Chromecast, Fire Stick and Sky Stream – this is the golden age of TV

TV has never been more accessible. I remember the first TV we had when I was a kid: it was about three-feet deep and any reception was dependent on getting a satellite dish the size of a manhole cover strapped to your external brickwork.

Thankfully, nowadays its much easier. Pledge your allegiance to one of the many brands offering a media streaming device, hook it up to your Wi-Fi connection and you're ready to receive all of the best streaming services on the market today.

There's never been a better time buy a media streaming device, either. Recent updates to the Chromecast and the Amazon Fire TV Stick have improved what was already a great value offering. But these are no longer the only options.

The Sky Stream offers similar functionality with your Sky subscription and does away with the need for a traditional dish. It's unusual territory for Sky, and a good sign that these little media streamers are a safe-bet for the future of TV.

And the best bit? On the whole, they're relatively cheap. Google's Chromecast will set you back as little as £35; Amazon's Fire TV Stick starts around £25, at the time of writing. Either one can plug into any TV with an appropriate input, meaning you don't need the best TV to get started – any monitor you have lying around can be turned into an affordable entertainment system.

That's a great price, especially when considering the sheer volume of entertainment available for that money. Netflix and Amazon Prime are still the kings of streaming content, while Disney Plus has surged in popularity this past year. You could nab all three for less than the cost of a takeaway each month.

So, if you fancy checking out the best Netflix series or getting access to a host of James Bond films, pick up a media streamer and fire away. Now, if only someone could recommend a popcorn maker...