All you realistically need is:
1. A TV with an HDMI port.
2. A fast(ish) WiFi connection.
There are plenty of free apps that can deliver you content, for instance you can watch YouTube via a web browser app. If you don't want to spend anything over the purchase price, then that would be the way to go.
However the usefulness of the device is boosted by the fact that you can use it to watch stuff like Netflix, Hulu, HBO, plenty of other streaming services if you have the accounts. If you are an Amazon Prime member ($120 a year) then you also get automatic access to Prime Videos, which has a pretty good selection generally.
So no, there's no gotchas as far as I can tell, but there are certainly ways to improve the device by spending money, via subscriptions. Oh, and also you can buy / rent movies and TV shows via the interface directly, which is a nice feature.
1. A TV with an HDMI port.
2. A fast(ish) WiFi connection.
There are plenty of free apps that can deliver you content, for instance you can watch YouTube via a web browser app. If you don't want to spend anything over the purchase price, then that would be the way to go.
However the usefulness of the device is boosted by the fact that you can use it to watch stuff like Netflix, Hulu, HBO, plenty of other streaming services if you have the accounts. If you are an Amazon Prime member ($120 a year) then you also get automatic access to Prime Videos, which has a pretty good selection generally.
So no, there's no gotchas as far as I can tell, but there are certainly ways to improve the device by spending money, via subscriptions. Oh, and also you can buy / rent movies and TV shows via the interface directly, which is a nice feature.
