OK, had a chance to play with the Roku XD/S player, the Boxee client software and the LG BD590 Blu-ray Disc player with Netcast net apps for quite a while and here are some observations about my Internet TV viewing experiences with all three.
The Roku XD/S menu scrolls left to right and includes banner ads.
The Roku XDS Streaming Player
The remote is as simple as it gets – extremely small with very few buttons.
As with most streaming options these days, Netflix is among the first and foremost on the list of available services.
When you open the Netflix app, you are presented with your Watch Instantly queue. You also have the option to search the Netflix library, but it is a painful process with the tiny remote and on-screen keyboard, not QWERTY, but an alphabet to click on. Agony! Better to pull out the PC and make choices from there.
The other stars in the Roku lineup are Hulu Plus and Amazon Video On Demand. Both offer their own form of paid streaming. I’m not a Hulu Plus subscriber at this time, but the app includes several sample shows to watch to get an idea of how it works. Video was smooth and nice to watch. You can also sign up for a free trial week, but you have to do that on your computer or tablet. Unfortunately, there is no way to subscribe through the Roku box.
The Amazon app allows HD or standard movie rentals, typically $3.99 to $4.99 along with the option to purchase some videos. One kind of neat feature is the ability to preview two minutes of the film before renting. Of course, the ones I previewed started from the beginning, meaning most of the preview consisted of credits.
At half the price of a Boxee Box, the Roku XD/S has an assortment of channels to choose from, including music (including Pandora and Last.FM), religion, old movies and TV shows. Pretty impressive for the money and the combination of Netflix and Hulu Plus on this box makes for a huge library of viewing choices.
LG BD590 Blu-ray Disc Player with Web Apps
Netflix is right up front in the Netcast web apps on the LG BD590 Blu-ray Disc Player
is no exception. In fact, Netflix comes up again as the first selection in the Netcast apps, which includes Vudu, CinemaNow, MLB.TV, YouTube and, the most recent addition, DIVX TV. Also included are apps for Pandora, Napster, Picassa and AccuWeather.com.After owning this Blu-ray for several months, I have used the Netflix app the most, almost every night. The interface and picture are clear and easy to navigate. But, you still have to go online with your computer to select movies or TV shows to watch. That’s my main complaint with this app. Once I’ve made selections from the Netflix streaming catalog (still meager compared to DVD choices), it works great, though.
Vudu offers a great selection of HD movie rentals and CinemaNow has a nice selection as well, but, it’s got to be something I REALLY want to see that is NOT already available on Netflix before I rent a video these days. So, I’ve only used each of these once at this point. The quality for each was very good.
YouTube is still, in my opinion, a service best enjoyed on a computer or tablet, not a TV. When I use YouTube, I am usually searching for something, a chore which is tedious at best using an on-screen keyboard with the remote that comes with this player (don’t get me wrong, it’s a nice remote, just not for typing). It makes hunting and pecking seem like speed typing. I watch something in my history or favorites using this app once in a while, but that’s about all I do with a YouTube app.
I guess I’m not geeky enough for the DIVX TV app. It’s a recent addition by virtue of a software update and includes Internet video from Engadget, Blip.tv, CBS and a number of other mostly tech geek sources. Some interesting stuff, primarily short videos, but nothing I want to curl up in front of with a hot cocoa. So, I occasionally browse the selections, but rarely spend much time with it.
As far as MLB.TV, I’m just not a sports fan, so this one will collect dust. But I can see where this would be handy for a baseball fan.
As for the non-video options, I love Pandora and use it some and yes, I do check the weather once in a while with AccuWeather.com’s app.
One thing missing from the selection of apps? Nothing like Fancast or Hulu is included. And, as I’ve mentioned in previous reviews, I’d love to see TVU Networks with an app on TV boxes. The TVU iPad app rocks!
The Boxee software is great for watching online movies and TV as well as listening to music or viewing photos.
I debated over buying a Boxee Box
I must say that I love the Boxee client. I use the Boxee iPad/iPhone remote app (free, available in the Apple app store) to navigate the interface, which is fairly easy to get around in. I spent several nights watching the second season of “Merlin” which isn’t even on Netflix yet. I was in heaven until I started running into too many “Hi! We notice that you are trying to access Hulu from Boxee. It’s not available, but we’re working hard to bring our Hulu Plus subscription service to Boxee! Stay tuned for updates” messages.
I have two issues with this. One, why the heck are shows not available even coming up in the Boxee list of TV episodes? Most frustrating.
Two, I have no interest in subscribing to Hulu Plus at any time in the near future anyway. Nothing against the service. I just don’t need it right now.
One other minor annoyance – the Boxee client freezes up every so often.
But, the picture quality is good. The selection (with the above exception) is terrific. There are additional apps that can be installed for yet more content, including Netflix, Vudu, Pandora and a ton of others.
And, as opposed to trying to search using a typical remote, using the Boxee app on an iPad or an iPhone is much easier because you at least have a keypad for your fingers to use. For example, the Netflix app lets you search through the Netflix library while sitting in your easy chair, unlike the LG Blu-ray app mentioned above. Same with the YouTube app.
Boxee is great for movies, TV shows, images and videos. I don’t even mind the commercials, which are few and mercifully short. And, there’s a full blown (not just a remote) iPad Boxee app in the works!
Bottom line: I’m really lucky to have access to all of these options as none covers everything at this point. Despite being a gadget guy and loving installing the Boxee software and the Roku box, I still find most of my viewing time spent on Netflix and the DVD player option is the easiest for it. So, if you are not technical at all, I would recommend going with a Blu-ray (or TV) with net apps installed. It’s the most simple solution and you have the added benefit of watching DVDs!
If you already are happy with your non-Internet connected DVD player and you’re not a techie, grab a Roku box, remembering, of course, that all of these require either a wired or wireless Internet connection.
And, if you already have a PC, Mac or an AppleTV connected to a TV, it’s a no brainer. Download the Boxee software and enjoy! It’s available for Windows, Mac and Linux flavors. But, your computer needs to be speedy enough to handle it. My old Windows XP Media Center box, circa 2005, was too slow (before it died) and the image jerked terribly watching video through the Boxee software. Most recent PCs can probably handle it fine.
Pure techies, though, can never have enough. Combine all of the above with a digital antenna to pick up your local TV stations and you could conceivably replace your current cable TV. After all, you’d have networks (antenna, sometimes TVU), movies (Netflix, Vudu, CinemaNow, Amazon, TVU, Hulu Plus), independent TV stations (TVU) and TV shows (Netflix, Boxee, Roku, Amazon, Hulu Plus).
Heck, you can even replace those cable music channels with Pandora.
Isn’t choice wonderful?
This is a post from The Web Optimist – SEO in The Desert.
Web TV: Roku XD/S, Boxee Client & LG BD590 Blu-ray is a post from: SEO in The Desert | More about Palm Springs SEO
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