This is an open thread for showing what your living room streaming setup looks like in 2026 and swapping ideas. Below is a sample setup to get things going, not a recommendation of the one right way, so tell us how yours differs.
Quick answer: There's no single best setup. The ones that tend to work well in most homes are wired where possible, one main streaming device rather than three, and a TV set to the right picture mode.
A sample setup
Here is a typical arrangement that suits many UK homes:
- TV: a 4K set with a game or low-latency mode and a clearly labelled HDMI input for eARC.
- Main device: a Google TV or Fire TV box or stick connected to the TV's HDMI port. Our Google TV devices comparison lists the main choices.
- Connection: Ethernet to the router where a cable can be run. Where it can't, a device close to the router on 5 GHz Wi-Fi.
- Audio: a soundbar connected over HDMI eARC, so the TV passes sound through.
- Players: BBC iPlayer, ITVX, Channel 4 and the others you use for live TV, plus Plex or Jellyfin if you have a home media server.
- Remote: the TV's own remote controlling volume through HDMI-CEC, so the family only needs one.
Tweaks that cost nothing
- Turn off the TV's motion smoothing for films and drama.
- Set your device to match frame rate and dynamic range, so 50 Hz UK broadcasts don't judder.
- Rename your HDMI inputs so everyone knows what is on which.
- Restart the router and devices on a schedule if they get sluggish.
- Put the router somewhere central and out of cupboards.
What to share
You don't need a photo, just a few lines:
- Your TV (brand, rough size or model if you know it).
- Your streaming device or devices.
- How it's connected: Ethernet, Wi-Fi band, powerline or mesh.
- Your audio setup.
- Your favourite tweak, and the thing you'd change if you could.
Please don't post account details, addresses or anything about where you get your channels. If you want to talk about live TV sources, stick to official apps and your own aerial.
If your setup isn't working as well as you'd like
Say what is bugging you: buffering, slow menus, bad sound sync, wrong colours. Other members can often suggest the one setting at fault. For device ideas, Google TV devices compared is a good starting point.
What's in your lounge setup, and what's the one tweak you'd tell everyone else to make?