We test streaming services the way a hardware lab tests a phone — repeatable methodology, instruments calibrated, and the raw logs published next to the summary.
| Axis | Instrument |
|---|---|
| Delivered bitrate | ffprobe on captured stream segments |
| Buffer events | playback log, Apple TV + Fire TV Stick |
| EPG accuracy | scripted comparison against published guides |
| Stream resilience | controlled bandwidth throttling at the router |
| App startup time | screen-recording stopwatch, three-cold-start average |
- We don't write "Top 10" listicles. The lab has a finding or it doesn't.
- We don't take affiliate-only access — every service tested is paid at the rate a normal customer would pay.
- We don't republish provider marketing copy. If a provider claims X channels and we measure Y, we publish both numbers.
Bench is a Fire TV Stick 4K Max (firmware 7.6.x), Apple TV 4K (3rd gen, tvOS 18), Samsung Tizen 7.0 TV, and a controllable router. Test scripts live in this org's repos.