Are laptops good for streaming
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When youre looking for a new laptop it can be really overwhelming as there are just so many options nowadays.
A good computer salesperson will always ask you what you think your main usage of the laptop will be, and if you already know the answer to that is streaming videos then youre already one step ahead. Show
This article will act as your definitive guide to purchasing the best laptop for you, with our top picks included below. Now a common mistake people make when theyre looking for a streaming laptop is that they overlook the importance of the processor. You wont need a gaming or editing level processor but depending on your choice of streaming platform or browser, your computer could struggle to handle the load of high-resolution video. Sites like youtube use very heavy compression so that 4K resolution videos dont need the bandwidth or computing power that a raw 4K video would. If you use a browser like Chrome for all of your streaming then your processor wont be the problem, itll be the amount of ram you have. RAM essentially dictates how many programs you can have open and then the speed of switching between those programs. Googles Chrome browser is actually terribly optimized for ram and can eat through a normal amount of gigs with 3 or 4 tabs open. The screen you get with the laptop will make a huge difference to your streaming experience. There are a few things were looking for here but mainly the resolution and the panel type. The resolution dictates the definition of the image (HD, QHD, or 4K UHD), and the panel type defines the color reproduction/accuracy so for watching shows, videos, and movies the better the color reproduction the better the viewing experience. We could also look at the aspect ratio as some laptops come in odd form factors but with most videos and shows using a 16:9 aspect ratio, well set this as our standard. Weve also evaluated the audio options that come with each laptop, the likelihood is youll be using some type of headphone/earphone to listen to your shows but if you dont then well be looking out for you. The last feature well be looking at is the battery life and charging capabilities. The worst thing is when youre halfway through a movie and you get that pesky Low battery, please charge warning. You want to make sure that the laptop can get through those rainy day binge sessions. If the battery itself cant stand up to the test then a good charging cable will have to do. Well also include a summarised buyers guide if you want to make sure youre getting the best device for your streaming needs. In a rush? Has the new season of your favorite show just dropped on Netflix and you cant wait to get your bing on? No problem weve got our top pick for you right here and just a few reasons why we love it: Gigabyte AERO 15 OLED This laptop includes all of the major features needed for a good streaming laptop and caps them out at the best possible offering.
Best Laptops For Streaming Videos Reviews1. Gigabyte AERO 15 OLEDThis laptops the epitome of a streaming laptop, with the amazing Samsung OLED 4K screen and even enough computing power for you to run a couple of games if you want to. This laptop is the full package. The OLED technology that comes included with this monitor is normally only found in high-end televisions. It is a new panel type that changes each pixel to a separate LED light that can turn on and off when needed meaning this is the only screen type that youll be able to experience true blacks on. A standard IPS or LCD screen will always have the backlight bleed through to pixels that are meant to be black so OLED removes that issue. On top of the best possible viewing experience Gigabyte has included Nahimic 3 Surround sound tech that was actually designed for gaming. If you wanted to use your Bluetooth headset this laptop comes equipped with Bluetooth 5.0 for the best audio response and low latency. The AERO 15 also comes with a 9th generation intel i7 processor which basically means that it can deal with any video encoder or playback without any interruption to you. The laptop also comes with an Nvidia 1660ti video card which means your 4k video playback will never stutter. Pair these with the 16GB of RAM you could have 20 different Youtube videos open in 20 separate tabs and the laptop wouldnt break a sweat. The Storage in the laptop is a 512GB SSD which means that your pc will load up within seconds, you wont be waiting for programs like the Netflix app to open. With a Killer Wi-Fi 6 chip, this beast can stream up to 2.4Gbps. To put that into perspective thats almost 100 4K videos playing simultaneously. You might want to get onto AT&T about upping your internet speeds. The laptop has a built-in 94Wh Battery that Gigabyte claims can last up to 8.5 hours of constant usage so your binge sessions will not be interrupted. You might be thinking that all of this tech crammed into a 15.6-inch laptop would make it bulky and cumbersome but Gigabyte has combated that issue with a compressed aluminum body. This makes the laptop only 0.8 inches thick and 4.4lbs total. You will not be getting that uncomfortable dead leg feeling during the long watch sessions. Pros
Cons
Buy Here: Amazon Sale Gigabyte AERO 15 OLED Thin and Light Laptop, 15.6 Thin Bezel UHD AMOLED Panel, i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX1660Ti,16GB RAM, M.2 PCIe 512GB SSD, Win 10, 94Wh Battery (AERO 15 OLED SA-7US5130SH)
Buy on Amazon 2. Lenovo Yoga C740-15.6 FHD TouchOur 2nd pick is a great option from Lenovos Yoga line, these laptops are great for video streaming for a few reasons but the USP of the Yoga is its keyboards ability to fold back behind the screen. This gives you an uninterrupted view of the screen and removes the chance youll accidentally tap pause or esc during the climax of your favorite show. You might be thinking but how do I control the laptop with the keyboard and trackpad folded behind it? Lenovo thought about that and made the monitor a touchscreen. So you can skip the intro on Netflix as you would on your phone or tablet, just tap it. The 15.6-inch laptop screen has an IPS panel to support its media viewing capabilities. IPS offers great viewing angles and decent color accuracy (not as good as OLED but still very good). The screen is also FHD which means that even though you might not be able to view 4K or even 2K videos youll still get 1080p which the majority of content currently is. The Yoga C740 is powered by a 10th generation i5 chip that can deal with most daily tasks and video streaming with no issues. It also has 12GB of RAM so you will be able to multitask without lag. All of this is backed up by a 13.5-hour battery so you wont have to worry about dimming your screen to get those extra 20 minutes of watch time. Pros
Cons
Buy Here: Amazon Lenovo Yoga C740-15.6" FHD Touch - 10th gen i5-10210U - 12GB - 256GB SSD - Gray
Buy on Amazon 3. New Apple MacBook Air with Apple M1 ChipAt Number 3 weve got an option for the Apple fans out there and the new MacBook Air with the M1 chip is a worthy entrant. Apples macOS offers a smooth and professional-feeling experience for anyone trying to enjoy a couple of shows. The usability of Apples system is really demonstrated in the user experience. This laptop has been designed with Apple TV in mind so you can guarantee a great viewing experience on it especially if youre using Apples streaming service. Apple has spared no expense with the monitor on this device. You get a familiar feeling retina display with P3 wide color gamut meaning the color representation is going to be amazing. All this is to enhance your experience while streaming. The M1 MacBook Air comes with an Octa-core CPU meaning everything will be running smoothly and you will never experience frame drops in any of your watching. Pros
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Buy Here: Amazon Sale 2020 Apple MacBook Air Laptop: Apple M1 Chip, 13 Retina Display, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD Storage, Backlit Keyboard, FaceTime HD Camera, Touch ID. Works with iPhone/iPad; Gold
Buy on Amazon 4. XIDU 12.5 Tour Pro Touchscreen LaptopThe Penultimate laptop on our list is from a relatively unknown brand XIDU. The laptop is not the most powerful nor the biggest but it is the king of portability. At 12.5 inches this is the smallest laptop on our list (0.8 inches smaller than the MacBook). So for streaming videos, you would need to have the laptop a bit closer to you, but not too close because this mini hero packs a 2k (1440p or QHD) screen that sits between FHD and UHD. The pixel density on the screen means you wont be able to see the separate pixels unless your nose was touching the screen. The screen is also a touchscreen which alongside its size puts the laptop somewhere between a tablet and pc. With an Intel Celeron processor and 8GB of RAM, this laptop isnt going to run any games or let you have too many programs opened at once but its more than adequate for streaming some Netflix or Prime Video. Pros
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Buy Here: Amazon XIDU 12.5" Tour Pro Touchscreen Laptop with Backlit Keyboard | 2.5K(2560X1440) IPS | Fingerprint | Intel 3867U Processor | 8GB DDR3+128GB SSD | Win10 Home for On-The-Go (12.5 Gray SSD)
Buy on Amazon 5. Acer Aspire 5 15.6 FHD 1080P LaptopOur final pick is the Aspire 5 from Acer. Acer has a great history of making reasonably priced reliable laptops and this one is no exception. The Aspire 5 comes with a Ryzen 3 processor which alongside 12GB of RAM will tackle any of your streaming needs with little to no difficulty. The Ryzen processor is AMDs answer to the i3 processors from intel but this one in particular beats out the i5 in certain cases. The monitor on this laptop is an FHD IPS screen so you wont have to worry about viewing angles and colors will really pop. Acer has also made this a 15.6 inch display which is ample for viewing in bed, on the couch, or even in a cafe. The keyboard is also backlit for easy operation in low light conditions. Pros
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Buy Here: Amazon 2020 Newest Acer Aspire 5 15.6" FHD 1080P Laptop Computer| AMD Ryzen 3 3200U up to 3.5 GHz(Beat i5-7200u)| 12GB RAM| 256GB SSD| Backlit Keyboard| WiFi| Bluetooth| HDMI| Windows 10| Laser USB Cable
Buy on Amazon Best Laptops For Streaming Videos Buyers GuideWeve mostly gone through what you need to know when looking for a streaming laptop but weve also added some minimum specs for you to see what you should be looking for at the very minimum.
As long as your new laptop meets these specifications as a bare minimum then you should have a great streaming experience. You wont experience stuttering, buffering, waiting to open browsers/apps or the dreaded loading icon (as long as your internet can keep up). Frequently Asked QuestionsCan I stream videos on a 720p monitor?Of course, you can, videos can be streamed on any screen all the way down to 144p, however, most videos are a minimum of 1080p (FHD). So streaming that content on a lesser monitor means youre willingly leaving out the full experience your favorite show. Can laptops be used for streaming?Yes! Most laptops these days can be used for streaming videos of pretty high quality. You do not even have to choose a particularly expensive laptop in order to stream, as this is just something that most laptops can do without issue. Of course, if you want to stream high resolution content, then you will need a laptop that is compatible with this, but in general, any laptop will be great for general streaming such as watching shows and movies on streaming subscription services. Keep in mind that all streaming is typically done via the internet. With this in mind, the better the quality and connection of the internet, the better the quality of the stream! If your internet connection is particularly good, then you may even be able to stream things such as live content, and even video games, provided you have the relevant software needed to do so. Can gaming laptops handle streaming?Yes, gaming laptops can handle streaming! In fact, a gaming laptop will be able to handle even more high quality streaming than a normal laptop. This is because a gaming laptop is typically kitted out to run faster, and manage heavier loads than normal laptops thanks to their higher RAM and CPU. The best gaming laptops may even be able to stream games directly from the internet, even those very high-resolution first-person shooter games! Streaming shows and movies from a subscription service will be a doddle for most gaming laptops. Of course, this is providing that you have an excellent internet connection. Rest assured, if you have a gaming laptop, all types of streaming should be easy for you even more so, in fact, than a normal laptop! |
