The good:Affordable
sub-$100 price tag; ultrasmall factor; streams more than a hundred
Internet video and audio services, including Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon,
Pandora, Major League Baseball and NHL games, and Mediafly podcasts;
built-in dual-band 802.11n Wi-Fi; works with all TVs, including non-HD
models; upgradable firmware allows for periodic update of content and
features; good HD video quality (on channels and programming that
support it).
The bad: Most
worthwhile services require monthly or per-use fees; some game consoles
and ever-cheaper Blu-ray players offer many of the same
Internet-viewing options plus disc playback; currently offers no
official support for streaming from USB drives and home network sources;
video quality varies from channel to channel, depending upon provider
and source material; setup and content queues usually require at least
some PC interaction; yet another box under the TV; currently offers no
access to PC- and USB-based media; lacks official support for YouTube.
The bottom line:Thanks
to its wide range of content offerings--including Netflix, Amazon, Hulu
Plus, and Pandora--the Roku XDS is the best all-around streaming media
box you can get for less than $100.
Editors' note: As of July 2011, this product has been discontinued and replaced by the Roku 2 XS.
It seems hard to believe now that Netflix streaming video is
available on nearly any Internet-connected home video product, but back
in the spring of 2008, the only Netflix-compatible device was a tiny
streaming media box called the Roku Player. In the two years since its
release, a series of firmware upgrades has expanded the program
offerings on the Roku, even as the company added a new generation of
products. The fall 2010 lineup comes in good, better, and best versions:
the $69.99 Roku HD, $79.99 Roku XD, and the $99.99 Roku XDS (reviewed here). (Note: The Netgear Roku Player NTV250 is just a rebadged version of the Roku XD.)
In its latest incarnation, the company has made its little black box
even smaller, while retaining the same onscreen look and feel as well
as "channel" options. Roku currently offers one of the strongest lists
of online content providers: Netflix, Hulu Plus, and Amazon Video on
Demand are the big headliners, with plenty of other video providers
(Vimeo, Flixster, Blip.tv, Break.com, Revision3), audio services
(Pandora, MP3tunes, MOG), photo services (Flickr, SmugMug, Facebook) and
live sports providers (MLB.TV, NHL GameCenter, UFC). There are dozens
more, though many are, admittedly, aiming for niche audiences.
We looked at the Roku XDS when it was first released in September
2010. At the time, we liked what we saw, but ultimately it was little
different from the previous incarnation of the Roku box. Moreover, we
were anticipating the release of several major competitors in the
upcoming weeks: the $99 Apple TV, the $199 Boxee Box, and a slate of Google TV products
($299 and up). Now that we've had a chance to test all of those
products, we've looped back to the Roku. Yes, it's still largely the
same box--albeit with the notable addition of Hulu Plus
to its channel list. But Roku is now a better deal than ever,
especially when compared with its aforementioned competitors. In fact,
we think it's the best sub-$100 streaming media box you can buy. Read on
to find out why. The hardware
From the front, all the 2010 Roku models look
the same, with each lightweight unit measuring 1.1 inches high by 4.9
inches wide by 4.9 inches deep. And each one offers wired (Ethernet) and
wireless (Wi-Fi) network connectivity, plus HDMI and composite AV video
outputs (for HDTVs and standard TVs, respectively). Internally, the big
difference involves the flavor of Wi-Fi you get: The base Roku HD model
has 802.11g whereas the Roku XD has faster 802.11n. Step up to the XDS
and you get dual-band 802.11n. Additionally, the XD and XDS come with
"enhanced" remotes that offer three additional buttons (instant replay,
back, and info).
For what it's worth, the XD and XDS also support 1080p video output,
while the entry-level Roku HD does 720p video. We think that's not a big deal
considering there's almost nothing in the way of true 1080p streaming
video, so you'll have a hard time telling the difference between the
resolutions, both of which are characterized as HD. Of course, you'll
need an HDTV to view Roku's HD video output and you'll also need to
supply your own HDMI cable since the box ships with only a standard
composite (red, white, yellow) AV cable. However, it is worth pointing
out that at least the Roku HD does connect to standard-definition TVs--
Apple TV, Boxee, and the Logitech Revue (Google TV) are designed to be used only with HDMI-equipped HDTVs.
The Roku XDS includes a USB port (which, once activated, will be used
for viewing USB-based media). It also offers an optical audio output
and support for component video (via a breakout cable)--both of which
are useful for connecting to non-HDMI TVs and home audio systems.
Which model is right for you will probably depend on your existing
network setup and the type of TV you plan on connecting to your Roku
box. For a lot of people the $69.99 model will work fine if their router
is nearby. But the higher-speed 802.11n networking capabilities of the
two high-end models will be enticing to many. (We'd bite the bullet and
get the XDS.) Panoply of content
Setting up your Roku Player is pretty straightforward, but you will be
asked to set up a Roku account on your computer during the setup process
that allows you to link multiple Roku boxes to the account (if you have
more than one) and access the Roku Channel Store. And if you're
planning on streaming Netflix content, you'll also have to go through
the two-step process of linking your Netflix account to your Roku box
via Netflix's Web site.
All of the programming on the Roku Player is available a la carte via
the Roku Channel Store (see the setup section below for details), with
more than 100 channels to choose from. A handful are quite good; many
however, you'll find you can live without. (The full list is available
at Roku's Web site.)
Some of the most notable channels are: Netflix (paid subscription): Access thousands of movies and TV
shows on-demand. The service is available to all Netflix subscribers on
plans that allow one disc or more at a time; alternately, Netflix now
offers a streaming-only plan for $8 per month. An increasing amount of the content is available in HD. The updated Netflix interface now supports searching and instant queue additions, which makes things even more convenient. Amazon Video-on-Demand
(pay-per-view): Amazon offers 40,000-plus movies and TV shows for sale
or rent a la carte, for anywhere from 99 cents to $4 for rentals and
from $6 to $15 for purchases. Much of the content is available in HD. Hulu Plus (paid subscription): Unlike the Hulu.com Web site,
Hulu Plus isn't free, and it doesn't have access to any current cable
channel shows. But for $8 a month, you get on-demand access to full
seasons of most current shows on ABC, Fox, and NBC, plus a sizeable
archive of older shows and even some movies. MLB.TV (paid subscription): MLB.TV enables access to live and
prerecorded Major League Baseball games--with the major caveat that it
only works for out-of-area teams. You can choose the home or away video
feed, which is available in standard or high-def (bandwidth permitting).
NHL GameCenter (paid subscription): The hockey version of the MLB
service described above. It provides live and recorded out-of-area pro
hockey games, available on-demand. Pandora (free): The popular, free, streaming-audio service is
available through the Roku Player. "Stations" you set up in advance can
be accessed onscreen, and songs can be skipped or voted as "thumbs up"
or "thumbs down." Mediafly (free): The online content aggregator allows you to
access a wide variety of audio and video broadcasts from pros and
amateurs. Popular programs are instantly accessible via genre, and
Mediafly subscribers can line up customized feeds as well. Though the
programs are ostensibly "podcasts," Mediafly content includes some
full-length TV programming as well, such as news and public affairs
shows from NBC, CNBC, MSNBC, ABC, and CBS. (Note: CNET's parent company
is CBS.) Flickr (free): Photos on Yahoo's Flickr service can be accessed onscreen via the Roku. Revision3 (free): The full range of programs from this
tech-centric video provider--including Tekzilla and Diggnation--is
available on the Roku.
Hunkered down in New York City, Executive Editor David Carnoy covers the gamut of gadgets and writes his Fully Equipped column, which carries the tag line "The electronics you lust for." He's also the author of "Knife Music," a novel that's available at Amazon, bn.com, and as a Kindle, iBooks, or Nook e-book.
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