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This year may well be remembered as the year online video streaming went mainstream, thanks in large part to the omnipresence of Netflix on nearly all Internet-connected devices. But with so many options now available, what's the best solution--be it for Netflix, Hulu Plus, Vudu, Amazon, or any of the myriad other online video sources?
As with anything in real life, there isn't one simple, straightforward answer that works for everyone. But we've created a set of different recommendations that should work for nearly anybody, based upon your individual priorities.
Roku XDS: Best solution for less than $100
The $99 Roku XDS box is our Editors' Choice in the category, and one of the most affordable Internet streaming media solutions out there. It offers the best bang for the buck, but if you're also looking to play games, view Blu-ray discs, or stream files over your home network, you'll want to read on for more-versatile choices.
Key compatible services: Netflix, Amazon Video On Demand, Hulu Plus, Mediafly, MLB.TV, NHL GameCenter, Pandora, Flickr, plus dozens of others
Read the full review of the Roku XDS
Worthwhile alternative: The Sony SMP-N100 costs $30 more than the Roku, but it streams many of the same key services, plus adds the ability to stream files from a networked PC (DLNA compatibility).
Apple TV: Best solution for Apple fans
(Credit:Sarah Tew/CNET)
If you want the most diversity of content, the Roku box is the way to go. But if you're a die-hard Apple aficionado, Apple TV may be the way to go. It's the only box that's compatible with iTunes; purchases can be streamed from networked computers, and a smaller subset of TV show rentals are available for instant streaming to the box. Meanwhile, owners of iOS devices--iPads and newer iPhones andiPod Touch models--can stream audio (like Pandora and other Web- and app-based audio streams) from those handheld devices directly to the Apple TV using its built-in AirPlay technology. We'd like to see more functionality, but for $99, it's not a bad little box.
Key compatible services: iTunes, Netflix, YouTube, Flickr, Mobile Me (Photos), Internet radio
Read the full review of the Apple TV
Worthwhile alternative: If you want more flexibility--albeit with a far bigger budget--you could always just attach a Mac Mini to your TV.
PS3: Best solution for gamers
Sony's ad campaign proudly touts that thePlayStation 3 "only does everything." For once, it's a case of truth in advertising. Everyone knows the PS3 is a great game console and a Blu-ray player. But--thanks to an ongoing series of firmware updates--it's now a formidable media streamer as well. In addition to Netflix, Vudu, and other online video services, the PS3 is also able to stream music, video, and photos from networked PCs and attached USB drives. It's far and away the most versatile box to have under your TV.
Key compatible services: Netflix, Vudu, Hulu Plus, MLB.TV, NHL GameCenter, PlayStation Store, DLNA (home media streaming)
Read the full review of the Sony PlayStation 3
Worthwhile alternative: The Xbox 360 also does double duty for gaming and online entertainment, offering Netflix, Zune Marketplace, ESPN3 (for existing ESPN subscribers on compatible ISPs), Last.fm, and (coming in 2011) Hulu Plus. But, unlike the PS3, to get many of these services you also need to be anXbox Live Gold subscriber ($60/year). And the Xbox can only play standard DVDs, not Blu-ray movies.
Sony BDP-S570: Best Wi-Fi Blu-ray player
We love the PS3, but we also realize that not everyone's a gamer--and that the PS3's $300 price tag may be a budget buster for many. Thankfully, there are many Blu-ray players that offer access to several online streaming services (Netflix, Pandora, and YouTube being the most common), as well as the sort of disc playback you won't find on dedicated boxes like the Roku or Apple TV.
Key compatible services: Netflix, Amazon, Hulu Plus, YouTube, Pandora, Slacker, plus almost two dozen others; DLNA (home media streaming)
Read the full review of the Sony BDP-S570
Worthwhile alternative: We recommend the Sony BDP-S570, but there are several other models (such as the Samsung BD-C6500 and LG BD570) that are also excellent values. The key spec to look for (beyond a must-have video service) is the inclusion of built-in Wi-Fi. Many of the most affordable Blu-ray players are only Wi-Fi-ready, which means you need to purchase an additional Wi-Fi dongle on order for them to be able to connect to your home wireless network.
WD TV Live Hub: Best solution for hard-core tech geeks
As we've shown, all of the products listed above are excellent choices, each with its own strengths. Many of them are also good for streaming audio and video files from networked PCs. But what about the "hard-core" tech enthusiast--the one whose NAS drive is full of MKV, ISO, and VOB files? (If you don't know what any of that means, don't worry--it just means you're normal.)
For that consumer, the best choice we've seen to date is the WD TV Live Hub. It's $200, but that price includes a built-in 1TB hard drive, ready and waiting for a treasure trove of digital goodies to be copied onto it. It can also act as a server--and read from network servers--as well as attached USB drives. It was able to read just about every file type we threw at it, and it also has a fairly slick interface for when you just want to kick back and watch something on Netflix or YouTube. We only wish it had built-in Wi-Fi (though you can add your own dongle.)
Key compatible services: Netflix, YouTube, Pandora, Flickr, Mediafly, Live 365
Read the full review of the WD TV Live Hub
Worthwhile alternative: The D-Link Boxee Box is also adept at reading a wide range of file formats. Netflix and Hulu Plus apps are slated to be available on it soon.
Veebeam HD: Best wireless PC-to-TV solution
The Veebeam box offers wireless PC-to-TV video for less than $130.
(Credit:Veebeam)
We've seen plenty of products that claim to make it easy to get your PC video content onto your TV, but the $139 Veebeam HD is the first one that seems to offer good reliability and easy setup at a reasonable price. Connect the Veebeam box to your TV's HDMI input, plug the USB dongle into your PC or Mac, install the Veebeam software, and you're pretty much good to go: whatever you watch on your PC screen--including Flash video--is mirrored onto your TV a few seconds later. (Compatible files can also be sent directly to the Veebeam box using the built-in software.)
Key compatible services: Anything (except for encrypted DVDs and Blu-ray movies) that you can view on your PC screen.
Read the full review of the Veebeam HD
Worthwhile alternative: Any laptop with Intel Wireless Display is a good choice, but you'll need to purchase a compatible Netgear Push2TV box and attach it to your TV.
A cheap HDMI cable: Best DIY wired PC-to-TV solution
Want a "quick and dirty" solution for streaming video on your TV? If you've got an HDTV, and your laptop has an HDMI output, just get a long cable and call it a day. (This will also work with most DVI and DisplayPort outputs, if you have the correct adapters or cables.)
* * *
Got a favorite from the list above? Anything we missed? Share your comments below.
Powered by WizardRSS | Work At Home Jobs
As with anything in real life, there isn't one simple, straightforward answer that works for everyone. But we've created a set of different recommendations that should work for nearly anybody, based upon your individual priorities.
Roku XDS: Best solution for less than $100
The $99 Roku XDS box is our Editors' Choice in the category, and one of the most affordable Internet streaming media solutions out there. It offers the best bang for the buck, but if you're also looking to play games, view Blu-ray discs, or stream files over your home network, you'll want to read on for more-versatile choices.
Key compatible services: Netflix, Amazon Video On Demand, Hulu Plus, Mediafly, MLB.TV, NHL GameCenter, Pandora, Flickr, plus dozens of others
Read the full review of the Roku XDS
Worthwhile alternative: The Sony SMP-N100 costs $30 more than the Roku, but it streams many of the same key services, plus adds the ability to stream files from a networked PC (DLNA compatibility).
Apple TV: Best solution for Apple fans
(Credit:Sarah Tew/CNET)
If you want the most diversity of content, the Roku box is the way to go. But if you're a die-hard Apple aficionado, Apple TV may be the way to go. It's the only box that's compatible with iTunes; purchases can be streamed from networked computers, and a smaller subset of TV show rentals are available for instant streaming to the box. Meanwhile, owners of iOS devices--iPads and newer iPhones andiPod Touch models--can stream audio (like Pandora and other Web- and app-based audio streams) from those handheld devices directly to the Apple TV using its built-in AirPlay technology. We'd like to see more functionality, but for $99, it's not a bad little box.
Key compatible services: iTunes, Netflix, YouTube, Flickr, Mobile Me (Photos), Internet radio
Read the full review of the Apple TV
Worthwhile alternative: If you want more flexibility--albeit with a far bigger budget--you could always just attach a Mac Mini to your TV.
PS3: Best solution for gamers
Sony's ad campaign proudly touts that thePlayStation 3 "only does everything." For once, it's a case of truth in advertising. Everyone knows the PS3 is a great game console and a Blu-ray player. But--thanks to an ongoing series of firmware updates--it's now a formidable media streamer as well. In addition to Netflix, Vudu, and other online video services, the PS3 is also able to stream music, video, and photos from networked PCs and attached USB drives. It's far and away the most versatile box to have under your TV.
Key compatible services: Netflix, Vudu, Hulu Plus, MLB.TV, NHL GameCenter, PlayStation Store, DLNA (home media streaming)
Read the full review of the Sony PlayStation 3
Worthwhile alternative: The Xbox 360 also does double duty for gaming and online entertainment, offering Netflix, Zune Marketplace, ESPN3 (for existing ESPN subscribers on compatible ISPs), Last.fm, and (coming in 2011) Hulu Plus. But, unlike the PS3, to get many of these services you also need to be anXbox Live Gold subscriber ($60/year). And the Xbox can only play standard DVDs, not Blu-ray movies.
Sony BDP-S570: Best Wi-Fi Blu-ray player
We love the PS3, but we also realize that not everyone's a gamer--and that the PS3's $300 price tag may be a budget buster for many. Thankfully, there are many Blu-ray players that offer access to several online streaming services (Netflix, Pandora, and YouTube being the most common), as well as the sort of disc playback you won't find on dedicated boxes like the Roku or Apple TV.
Key compatible services: Netflix, Amazon, Hulu Plus, YouTube, Pandora, Slacker, plus almost two dozen others; DLNA (home media streaming)
Read the full review of the Sony BDP-S570
Worthwhile alternative: We recommend the Sony BDP-S570, but there are several other models (such as the Samsung BD-C6500 and LG BD570) that are also excellent values. The key spec to look for (beyond a must-have video service) is the inclusion of built-in Wi-Fi. Many of the most affordable Blu-ray players are only Wi-Fi-ready, which means you need to purchase an additional Wi-Fi dongle on order for them to be able to connect to your home wireless network.
WD TV Live Hub: Best solution for hard-core tech geeks
As we've shown, all of the products listed above are excellent choices, each with its own strengths. Many of them are also good for streaming audio and video files from networked PCs. But what about the "hard-core" tech enthusiast--the one whose NAS drive is full of MKV, ISO, and VOB files? (If you don't know what any of that means, don't worry--it just means you're normal.)
For that consumer, the best choice we've seen to date is the WD TV Live Hub. It's $200, but that price includes a built-in 1TB hard drive, ready and waiting for a treasure trove of digital goodies to be copied onto it. It can also act as a server--and read from network servers--as well as attached USB drives. It was able to read just about every file type we threw at it, and it also has a fairly slick interface for when you just want to kick back and watch something on Netflix or YouTube. We only wish it had built-in Wi-Fi (though you can add your own dongle.)
Key compatible services: Netflix, YouTube, Pandora, Flickr, Mediafly, Live 365
Read the full review of the WD TV Live Hub
Worthwhile alternative: The D-Link Boxee Box is also adept at reading a wide range of file formats. Netflix and Hulu Plus apps are slated to be available on it soon.
Veebeam HD: Best wireless PC-to-TV solution
The Veebeam box offers wireless PC-to-TV video for less than $130.(Credit:Veebeam)
We've seen plenty of products that claim to make it easy to get your PC video content onto your TV, but the $139 Veebeam HD is the first one that seems to offer good reliability and easy setup at a reasonable price. Connect the Veebeam box to your TV's HDMI input, plug the USB dongle into your PC or Mac, install the Veebeam software, and you're pretty much good to go: whatever you watch on your PC screen--including Flash video--is mirrored onto your TV a few seconds later. (Compatible files can also be sent directly to the Veebeam box using the built-in software.)
Key compatible services: Anything (except for encrypted DVDs and Blu-ray movies) that you can view on your PC screen.
Read the full review of the Veebeam HD
Worthwhile alternative: Any laptop with Intel Wireless Display is a good choice, but you'll need to purchase a compatible Netgear Push2TV box and attach it to your TV.
A cheap HDMI cable: Best DIY wired PC-to-TV solution
Want a "quick and dirty" solution for streaming video on your TV? If you've got an HDTV, and your laptop has an HDMI output, just get a long cable and call it a day. (This will also work with most DVI and DisplayPort outputs, if you have the correct adapters or cables.)
* * *
Got a favorite from the list above? Anything we missed? Share your comments below.
Powered by WizardRSS | Work At Home Jobs