In addition, the hardware made the interface feel slightly sluggish and unresponsive. The old, horizontal row design of the Roku device was painful to navigate, especially after installing tons of applications. If you had asked me this question a month ago, there’s absolutely no way I would have awarded the Roku 2 the prize for the top user interface. If you are purchasing a set-top box with a separate home theater system and prefer to run the video over HDMI directly to your high definition television, both the Apple TV and the WD TV Play include an optical audio output. Both support an expanded number of video and audio formats, ideal for streaming content from a portable hard drive or over the home’s network. If your needs are more specialized when it comes to local content, check out the Boxee Box as well as the WD TV Play. However, the hardware does offer a well-rounded set of features that will be useful to a modern, high definition household that’s more interested in streaming content over the Web rather than playing local content. The main drawbacks to the Roku 3 hardware design are lack of support for standard definition televisions, absent DLNA support and limited file type support. In addition, Roku includes an Ethernet port for direct connections to a router, a USB port to connect a flash drive or portable hard drive and a MicroSD slot to expand the internal memory for storing applications downloaded from the Roku channel store. Ideal for high-definition televisions, the Roku 3 offers 1080p video playback with 7.1 and 5.1 surround pass through over HDMI and dual-band wireless connectivity (Wi-Fi b/g/n compatible) with WEP, WPA, and WPA2 support. Other content from the Web can also be streamed to a Roku 3 set-top box utilizing the Plex server application on the device as well as running on a PC on the home’s network. The only major player that’s absent from the device is Google’s YouTube, however YouTube can easily be streamed to a Roku 3 utilizing an Android and iOS mobile application called Twonky Beam. The Roku 3 currently offers access to over 750 different entertainment channels including popular apps such as Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, Hulu Plus, Vudu and HBO GO. In addition, other set-top boxes, like the Apple TV and WD TV Play, have similar issues with content selection as well as app availability. The lack of Hulu Plus on Google TV set-top boxes like the Vizio Co-Star is also an issue, despite the thousands of applications that can be installed from the Google Play store. Boxee Box is the only device that comes close enough to match the Roku 3, but the lack of support for major applications like Hulu Plus and Amazon Instant Video is definitely disappointing. Without a doubt, the Roku 3 offers a significantly higher volume of streaming video applications when compared to the other set-top box alternatives. Here’s a quick overview of the prices for these streaming set-top boxes: While the WD TV Play doesn’t offer the same amount of streaming application support as a Roku 3 or Boxee Box, it could be perfect for a secondary television in a bedroom or office that simply needs access to popular applications such as Netflix, Vudu or Hulu Plus. In addition, the recently released device can occasionally be found on sale between $60 to $65. While the minimum price of admission for 1080p streaming video is around $100 on set-top boxes like the Roku 3 and Apple TV, Western Digital accomplishes the same feat at a $70 MSRP. It’s tough to compete with this nifty media streamer from Western Digital, purely on the basis of price. Trying to figure out which set-top box to buy after turning in all those old cable boxes to your service provider? Check out our 2013 category breakdown of the five most popular streaming set-top box platforms: Price: WD TV Play Set-top boxes typically differ when it comes to internal hardware, user interfaces, device functionality, volume and type of streaming video applications, compatibility with other devices on your home network and price. Whether you are looking to add Netflix and Hulu Plus to a second television in the bedroom or perhaps outfitting all the televisions within your home with multiple set-top box streaming devices after dropping expensive cable or satellite television service, it’s extremely helpful to understand the differences between the large amount of set-top box options currently available to consumers.
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