Device Recommendations

You have plenty of choices as far as streaming players are concerned. I’ll cover my personal favorite in detail and then touch on some of the other options currently available. I will also mention some new entries in the marketplace that hold significant promise.

Roku
My streaming device of choice is the Roku box. It does a phenomenal job of measuring the speed of your internet connection and providing the best possible picture accordingly. This is particularly nice with Netflix. I’ve set up several friends with this sweet little device and even with lower end internet speeds, the video quality provided through the Roku is quite impressive.



Photo credit: Roku.com

With the Roku you’ll have access to an enormous library of “channels” for video and audio. Of course they have the most popular ones like Netflix, Pandora, Hulu Plus, MLB.com, Amazon Video, and Crackle as well as an assortment of games. They also have many lesser known channels you can check out. From workout videos to classic television commercials, there’s something for everyone. And see the Resources section at the end of this book for a tip on how to add ‘hidden’ channels to your Roku.

Prices currently range from $99 for the top of the line unit that includes a free Angry Birds game, down to $49 for the basic 720p HD model. Roku.com often has great deals around the holidays as well so you may be able to save $20 or so and get free shipping. The device is also available at retail stores like Best Buy and Fry’s Electronics as well as the usual online outlets.  

You can review the features of each model on the Roku website:

Roku Product Comparisons

Apple TV
Similar to Roku, Apple TV offers access to Netflix, Hulu Plus, and many other streaming channels. Plus it can stream your iTunes videos and music to your TV and you can even use the AirPlay feature to play content from your iOS device (iPad, iPhone or iPod) on your TV.

There’s only one model of Apple TV and it costs $99. Not a bad deal but there’s nothing that makes it stand out by comparison to the Roku. And it’s unlikely to ever go on sale.

If you have iOS devices and would like to use those as part of your entertainment setup, then it’s an excellent choice. If you’re not particularly tied to the Apple ecosystem, then go for the Roku.

Other Choices
Western Digital, Sony, and Netgear offer devices similar to the Roku. But I haven’t heard of a reason why any of them is a “must have” device over the Roku.

New on the Scene
This next one could very well qualify as a “must have” device but has just recently hit the market.

The Boxee TV unit, which sells for $99, looks like a big improvement over the rather clunky earlier version known as Boxee Box.

 

 

 

The concept is largely the same as other devices (Roku, Apple TV, etc.) but with some truly enticing added features.

First, Boxee TV will let you connect an antenna (it even comes with a free one, although it looks rather cheap) so you can watch your local channels through the device.

But the big selling point is that it offers a “No Limits DVR” option that will let you record broadcast TV to their cloud-based system. After a 3-month trial, this optional feature does cost $9.99 per month. But it’s a slick add-on that also lets you watch the recorded shows on a variety of devices including smartphones, tablets, and computers. Since Boxee TV has two tuners, it’s capable of recording two channels at once, a nice perk that is rare in a low priced device.

DVR features are currently in limited major markets but they plan to expand over time. It’s definitely worth looking into.

Boxee TV

Other Information

You may already have built-in software with your TV or Blu-ray player that will let you watch Netflix and other services. If that’s the case, you don’t necessarily need to buy a separate device. However, I’ve found the Roku does a much better job of playing video smoothly, with no hiccups or buffering issues, whether you have lightning fast internet speeds or not. I’ve tested built-in apps from both LG and Samsung and been less than impressed with their performance, even with a wired connection and very fast internet speeds.

Part of the problem is that these devices – Smart TVs and Blu-ray players with built in internet apps – do not have very fast processors so the software is often sluggish. Just starting up the Netflix app on my Samsung Blu-ray player, for example, often takes a minute or longer to get up and running. Newer models of these types of devices certainly are faster but streaming is still lacking because it’s essentially a secondary or “add-on” feature.

In my opinion, the Roku wins hands down. It’s easy to use and built specifically for the job of streaming media so it handles that task very well.