How to stream TV shows and movies in one place while social distancing

If you've been stuck at home for the past two weeks because of the coronavirus outbreak, chances are you've been giving your TV quite the workout. I mean, what else is there to do lately besides Tiger King and chill Zoom party?

Of course, engaging in social distancing means you technically have lots of time on your hands to, say, flip back and forth between your laptop (for YouTube videos) and your TV (for the streaming services you pay for and sports/news programming) depending on the type of content you feel like watching. But why bother going through the trouble when media players exist?

SEE ALSO: Showtime is offering a 30-day free trial — here's how you can sign up

Similar to how your smartphone displays your apps on a home screen, a media player (or streaming stick) acts as an interface for all of your content, putting the entertainment you love on Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, YouTube, HBO Now, Pandora, Spotify, and beyond in one place for easy access. They're hella convenient for circumstances like these when you're trying to keep yourself entertained for long periods of time — and just in case you aren't using one yet, we found the Roku Express on sale at Walmart for $5 off.

Released in 2016, the Express is a fifth-gen Roku device with HD streaming capabilities. It comes with a high-speed HDMI cable for easy setup as well as a remote with channel shortcut buttons, but you can also control it via voice-enabled smart home devices with Amazon Alexa or the Google Assistant. It typically retails for $29.99, but if you buy it at Walmart, you'll pay just $24.99 — a 17% savings.

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Credit: Mashable Staff

Roku Express — $24.99

 

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Smart TVs with built-in Roku systems are also a thing, in case you'd rather upgrade your whole entertainment setup at all together (as opposed to hooking up a box to your existing display). Here are a bunch of TCL models that Walmart also has on sale right now:

• TCL 32-inch Class 3-Series HD LED Roku Smart TV (32S321) — $118 (save 30%)

• TCL 32-inch Class 3-Series HD LED Roku Smart TV (32S325) — 127.88 (save 25%)

• TCL 32-inch Class 3-Series FHD LED Roku Smart TV (32S327) — $159.99 (save 6%)

• TCL 32-inch Class 3-Series HD LED Roku Smart TV (32S331) — $118 (save 21%)

• TCL 40-inch Class 3-Series FHD LED Roku Smart TV (40S325) — $194.18 (save 28%)

• TCL 43-inch Class 4-Series 4K UHD HDR Roku Smart TV (43S421) — $218 (save 22%)

• TCL 43-inch Class 4-Series 4K UHD HDR Roku Smart TV (43S425) — $229 (save 18%)

• TCL 43-inch Class 5-Series 4K UHD Dolby Vision HDR Roku Smart TV (43S525) — $299.99 (save 30%)

• TCL 50-inch Class 4-Series 4K UHD HDR Roku Smart TV (50S421) — $248 (save 22%)

• TCL 50-inch Class 5-Series 4K UHD Dolby Vision HDR Roku Smart TV (50S525) — $319.99 (save 33%)

• TCL 55-inch Class 4-Series 4K UHD HDR Roku Smart TV (55S425) — $299.99 (save 21%)

• TCL 55-inch Class 6-Series 4K UHD Dolby Vision HDR Roku Smart TV (55R615) — $449 (save 31%)

• TCL 55-inch Class 6-Series 4K QLED Dolby Vision HDR Roku Smart TV (55R625) — $549 (save 8%)

• TCL 65-inch Class 6-Series 4K QLED Dolby Vision HDR Roku Smart TV (65R625) — $749.99 (save 17%)

• TCL 65-inch Class 4-Series 4K UHD HDR Roku Smart TV (65S421) — $428 (save 46%)

• TCL 65-inch Class 4-Series 4K UHD HDR Roku Smart TV (65S425) — $469.99 (save 22%)

• TCL 65-inch Class 5-Series 5K UHD Dolby Vision HDR Roku Smart TV (65S525) — $549.99 (save 39%)

• TCL 75-inch Class 4-Series 4K UHD HDR Roku Smart TV (75S425) — $799.99 (save 20%)