This streaming box can unite all STBs for $400

By this point, there is an array of TV streaming boxes that can do a lot of different things. Apple, Google, Amazon and a slew of independent companies have their own streaming hardware catering to various niches in the market. For people who want the widest possible selection of services, however, there has not been a very good option. Until now, that is. The Caavo set-top box is the TV box that unites all other TV boxes. It only costs another $400, according to the Verge.

The extra expense might seem a bit steep when users need to buy all the other streaming boxes they want to use as well. Caavo unites other services in a single interface. Needless to say, this is a very niche device. For those who are looking for the ultimate streaming TV experience, though, there might be no better companion device.

The $400 users pay gets them eight HDMI inputs for all their streaming boxes and a cable box if they just cannot give up traditional TV service, either. Caavo also has an Ethernet port for an Internet connection, two USB ports and a 3.5mm audio jack. The box itself is 16in, weighs 4 pounds and can be purchased in bamboo, mahogany or tiger wood with steel on the bottom. This box is designed to look good sitting next to the TV.

Caavo's remote uses capacitive touch and includes a microphone, allowing it to work with voice controls and third-party assistants. For now, that just appears to be Amazon's Alexa, which the company said works through Caavo no matter where the content is coming from. Theoretically, a user could use Alexa to pull up a TV show from iTunes streaming through Apple TV.

The ubiquity of TV streaming boxes these days makes a device like Caavo look enticing. In spite of the popularity of Android TV boxes from China, it is not clear that many consumers have a bunch of streaming boxes sitting around the house. The advantage of streaming boxes using modified versions of Android is that they can already run nearly any Android app. There are not many services outside Apple that are not already on the most-used mobile OS in the world.