Streaming

Tablet

In general a tablet form factor is more useful, as it allows streaming anywhere, as well as featuring a comfortably sized screen and allowing downloads of movies and series.

The Apple iPad (any model) is an excellent device for streaming Disney+, Netflix, etc. It is portable and can thereby be used for streaming in the bedroom, kitchen or in the airplaine and on vacation.

TV

A television should generally not be connected to the internet. It has to be assumed that every Smart TV features Automatic Content Recognition (ACR), which creates screenshots of the watched contents to serve targeted ads¹. Even content played via HDMI from a PC will be captured. Therefore any Smart TV should not be connected to the internet. Instead of connecting the TV to the internet, a separate device should be used for streaming content.

Due to Widevine DRM, there are restrictions when it comes to video quality supplied to a given device². Level 3 (L3) is the lowest level and runs entirely on the CPU, but may only provide a resolution of 720p (HD). L2 will use a secure area of the main processor called Trusted execution environment (TEE).

Typically streaming Netflix, Disney+ through the website on a website over HDMI will only support Widevine DRM L3, so the resolution will be restricted. There are specific devices that can be connected to the TV for the purpose of streaming content. Arguably the best option is the Apple TV, as it’s the least worst option when it comes to lack of advertisements, performance, and privacy. It supports Widevine DRM L1 and therefore the best resolution as well as HDR.