Here are my favorite things of 2024.
This list doesn’t focus only on new items released this past year as I still have favorites that are a few years old. Also, you will see that I haven’t provided reviews for some of these items but plan to do so in the upcoming year.
I use many of these “favorite things” on a daily basis.
Streaming Devices
I still use the NVIDIA Shield TV Pro in my main living room where we watch our movies. It’s still one of the best streaming devices on the market even though it’s been around since 2019. Wouldn’t it be great if NVIDIA released a new streaming powerhouse in 2025? Don’t hold your breath as I think they are focusing all of their energy on AI.
I use this on all of the other TVs around my home. Lots of storage and it’s based on Android TV so we can add custom launchers, alter remote buttons, and much more. This streaming device packs a lot of power and come with a small price tag.
Streaming Apps & Services
Hide Your Digital Fingerprint
It’s been our TROYPOINT #1 Ranked VPN for over 2 years now. They are continually updating it with new features and speed enhancements plus the price is right. Best VPN for Android TV/Google TV and Fire TV systems.
This is a must have app if you own Android TV/Google TV devices. This allows you to map remote control buttons to open apps, menus, widgets, mouse toggle, etc. It’s only $3.99 and you can use it on all of your devices for that one price. Here’s me making star button better on Onn 4K Pro and here I transform the Paramount+ button into a mouse toggle.
Elias has done a great job with this free application! Let’s face it, this is the backbone of everything we do on our streaming devices. The install/setup process is simple and it works on all popular streaming devices and Android phones/tablets.
This ad-free YouTube app is perfect for Android TV/Fire TV systems. The developer is constantly pushing out updates to circumvent the blocks that Google tries to enable to stop these ad-free apps from working.
I jump around to different streaming apps but I always return to Syncler as it’s easy to use and provides everything I need.
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Some say that Kodi is dead and that couldn’t be further from the truth. These people just aren’t using the right Kodi Addons. The fairly new Umbrella Kodi addon is my go-to for movies and TV shows.
In my opinion, best IPTV Player hands down for Android TV/Fire TV devices.
Yes, TiviMate is the best IPTV Player in my opinion but the best FREE app is XCIPTV. This handles large playlists better than IPTV Smarters and comes with features not usually found in free players.
This is now my favorite premium link hoster due to the problems that Real-Debrid had this past year. I know that many APKs and addons have provided workarounds to get it working again but I don’t like the threats they sent to users who complained. I don’t agree with people who complain about these services and changes they need to make but telling people you’re going to share their download/streaming history with copyright holders is a bit ridiculous.
Don’t want to use a premium service such as Premiumize to get your movie & TV show links and want something 100% free? I suggest Elementum Kodi Addon but you MUST use a VPN such as Surfshark as this works off torrent technology which means you are broadcasting your IP address when you are streaming something.
Projectivy is my favorite 3rd party launcher for both Android TV and Fire TV systems. Unfortunately, Amazon has blocked these launchers from working but we still have the upgraded remote workaround.
Great Internet speed test to measure download/upload speed and important network metrics.
I’ve moved from Plex Media Server to Jellyfin and will be releasing tutorials for this in 2025. I don’t like all of the updates Plex has brought and I think they are trying to be everything to everyone.
Software/Apps
I started using ESET for my Windows antivirus this past year and it detected some malware that Defender didn’t catch. This is a lightweight program so it doesn’t bog down my computer when running in the background.
This provides ad-free YouTube on Android phones and tablets. They do a great job of circumventing the ad-blocking technology Google is trying to implement.
I use this on my Windows PC and it provides helpful utilities when using multiple monitors.
This is the free open source software I use to manage the TROYPOINT website. WordPress accounts for approximately 43% of all websites on the Internet today.
Hardware/Gadgets
I use the ZimaBoard 832 to house all of my TiviMate recordings. This device has allowed me to run a whole-home DVR system that works on all streaming devices in our home. There are also dozens of other cool apps that can be installed that basically turn this into a mini home server.
I like mini PCs! This one packs a punch and this is what I use for my video tutorials when using a Windows PC. It’s currently 40% off!
Amazon Firestick Custom Remote
For the few Firesticks that I have left, I use this remote on all of them because it allows me to use my favorite 3rd party launcher.
This is the Android phone I’m still using. I like Android because I can side-load the same apps that I do on my Android TV/Google TV and take them on the go.
A few weeks ago I finally upgraded to the Google Pixel Watch 3 as I’ve had my Samsung Galaxy for years and it was starting to give me problems. I love this watch as it works hand-in-hand with my Google Pixel 7 Pro phone. I was shocked to see the advancement on these smart watches as I’ve had my Galaxy since 2019.
Miscellaneous
Alpha Grillers Instant Read Meat Thermometer
I bought an expensive thermometer off of Amazon for over $100 last year and within a month it broke. My wife then bought me this much less expensive option and it works better than the $100 one that broke!
I’ve had my Tesla since 2019 and absolutely love it. I bought if for the technology, not for the “save the planet battery spiel” and it keeps getting better with continuous updates. It’s a computer on wheels…a very fast one at that! It now has a little over 100,000 miles and the only repair has been a $1,500 computer module for the screen. No oil changes, radiator flushes, transmission flushes, limited brake pad changes, etc. I will provide a 5-year review sometime within the first few months of 2025.
Tell us what your favorite things of 2024 are in the comments below!
Please don’t turn this into an argument as everyone has their own preferences. This should be used as, “Hey, that’s a good idea, maybe I should try that”, rather than, “My idea is better, here’s what I use.”
I wish all of you a safe and healthy 2025!
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