Get yourself one of these streaming boxes, and you can peruse any number of on-demand and catch-up services. You'll wonder how you ever survived a family get-together without one.

1 Google Nexus Player

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Google's telly box might look like a spaceship, but it's no futuristic concept ? it landed in the UK about a week ago, and it does everything you could need from a lounge companion. It runs TV shows and films. It plays games. It has a voice-activated control, so just say the name of the film, genre or actor you want to see and it'll respond. It brings together a whole host of streaming services, and it's the first to run Google's Android TV platform, which is optimised for the big screen.

2 Amazon Fire TV

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Amazon's first streaming box is a neat little device that sits under your telly. It's well designed, with a similar feel to the firm's Kindle e-readers, and has all the streaming options you could need, including Prime Instant Video (natch), Netflix, Demand 5 and more. Voice search also comes as standard, though it only works with Amazon's own content. But be warned, there's a cheaper option on the way. The Hidden Content is the size of a USB stick, just like Google Chromecast. Plug it into your TV's HDMI socket, and it gives you the same skills as Fire TV, minus voice search and the ASAP feature (which suggests what else you might like to watch). And it costs just ?35. So maybe it's worth waiting.

3 Roku 3

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Roku makes some of the finest streaming boxes around, and the Roku 3 is one of its best. It's nippy, and you can control it using an app on your Android or iOS device. You get plenty of streaming options, including Netflix, Demand 5, Now TV, and even Spotify, so you can rock out if there's nothing worth watching. Plus it has a headphone jack, so you can plug in a pair of cans and forget that the house is full of family. And for many of us, that's what Easter is all about.

4 Sky Now TV Box

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It might be getting on a bit, but at ?10, the Now TV Box is still one of the best bargains in tech. It's essentially a rebadged Roku LT, and is a doddle to use: plug it in, connect to your Wi-Fi, and break open the popcorn. You can pay for movies and sport as and when you feel like it, instead of investing in a pricey subscription, and you can watch other on-demand and catch-up services like BBC iPlayer and Demand 5. Sky recently confirmed a new version is in the works, but for a tenner, you can't go wrong with this.

5 Apple TV

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Apple's set-top box was previously just a hobby, according to Tim Cook. But with Apple's own TV streaming service in the works, expect big things from this little box of tricks. It streams in 1080p HD, and you can fling content to it from your iPhone or iPad using Apple's simple AirPlay tech. Typically Apple, it's a doddle to set up and use, and also typically Apple, you're a bit more restricted in what you can watch than with other streaming boxes. Expect a new version to touch down in June.
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