# Best Network Media Share player: Popcorn Hour, MediaMVP-HD, PS3, Blu-Ray, Roku???



## junzi (Jan 26, 2011)

I am at the stage where I need to choose a networked mediashare extender to play archived TV programming from a Networked Attached Storage (NAS) system to TV. I prefer a dedicated media share box rather than the HTPC route because I need a solution that won't require lots of tweaking. There are MANY choices out there.

Note: I get my programming from D* HR23-700, encoded through the Hauppauger Colossus PCI-E card.

Some prominent posters (eg 1948GG) highly recommend Popcorn Hour. Others found PS3 Blu-Ray and Hauppauge to work well for their needs. Other posters list a bunch of boxes with no mention of their performance. However, many of the posts are over a year old and there are a lot of new, viable solutions available...I just need help choosing one.

I am considering a $99 Hauppauge MediaMVP-HD system to work in conjunction with the Colossus PCI-E card, but this is a new product and the reviews have been lackluster. The $300 PS3 looks like a good option as well b/c it has a lot of software support w/ free upgrades, online media stream perks and proven performance, other components to bundle with it (Base Station, PSP), and can be used as a Blu-Ray player, but I am not a gamer and have not used one before and many people report the blue-ray player breaking after a year.

Amazon ranks the Roku as the best selling and highest rated media share player, but there is not much chatter about its reliability and usefulness with a NAS system in this forum. Some people HATE the Roku system, but then why is it the best selling mediashare extender? Apple and WD are also highly ranked.

Here are a few constraints:

Separate, dedicated box to work with PC, NAS (RAID6), TV network, etc.
Plays most file formats
Reliability
Able to quickly organize and edit files into folders on the PC and display choices on TV screen in an intelligent format
FAST TV screen use: fast forward, pause, rewind, etc. I hate my clunky HR23 interface. I want speed!
Budget upto $300 (but will consider upto $500 if there is awesome added value)
1080p/blu-ray capable a plus

I like to reference my archive of DIY shows (This Old House, American Woodshop, etc.) and need quick access to them. Most shows are recorded in SD, but some are HD. Of course I would also like to access some movies/documentaries recorded in 1080i and to media stream, but that is not my main objective.

Here is a list of device Brands culled from Amazon's electrical devices/media share category. If anyone can suggest the best for me, let me know! Any dogs? All-stars? The list is not exhaustive and not all are applicable, but most are:

* Alfa (2)
* Altaz (1)
* Apple (4)
* Archos (1)
* Argosy (5)
* Asus (14)
* AverMedia (2)
* Brainydeal (3)
* brite-View (5)
* Buffalo Technology (11)
* cirago (7)
* Cisco (20)
* Diamond Multimedia (2)
* D-Link (21)
* DViCO (4)
* Grace Digital (7)
* Hauppauge (3)
* HDI Dune (1)
* Hornettek (3)
* HP (8)
* Iomega (12)
* LaCie (9)
* LG (14)
* Lorex (3)
* Micca (7)
* Monsoon (3)
* Moxi (2)
* NBOX (1)
* Netgear (17)
* Nixeus Technology (3)
* Noah Company (4)
* OPPO Digital (3)
* Patriot (4)
* Philips (5)
* Popcorn Hour (3)
* Prime (1)
* Prodigi PD-100N (1)
* RCA (2)
* Replay Tv (4)
* Roku (8)
* Samsung (13)
* Satechi (1)
* Seagate (15)
* Sezmi (1)
* Sling Media (10)
* Sonos (12)
* Sony (48)
* TiVo (19)
* Verbatim (3)
* ViewSonic (11)
* VisionTek (1)
* Western Digital (19)
* Xtreamer (5)


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## jdspencer (Nov 8, 2003)

I don't know if it is the best, but I have the WD TV Plus HD Media Player.
Works well for my needs. It sees my WD NAS as well as my PCs.


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## armchair (Jul 27, 2009)

Good question.

I don't really have the answer but playon may be something to consider if you go with one of the compatible boxes. They just added Roku which may expand the usefulness of that box. PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, Moxi and Google TV are included as well many others.


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## TBlazer07 (Feb 5, 2009)

I have a WD TV LIVE HUB (the new model with the built in 1TB hard drive) and everything I throw at it works flawlessly. Basically the same as the WD TV LIVE which doesn't have the HD and a couple other minor features. I had a Popcorn Hour and it had all kinds of problems. Also had a Brite-View which was great when it first came out then there was some internal problems within their company and support has virtually faded away. PlayON works fine with the WD which also has it's own native Netflix app and a few others as well.


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## sigma1914 (Sep 5, 2006)

What's your budget?


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## armchair (Jul 27, 2009)

sigma1914 said:


> What's your budget?


TS post says up to $300.


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## sigma1914 (Sep 5, 2006)

armchair said:


> TS post says up to $300.


I'm a dope and totally missed that. :lol:

I suggest a PS3.


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## armchair (Jul 27, 2009)

I was thinking PS3 but haven't used one; just heard some things about them. Be aware that according to some folks (Google and AVS Forum), the PS3 is no substitute for the newer 3D BluRay players if to be used with latest home theater with TrueHD and DTS-Master audio formats while displaying 3D video. Only standard DTS is available when playing 3D video. Also, the pop-up menu will defeat 3D mode while displayed.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20017116-1.html That post is also linked to a PS3 3D BluRay FAQ/thread at AVS Forum...

Maybe the player combos are best for streaming options but looks like the recent 3D-BDPs are better for audiophiles that watch 3D. I'm thinking 3D is a relevant term to consider when buying new hardware. Sony made it available as a free f/w upgrade to most PS3 players but not without some compromises.


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

I bought three Rokus and I'm sorry I did. I like the BD players much better. They upscale the NetFlix content really well. I also bought three Panny BD65s, which I thought were superb until I bought a Sammy sound system (I'm not a big Sammy fan, but I was looking for a sound system for the master bedroom that didn't cost a fortune and bought the Sammy HT-C5500). The sound system is very good and the integrated BD player simply blows the Panny BD65s away. I also bought a Sammy BD 5500 and it's as good as the sound system's BD player. So, now I've got three Rokus and use one and three Panny BD65s and use one. I really gotta be more careful and try more devices before I jump in and buy a bunch.....:nono2:

Rich


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## spartanstew (Nov 16, 2005)

NeoTV 550


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

rich584 said:


> I bought three Rokus and I'm sorry I did. I like the BD players much better. They upscale the NetFlix content really well. I also bought three Panny BD65s, which I thought were superb until I bought a Sammy sound system (I'm not a big Sammy fan, but I was looking for a sound system for the master bedroom that didn't cost a fortune and bought the Sammy HT-C5500). The sound system is very good and the integrated BD player simply blows the Panny BD65s away. I also bought a Sammy BD 5500 and it's as good as the sound system's BD player. So, now I've got three Rokus and use one and three Panny BD65s and use one. I really gotta be more careful and try more devices before I jump in and buy a bunch.....:nono2:
> 
> Rich


I think Roku's are good for what they are, but no substitute for a good blu player. I have a PS3 that I use for discs and PC/Netflix streaming, but the Roku is great for Amazon VOD, and Internet shows like Revision 3 and TWIT as well as Pandora.


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## junzi (Jan 26, 2011)

spartanstew said:


> NeoTV 550


How is the automatic browsing feature for the NeoTV 550? Do you use a NAS system? Is the live browsing of a large storage of media fast and reliable? Any hangups? The Amazon description of the Neo550 ($170) is pretty much what I am looking for.


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## junzi (Jan 26, 2011)

TBlazer07 said:


> I have a WD TV LIVE HUB (the new model with the built in 1TB hard drive) and everything I throw at it works flawlessly. Basically the same as the WD TV LIVE which doesn't have the HD and a couple other minor features. I had a Popcorn Hour and it had all kinds of problems. Also had a Brite-View which was great when it first came out then there was some internal problems within their company and support has virtually faded away.  PlayON works fine with the WD which also has it's own native Netflix app and a few others as well.


The Western Digital WD TV Live Plus 1080p HD Media Player on Amazon ($98) looks like a great option. How is the browsing feature?...I need it to be fast and easily organizble so I can rifle through 100's of shows for DIY reference when working around the house or researching something. Does it work with subfolders? Automatic updating of NAS folders and subfolders? My D* HR23 has always been slow in searching for programming.


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## junzi (Jan 26, 2011)

sigma1914 said:


> I suggest a PS3.





dpeters11 said:


> I think Roku's are good for what they are, but no substitute for a good blu player. I have a PS3 that I use for discs and PC/Netflix streaming, but the Roku is great for Amazon VOD, and Internet shows like Revision 3 and TWIT as well as Pandora.


Do you think there is added value in the PS3 for media streaming Netflix and other providers due to the PS3 massive customer base? It is a billion dollar product geared towards gamers who like to media stream games online, so it would seem that the PS3 architecture and support (automatic firmware updates) would oust most of the media streaming competition. However, that does not mean it is a better media extender to organize and interface 1000's of TV files stored on a NAS.

Can you easily make folders and subfolders for your NAS and quickly access all of them via the PS3 interface? Does the PS3 browse and auto-update available media from the NAS? I am assuming you are using a PS3 remote.


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## rajeshh (Sep 11, 2007)

junzi said:


> Can you easily make folders and subfolders for your NAS and quickly access all of them via the PS3 interface? Does the PS3 browse and auto-update available media from the NAS? I am assuming you are using a PS3 remote.


I have PS3 and by itself afaik, the PS3 cannot stream content on a NAS. I run a very popular PS3 media server ( hosted on google code) that you run on a PC, which the PS3 then uses to stream content that the PS3 media server sees..

I have a small Windows Server ( HP Server LX 195) that I keep running all the time, and have the Ps3 media server running on this. I also have PlayOn running on this machine ( though I dont think the processor is sufficient for PlayOn). The main issue with this solution is that FF, REW wont work all the time reliably or fast enough


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## armchair (Jul 27, 2009)

Here's a Media solution I came across today. They're taking pre-orders on the second-generation PlayON!HD (Playon!HD2): http://www.gizmodaddy.com/networked-home-theater-media-players/a.c.-ryan-playonhd2-media-player.html

Thoughts? Should there be any consideration on this one? I'm looking for a good streaming solution for the bedroom. This one may even centralize HD streams to the whole house via the ETHERNET from the bedroom since I have DLNA and other compatible devices everywhere else but there.


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## djousma (Jan 22, 2007)

Logitech Revue. Was $229 at Costco. My experience with using DVD players for streaming apps is that the apps to do so are way to slow.... Plus you get full keyboard, and web surfing too. Integrated with DTV STB, TV and AVR if you have one.

I also use this to stream sports from ESPN3.com.


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## RunnerFL (Jan 5, 2006)

AppleTV! It's $99, you plug it in and it just works. Nothing to fool around with, no muss no fuss.


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## jacmyoung (Sep 9, 2006)

Can any of those media players play back recordings from the DirecTV HR24s? Also other than Sling products, are there any other products that can playback HR24 recordings on the road?


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## CCarncross (Jul 19, 2005)

jacmyoung said:


> Can any of those media players play back recordings from the DirecTV HR24s? Also other than Sling products, are there any other products that can playback HR24 recordings on the road?


Any PC that meets the hardware requirements can play from your HDDVR's. You use the Direct2pc application. Only a device that works similar to a sling device can playback recordings on the road. IP related playback can only happen on a single subnet.....I suspect due to D*'s implementation of DRM.


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## jacmyoung (Sep 9, 2006)

"CCarncross" said:


> Any PC that meets the hardware requirements can play from your HDDVR's. You use the Direct2pc application. Only a device that works similar to a sling device can playback recordings on the road. IP related playback can only happen on a single subnet.....I suspect due to D*'s implementation of DRM.


How did the DirecTV NFL app work on Android or iPhone? I thought it played back from the HR24?


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## armchair (Jul 27, 2009)

djousma said:


> Logitech Revue. Was $229 at Costco. My experience with using DVD players for streaming apps is that the apps to do so are way to slow.... Plus you get full keyboard, and web surfing too. Integrated with DTV STB, TV and AVR if you have one.
> 
> I also use this to stream sports from ESPN3.com.


The Revue is synonymous to Google TV, correct?

Has anyone managed to get Hulu with Google TV, yet? Playon is a solution for some (IDK if Playon is a solution for Google TV) but carries an additional subscription but they do have a lifetime license option.


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

junzi said:


> Do you think there is added value in the PS3 for media streaming Netflix and other providers due to the PS3 massive customer base? It is a billion dollar product geared towards gamers who like to media stream games online, so it would seem that the PS3 architecture and support (automatic firmware updates) would oust most of the media streaming competition. However, that does not mean it is a better media extender to organize and interface 1000's of TV files stored on a NAS.
> 
> Can you easily make folders and subfolders for your NAS and quickly access all of them via the PS3 interface? Does the PS3 browse and auto-update available media from the NAS? I am assuming you are using a PS3 remote.


I just have the videos on my desktop, and put them in a Media Player folder which my PS3 can access. I don't use the PS3 remote for it, I use my Harmony.

I would think the PS3 would be better with streaming, and now that Diskless Netflix is gone, it's good for that and streaming from my PC, but no Amazon VOD access that I've been able to find.


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## bobnielsen (Jun 29, 2006)

When I checked last year Roku did not support streaming from a computer so it was a non-starter for me. My DVD player died about that time and I got a Samsung BD-C5500, which does fairly well for streaming (FF & RW are flakey). Netflix works great.


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## junzi (Jan 26, 2011)

jacmyoung said:


> Can any of those media players play back recordings from the DirecTV HR24s?


I believe you have to encode the data in realtime with something like the Hauppauge PVR-HD or Colossus PCI-E card, store the data on a separate Network Attached Storage (NAS) system, then recall the media from the NAS using a media share extender (like the PS3, Roku, WD TV, NeoTV 550, etc.) I do not think you can directly link a media share extender to a D* box and play/interface programming for many reasons (encryption, access to folders, etc.). This would make it a Multi-Room Viewer (MRV), which is a new D* product for connecting household D* boxes so recorded programming is available to all the boxes. However, someone out there may have a workaround to extend MRV capability to non-D* boxes, possibly through DirecTV2PC.


jacmyoung said:


> Also other than Sling products, are there any other products that can playback HR24 recordings on the road?


Hauppauge is introducing the Broadway.
Check out Sony's LocationFree LF-V30 base station.

I have not used these products. I don't know how they compare with the Sling or if there are better solutions using server programming and PCI cards to stream recorded media from a NAS system.


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## cthomp21 (Oct 9, 2008)

rajeshh said:


> I have PS3 and by itself afaik, the PS3 cannot stream content on a NAS. I run a very popular PS3 media server ( hosted on google code) that you run on a PC, which the PS3 then uses to stream content that the PS3 media server sees..
> 
> I have a small Windows Server ( HP Server LX 195) that I keep running all the time, and have the Ps3 media server running on this. I also have PlayOn running on this machine ( though I dont think the processor is sufficient for PlayOn). The main issue with this solution is that FF, REW wont work all the time reliably or fast enough


Just to add, I've got a PS3 and can stream directly from my NAS (a 1TB Linkstation Live). The key is using a NAS that supports DLNA.

Browsing files on my NAS or computer through TVersity is lightning fast. FF/RW work perfectly. The upconversion on the PS3 works extremely well and makes even low bitrate stuff acceptable. There is a rare occasion where a file won't work (either corrupt or unsupported in some manner).

I loved my first PS3 so much that I bought another. Netflix also works extremely well. I'm not really a gamer and have only ever played one game, which came with the PS3. I also appreciate that software updates (such as 3D gaming/movies) which ensures me I'll be using up to date hardware for years to come.


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

bobnielsen said:


> When I checked last year Roku did not support streaming from a computer so it was a non-starter for me. My DVD player died about that time and I got a Samsung BD-C5500, which does fairly well for streaming (FF & RW are flakey). Netflix works great.


That Sammy 5500 is, by far, the best BD player I've ever had. The remote is poorly designed, the remote doesn't work with any of my Panny plasmas and it's not backlit. Aside from that, I really like the two 5500s that I have.

For streaming NetFlix, the Rokus, the Panny BD65s and the 5500s are about the same. I think NetFlix streaming content is the problem with FF and Reverse, but the Panny BD65s do handle that better than the Rokus and the 5500s. The Panny BD65s also have a better remote than the 5500, altho they are too cramped to use in a dark room and are not backlit.

The BD65 has the capability for controlling AV receivers, but I can't get a code for my Sony receivers that works with them and Panny support is very poor. The 5500s don't have the ability to control AV receivers and I consider that a problem. They do, somehow or other, control my Panny plasmas to some extent. Almost as good as the Viera link on the Panny products. This was a big surprise.

The 5500s upscale all NetFlix content much better than the BD65s. The Rokus put out a very good 720p picture, but don't upscale at all. NetFlix is taking longer than I thought it would to stream 1080p and 5.1 sound, except to the Sony PS3s.

All in all, it seems to be a mixed bag. I care most about PQ and AQ, and for that, the 5500 seems to be the best of the three. The 5500s also handle their apps much better than the BD65s do. And they have a pretty good selection of apps.

Next one I try will be a Sony.

Rich


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## junzi (Jan 26, 2011)

Has anyone tried MythTV, Freevo, or other opensource program instead of a media player extender? I do not run linux and am not a good programmer or engineer...but I know enough to get by. 

I would be interested to know if anyone tried something like MythTV and found it to be a pain and switched back to a media player extender. Please let me know if MythTV is something I should seriously consider, or if a separate, designated media player/Media Streamer box is the way to go.


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## ShinKen (Apr 11, 2007)

Have you looked at boxee box? I have used a PS3, xbox, and popbox and have found the boxee box to be the best for me. I use it mainly for my local files, DVD and Blu-ray rips from my collection. It has played all my media (mkv, mp4, divx, xvid, ts files and bitstreaming the hi-def codecs Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD MA) pretty well, and has a good interface that my wife and 6 yo son can use without any issue.

I am streaming all my movies from a old hp windows home server without any problems.


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## SteveInNC (Oct 8, 2007)

Here is a site (iboum.com) similar to DBSTalk with site and user reviews specifically for media players. It goes into detail as to interior hardware, chipsets, capabilities, pricing, etc. Note that some of these units are targetted to Europe with streaming services available there, but they make it pretty obvious as to what will work in the US market/services.


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## djousma (Jan 22, 2007)

armchair said:


> The Revue is synonymous to Google TV, correct?
> 
> Has anyone managed to get Hulu with Google TV, yet? Playon is a solution for some (IDK if Playon is a solution for Google TV) but carries an additional subscription but they do have a lifetime license option.


Yes it is google TV. Only had it for a couple months, but I stream Netflix, YouTube, ESPN3.com, Pandora no problems. Wife does Facebook, etc.

I have not tried Hulu.

As a side-note, I see comments about the Sammy 5500 Blueray for streaming. That unit was my original choice for streaming apps, but I personally found it great for playing DVDs/Blueray, but extremely slow using Samsung apps. My personal belief is that it just doesnt have a fast enough processor in it. Since I already have a Sony Bluray, I returned the Sammy to Costco, and got the Revue.

For me, the bonus was being able to stream ESPN3.com for college basketball. I used to do that with my laptop connected to the TV via HDMI, but now Revue does it.


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## ronton3 (Mar 15, 2006)

Thanks for the IBOUM website, it has a lot of good info. I have the original WDTV and am getting ready to upgrade to something with networking capabilities. ron


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

djousma said:


> Yes it is google TV. Only had it for a couple months, but I stream Netflix, YouTube, ESPN3.com, Pandora no problems. Wife does Facebook, etc.
> 
> I have not tried Hulu.
> 
> ...


Over the years, I've come to the conclusion that Costco is a dumping ground for equipment that works, just not as the manufacturer intended. Or as flat out seconds. I know most of the watches they sell are seconds. They come with a note in the box stating that they are seconds.

Last year alone, I bought a snow blower, didn't work, had to return it and get another one that worked. Bought a generator, had to contact the manufacturer for the parts that were missing. Bought a Uniden phone cordless phone system for the house to replace an older Uniden phone system. Didn't work, bought new batteries for the older system, I could go on and on, but I really think a lot of big ticket items they sell are things other stores won't sell.

I looked at Sony TVs with odd model numbers, called Sony several times and nobody would talk about those odd numbered TVs, finally got one guy who just said, "Don't buy one."

I've had absolutely no problems with my 5500s bought from Amazon and PC Richards. The apps load quickly and both BD players are simply the best BD players I've ever owned. I saw the Revue at Costco the other day, and my first thought was to check it out on Amazon. I'd rather pay a bit more and get something that works correctly than deal with Costco. Like their foodstuffs, tho. Just the big ticket items I have problems with.

Rich


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## michaelp95 (Jan 17, 2008)

Veronica Belmont of Revision 3 created a list of all known media devices, what they do, what the dont do etc and posted here on a google docs spreadsheet. Makes it simple to see what media will play on each device.

https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc...VMRfdgjpDyPbBSg&hl=en&authkey=CMWSqM8P#gid=28


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## ronton3 (Mar 15, 2006)

A lot of work and use full but not all. See the list on IBOUM.com. I did not see playon. ron


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## skatingrocker17 (Jun 24, 2010)

I just bought the Boxee Box pretty much for the reason that it will play any file format. I guess it plays even more than the WDTV Live which was praised for having such extensive file support. 
The Apple TV is only really good if most of your content is through iTunes BUT if you load up XBMC on it then it makes a really good 720p device.
The Roku is more for online streaming services but the Roku XDS is a good deal.


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## adamson (Nov 9, 2007)

Just wondering...those who use roku...do you subscribe to MOG ? It is a music service and plays entire albums, specific songs, or a mix of like music. It is $5.00 bucks for basic no downloadable music, and near $10.00 for included downloads to iphones etc. It is much much better than Pandora...very nice since I never listen to sonic tap from Directv. I wish Music Choice would come back actually. MOG fits the bill for me at home.


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## zeebanker (Oct 21, 2006)

skatingrocker17 said:


> I just bought the Boxee Box pretty much for the reason that it will play any file format. I guess it plays even more than the WDTV Live which was praised for having such extensive file support.
> The Apple TV is only really good if most of your content is through iTunes BUT if you load up XBMC on it then it makes a really good 720p device.
> The Roku is more for online streaming services but the Roku XDS is a good deal.


And it looks like quite a few people are having issues with AppleTV's networking. See here...discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2753196&tstart=15

Anyhoo, I'm just getting started with networking the entire home. Spent last weekend kluging a Linksys WRT54G router to work as a wireless repeater. Next project - wireless server to connect to the HR20-700. Thank you to everyone who posted many insightful remarks on this forum!


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## gregjones (Sep 20, 2007)

One of the requirements, plays most formats, warrants a thread by itself. "Most" has a different definition from person to person. I personally prefer mkv containers with h.264 encoding because it is the most flexible with open source tools. Very few standalone boxes would meet that requirement. 

Like channels, having the most formats is irrelevant. Having the formats you NEED is the crucial part.


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## rucknrun (Jul 16, 2007)

I say get a PS3 for 300 if you want a lower price option Roku. I stream stuff from a media server to 2 PS3's and a Roku box in my house. It works great. Just install Roksbox on your Roku and local media streaming works great.

On the PS3 I get 1080p with 5.1 and no stuttering when streaming content. Just my 2 cents.


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## Ed Campbell (Feb 17, 2006)

RunnerFL said:



> AppleTV! It's $99, you plug it in and it just works. Nothing to fool around with, no muss no fuss.


+1


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

Ed Campbell said:


> +1


Seems to get a lot of bad reviews.

Rich


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## camo (Apr 15, 2010)

There is a show similar to the old screensavers/techtv called tekzilla you can watch on the net. They cover a lot of different solutions like tversity and different set-top box combo's.


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