it should be noted that the technical possibilities are limited: The processor is an Intel Atom quad-core with a clock frequency of 1.8 GHz used, the 2 GB of RAM are available. The storage space of 32 GB can be extended by micro SD card. This hardware configuration is sufficient for surfing the Internet and all multimedia applications, but the configuration is hardly enough for sophisticated software. Android 4.2 Mini PCSignificantly cheaper is the so-called „Android 4.2 Mini PC“. Here comes, as the name suggests, the already somewhat outdated operating system Android 4.2 used. The quad-core CPU is supported by 2 GB of RAM, but the internal memory is only a bit meager 8 GB. However, as with the previous model, the memory can be expanded via micro SD card. The users of this stick appreciate the universality: Virtually every app that comes from the Smartphoneis known, can also be found on this TV stick use. Prerequisite here, however, is the additional purchase of an input device such as a keyboard or at least one mouse. The connection is also possible here via USB as well as via Bluetooth.