Media Boxes

I’ve been looking around and surfing the net for media boxes for a while. I planned on buying a flat-screen TV and wanted a box to stream some content to it. I ended up grabbing the Vudu box from BestBuy, but unfortunately they’re backordered. I hope I receive it fairly soon, within the next 1-2 weeks. Here are a couple of media boxes that I did a little bit of research on and was contemplating buying. I did a little bit of a comparison between these systems, so let me share just some basics and the features between these boxes.

1) Roku: The Roku box allows you to watch Netflix videos, Amazon video on demand, and MLB.com. What’s cool about this box? It connects directly with Netflix and allows you to watch movies and TV episodes instantly. You can pause, rewind, and stop the video. That is a lot of movies! Netflix has a whole bunch of movies for you to choose from. Another feature that you need to know about is the way it connects to the Internet. The Roku box connects to the Internet physically through Ethernet or through it’s built-in wi-fi. It has the standard white, yellow, and red cables and HDMI for connection with any HDTV. Best of all is it’s price. It’s the cheapest box out there. With a subscription to Netflix, you’ll be all set for enjoying your movies. Price: $99

2) WD TV: The Western Digital TV box seems like a pretty convenient way to store media and watch it on a widescreen television. In order for this media box to work, you need a My Passport portable drive or a skew of portable media players that are mass storage devices. That means flash drives, folks. It plays 1080p HD and allows you to play movies, pictures, and music. There are two USB ports, which allows you to access two USB storage devices at the same time. The device will automatically congregate a list of all your media from both drives. In essence, it’ll let you pull media from hard drives and display them on a TV. Don’t forget that the WD TV does not come with hard drives. Price: $129.99

3) Apple TV: Everyone knows about Apple by now right? They’re that company behind the iPods and the Macs. I have to say, they’re pretty awesome products. Clean, simple, elegant, classy, and efficient. I was really contemplating buying the Apple TV, but I decided not to because I didn’t want to be tied to iTunes. Don’t get me wrong. I have nothing against iTunes, but I wouldn’t want my TV being tied to it. Same concept. The Apple TV connects to your HDTV and you purchase or rent movies and television shows from iTunes. Sync your computer up and watch it on the big screen. You can also view your pictures, music, and YouTube videos on your box. However, as with Apple products, it carries a price tag. Price: Starts at $229

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4) Vudu: This is the box that I chose to stick with, although I’m disappointed that it is backordered. The system has a huge collection of HD movies and new releases, but beyond that, it also incorporates YouTube, Flickr, Pandora, Picasa, and games for your entertainment on your TV. As with the Apple TV, you can purchase or rent the most popular flicks and you can rent or purchase all from your iPod or iPhone. Awesome stuff! Price: $149