which media players do you own and which should I get

[Tedbundy]

I currently own a WD TV live mediaplayer but now I want to try a different one and I found these but I'm not sure if they are good so I decided to ask you folks and maybe you can answer if you have them or have owned them in the past.



I really like this one
http://www.amazon.com/Media-Center-Gigabit-Network-Reader/dp/B005M1QP7O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=...rds=Pivos+AIOS

I like that you can store a extra harddrive inside and it plays many formats. the GUI looks pretty nice as well, like a netflix

I read somewhere that the playback quality is kind of laggy or something so if anyone can confirm.

also theres the kdlinks

http://www.amazon.com/KDLINKS-HD720-Extreme-Internal-Built-In/dp/B00CHDSPSM/ref=pd_sim_e_2


http://www.amazon.com/Micca-EP350-G2-Network-HD-Audio/dp/B004GIZ61K/ref=pd_sim_e_6


or should I just get a basic roku 3?

[jman98]

Roku is great for streaming from the internet (ie. Amazon, Hulu, Netflix and many more) and while it does have SOME (heavy emphasis there) ability to play files like a WD TV, it does not even come close to the breadth of support the WD devices have for different video and audio codecs. If your main need is to stream from the internet, it's great. If your main need is to file play, it's not the best choice. If you go with Roku (I have an older one by the way) look into both the Plex server software (can stream files from your PC but again, not as good as the WD models) and look up private channels on Roku to get more out of it.

[Tedbundy]

Thanks man for your post. anyone else know? I'm kinda of wanting to buy one in the next few days and am leaning towards one of those I posted from amazon or just another WD TV or really liking the wd tv hub but not sure if the harddrive included is worth the extra money then just buying the other versions.

[Krispy Kritter]

What's wrong with the WD?

If you want a streaming device, the Roku is the way to go. If you are wanting media file playability from a HDD, then stick with the WD.

The WD is the most widely used model. I've not heard of the others listed above. But if you just want to spend money to "try something" else, give it a try and let us know what you think.

[handyguy]

I use a few, best is my computer connected to my tv. Free Agent player, PS3, etc. Also new for me is LG BR player, connects to network, can play apps & games. etc

[Tedbundy]

Thanks guys. I do want to try something new but not just to spend the money for no reason. I would just like to have something that played apps and most video files that also had a nice design for displaying photos as the WD is a little plain I guess.

I may end up just buying another WD plus since I love the one I have but it looks a little dumb the way it's designed. I'm going to keep searching around and post back

[manono]

Roku 3. Nothing beats it for streaming and the variety and number of channels available. And with Plex it plays about anything from your computer.

[Tedbundy]

Roku 3. Nothing beats it for streaming and the variety and number of channels available. And with Plex it plays about anything from your computer.

So can you explain this a little more? If I buy a roku 3 and then download plex - How is the basic setup for me to play many formats on my tv

[manono]

The Roku is limited in the number of formats it'll play natively. By installing Plex on the computer and the Plex channel on the Roku, Plex will convert on-the-fly whatever kind of video you have into something the Roku can send on to the TV for display. This assumes you have a Wi-Fi set up at home, or can connect the computer with the Roku by cable. You create a folder on the computer and point Plex to it (they have what seems to me to be a very peculiar naming convention you're forced to use so it can see the files) and then those same movies or TV shows will be seen in the Plex channel on the Roku for you to play. Plex is also (I think) the only way to get YouTube on a Roku (they've never come to any arrangement with YouTube to show their videos) and also has MSNBC if you like that TV channel.

So, in a sense a Roku is inferior to something like the WDTV box in that the WDTV supports many different video formats, but I've never been displeased with the quality of the conversion Plex delivers.

And the number of channels the Roku has available is staggering. Most of the free ones are ad-supported and it's annoying to see the same ad every 10 minutes, sometimes several times in succession, but that's the price one pays. If you subscribe to NetFlix or Amazon Instant Video, then there are thousands more movies and TV shows available in very good quality with no ads.

[Tedbundy]

Thanks much appreciated.

I have Netflix and hulu. I thought about getting amazon or epic next but sicne hulu and netflix basicly have the same stuff I have not subbed to anything else

[manono]

Yeah, all the pay ones are available as well. If you already have a subscription then it's easy to get the channel set up so you can watch through the Roku. Here are the most popular channels, a list that includes many of the top subscription services as well as some free ones:

http://www.roku.com/channels/#!browse/most-watched

These are the kinds of things a WDTV box or the new Google device can't begin to match.