With the click of a remote, you can browse the Web, check out what your friends are doing on Facebook and Twitter, call them through Skype, watch YouTube videos, stream music via Pandora - all on your TV. The newest models come preinstalled with a host of Web-connected apps like Netflix, HuluPlus, Amazon, Yahoo, Vudu, CinemaNow, and Flickr, among others. They appear as icons on the screen just as they do on your smartphone.

You can still enjoy many of these same services on the big screen without a preloaded TV.  The Roku Player is a compact box that links your TV and high-speed Internet service, giving you access to content from more than 150 sources.  Some Blu-ray players and gaming systems like Xbox can do it, too.

Beware, not every streaming device offers the same features, and not every app is available on every TV model, so check first before you buy.

Happy Shopping!

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