Bring Streaming Content to Your TV

You prefer outdoor games and don’t play games on your computer.  You want to bring some streaming content to your HD goodness TV but don’t want to buy an Xbox or Playstation 3. What do you do, what do you do?

How do you get Netflix, Hulu Plus, or your own videos and  pictures to stream to your TV? Let’s look at some of the options, shall we?

The obvious would be to replace your DVD player, with the Sony BDP-S580 - 3D Blu-ray Disc Player.

Features include:

• Built-in Wi-Fi
• Internet streaming to Netflix, YouTube, Pandora, Hulu Plus and more.
• A free Media Remote app for your iPhone/iPad or Android phone.
• Blu-ray 3D™ playback capability
• Multi-room music with PartyStreaming. (We like PartyStreaming)
• Wireless connect to your PC to stream music, photos and videos.

Cost = $129

But wait, there’s more!

I have always read good things about the Western Digital WD TV Live Media Player. It’s another wireless media player that plays music, movies, photos and a handful of internet streaming apps.

Features include:

• A plethora of supported file formats, including playback of playlists (PLS, M3U, WPL)
• Play content from network drives and/or USB drives
• Programmable remote control included
• On-screen keyboard or attached your own USB keyboard (bonus typing!)

I like this a bit better because it can play my music playlists, comes with a remote control,  and I don’t really need to replace my current DVD player.

Cost = $129

What else is out there? How about an Apple TV? Of course it’s wireless and has access to your Apple stuff.

• Access content in your iTunes and iCloud accounts and on iDevices
• Limited selection of apps

Doesn’t do much but access the iCloud and iTunes. Ok…

Cost = $99

There is the Logitech Revue with Google TV. But I am not going to bother with comparing it. Why? When the CEO of the company states that it “brought closure to the Logitech Revue saga” by making plans to let inventory run out this quarter and that there are “no plans to introduce another box to replace Revue.”

(Yes, they just updated the firmware to Android 3.1, but it hasn’t solved Google TV’s core content-access problems) NEXT!
Cost = $159.99

And finally…

Roku has 4 different models that you can choose from that offers lots of sports, music and news options. However, it doesn’t offer YouTube or access to your computer.

Cost = $49 to $99

Hope this article helps to answer which media player you should add to your never ending array of gadgets!

 

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