The $ 99 second - generation Apple TV is sleeker , small , faster , and less expensive than its predecessor — and focus completely on stream content . In summation to playing mental object from your iTunes library , your iOS devices using AirPlay , the iTunes Store , Netflix , and other sources , Apple recently addedMLB.TV and NBA League Passto the Apple TV ’s acquire leaning of streaming choices . Or as one analyst position it , the Apple TV ismoving from from avocation to vocation .
TheRoku category of productspicks up where the Apple TV will off , offer reenforcement for a growing collection of multimedia system “ channels , ” including Amazon Instant Video , Netflix , MLB.tv , Pandora , Hulu Plus , Ultimate Fighting Championship , and more .
Unlike Apple ’s one - sizing - fits - all offering , Roku ’s got three different fashion model . All of them offer up composite and HDMI outputs , as well as Wi - Fi and ethernet networking . $ 60 gets you the immoral good example Roku HD , which supports cyclosis video up to 720p . The $ 80 Roku XD adds living for 1080p video and 802.11n networking . The $ 100 Roku XDS ups the ante with dual - band 802.11n networking , backup for constituent video and Toslink optical sound out , and come with aUSB interface that lets you wait on up your own hired man - picked content .
The $ 300Logitech Revue with Google TVis nothing if not challenging . play along by a keyboard that incorporates a universal remote as well as black eye functions , this Android - establish circle - top box brings to your TV search capabilities and an reliable - to - good vane web browser along with solid media - playback and cyclosis services . With the addition of an optional USB video camera , the Revue also change by reversal your set into a video - chat monitoring gadget . It ’s not perfect , however . Key video - electronic connection site are occlude the Revue ’s Chrome browser app from play their content , and its search are sometimes confusing .
The $ 199Boxee Boxarrived on the market after a retentive hold , and the streaming landscape painting it enter had changed dramatically since the box was first foretell in late 2009 . The Boxee Box works much like other set - top boxes that stream sensitive from your connection and the Internet to your TV — you connect the box to your TV using the included HDMI line , and to your connection wirelessly using 2.4GHz - band 802.11n Wi - Fi or ethernet — but it stands out in other ways .
What separate this streamer is its impressive range of vane video recording offerings , both free and paid ( includingVuduandNetflix , although Hulu Plus is still miss ) ; a slick , videocentric exploiter interface ( elements of which you could stress out on your computer by downloading Boxee ’s free package ) ; and an attractive industrial design that includes , besides the box itself , a flyspeck , candy - bar - expressive style remote control .
At $ 699 , the 2010 Mac miniskirt may be a more expensive option than the others , but it offers a flexibility that no pure set - top box can . It ’s a Mac , after all , and can act mental object from unnumbered Websites and apps . Connect it to your high-definition television using the thoughtfully included HDMI output port , and you ’ve got an unriveled media streamer ( or medium center , if you want to be picky ) .
When you connect the Mac mini to a TV via HDMI , the Displays Elvis of System Preferences and the systemwide Displays menu automatically show available TV resolutions for that goggle box : 720p , 1080i , 1080p , and so on . In addition , Apple has tweaked the Displays back breaker of System Preferences to let you adjust the underscan storey so the miniskirt ’s picture output better fits your TV screen .
The included Front Row software program continue to provide only the most basic of sensitive - eye functionality , but with an iOS app or Bluetooth keyboard and mouse , you ’re in complete control .
