Tom’s Guide Awards 2024: Our favorite streaming devices, services and shows of the year
Streaming entertainment is so ubiquitous that most of the popular movies and TV shows anyone talks about these days can be streamed. Streaming hasn’t killed monoculture; it is monoculture.
With a smart TV or a streaming device, you can tap into thousands (millions?) of hours of library content ranging from classic black-and-white series from the 1950s to blockbuster films that were playing in theaters just a few months ago. You can cut the cord on cable and still watch your favorite sports teams live. And you won’t be left out in the digital water cooler that is social media when everybody’s buzzing about the latest season of that hit drama or comedy.
We’ve taken stock of all the streaming devices, services and content available this year and chosen the best of the (big) bunch. For all of this year’s winners see our complete list of winners of the Tom’s Guide Awards 2024.
Best streaming device
Best streaming device: Roku Streaming Stick 4K+
New doesn’t automatically mean better. While cheap streaming devices have flooded the market in the last year, we still prefer the tried-and-true Roku Streaming Stick 4K+. While it’s a few years old, it still delivers fast performance, HD-quality video, crisp audio and a rechargeable remote at the very affordable price of under $50. When it’s on sale, which is often, it’s an even better deal.
Roku has an easy-to-use interface that may not be as elegant as Apple TV 4K (2022), but is certainly more tolerable than the ad-cluttered navigation of Fire TV Sticks. Back to the remote, we appreciate the Roku Voice Remote’s sleek but still substantial form factor and the rechargeable battery. The Roku Streaming Stick 4K+ is so reliable, I even travel with mine!
Best streaming service
Best streaming service: Max
For the third year in a row, we’re picking Max as our favorite streaming service. We rated it No. 1 among the best streaming services even after its stupid name change. The addition of a boatload of Discovery content only broadened the already expansive library.
We’ll be honest, though — Max had us at prestige HBO shows and Warner Bros. blockbusters. There’s no way we would miss out on Sunday night viewings of “The Last of Us,” “House of the Dragon” or “The White Lotus,” or access to movies like “Barbie” or Dune: Part Two.” Max remains the streamer that best combines quality and quantity.
Best live TV streaming service
Best live TV streaming service: Sling TV
As you can probably tell from our awards winners this year, we’re not inclined to change something that works. For the third year in a row, Sling is our choice for the best live TV streaming service. I personally cut the cord on cable with the help of Sling several years ago and I still use it to this day. It’s the most affordable live TV service with a decent channel lineup.
While Sling may not be as comprehensive as YouTube TV or Hulu With Live TV, it strikes the right balance between cost and number of channels. Plus, it’s easy to customize your channel line-up, so you can add extras for a month or two while a favorite show is airing.
Best sports streaming service
Best sports streaming service: YouTube TV
YouTube TV is the best streaming service out there for sports fans. Yes, Fubo may have the most sports on offer of any streaming service or cable alternative, but YouTube TV’s user experience and features give it a significant edge.
Watching up to four games at once with multiview and catching up with key plays are a must for any sports junkie — I used both frequently during this summer’s UEFA European Championship and Copa America tournaments. These features combine to ensure you don’t miss a single major moment of all the biggest sporting events. Plus, at $72 a month, YouTube TV is cheaper than Fubo’s $79 a month (plus additional fees). Those regional sports networks don’t come cheap!
Best free streaming service
Best free streaming service: Freevee
The free streaming service space has dramatically improved in recent years, and while the likes of Tubi and the Roku Channel have plenty to offer users, it’s Amazon Freevee that I keep coming back to.
Perhaps that’s partially because of my familiarity with the platform interface, as it’s technically a sister service to the premium Amazon Prime Video, but it’s largely because of Freevee’s excellent selection of blockbuster movies and binge-worthy TV shows. It’s the latter where Freevee impresses most. Right now, you can stream every single episode of top shows like “Jury Duty”, “Schitt’s Creek”, “The Good Wife”, “Weeds” and “The Twilight Zone”.
Best streaming reality show
Best streaming reality show: The Traitors
The second season of “The Traitors” only improved upon the first. All reality shows really heavily on casting, and whoever is in charge at the Peacock show deserves a hefty bonus.
The season 2 cast was an electric mix of Bravolebrities, “Survivor” and “Big Brother” winners and yet another surprisingly cunning “Bachelor.” The few non-reality stars also contributed a lot to the intrigue, particularly former U.K. Speaker of the Commons John Bercow. And host Alan Cumming was as deliciously campy as ever. It all added up to a show you had to tune into and talk about every week — and isn’t that every streamer’s dream?
Best streaming original show
Best streaming show: The Bear
Together, both season 2 and season 3 of the “The Bear” take the cake in this category (due to a slight change in the scheduling of this year’s TG Awards). The dramedy is a smash hit and critical darling, even with a quieter second season and a more meditative third installment.
Of course, there are still excruciatingly intense episodes — in season 2, it’s “Fishes” and in season 3, it’s “Doors”. But the show has evolved beyond adrenaline rush with deeper character studies focusing on supporting players, like Richie (“Forks”), Marcus (“Honeydew”), Tina (“Napkins”) and Natalie (“Ice Chips”). Still, the fraught mentor-mentee relationship between Carmy and Sydney remains the main course, and it’s as complex and nuanced as any of their dishes.
Best streaming movie
Best streaming movie: Hit Man
Netflix’s track record with original movies is a little spotty, but “Hit Man” (released on the streaming service in early June) is a certifiable success. Not only did it rocket straight to No. 1 in the Netflix top 10, but its critics and audience scores are extremely impressive (95% and 91% respectively on Rotten Tomatoes).
It’s clear to see why this comedy-thriller has been so warmly received, it comes from acclaimed director Richard Linklater, and stars “A-lister in Waiting” Glen Powell Who also co-wrote the screenplay with Linklater). Powell plays a man who moonlights as a fake contract killer as part of a police sting operative, but when it falls for a desperate woman (Adria Arjona) looking to have her abusive husband killed, things get complicated quickly. “Hit Man” is wickedly funny, utterly charming and seriously romantic.
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