Best Wireless Digital Media Players
and Internet-enabled Home Entertainment Solutions

There is a new revolution going on in the TV industry...

Traditional services like cable and satellite TV are losing their popularity. Instead, more people are picking up on the latest hot new trend of streaming full screen video to their TV from their PCs and the Internet, using services like Netflix, iTunes, and Amazon Video On Demand and more.

This is becoming possible partly thanks to the ever expanding array of Internet-enabled HDTVs and Blu-ray players that often include DLNA support to stream content straight from your networked PC. Popular devices include the Samsung BD-C6900 and the LG BD570 network Blu-ray Disc players, the Sony BDV-E770W HTiB, and the large number of Internet-enabled HDTVs.

But equally important is the use of the latest new line of inexpensive wireless digital media players, often referred to as video streaming boxes. As expressed in our guide to wireless digital media players, these make it possible to move multimedia content from your networked PC or straight from the Internet, around the house without wires, to enjoy in its full glory in your home theater room, over an existing TV in the kids' room, or even over a stereo speaker system in the garage. Among the best wireless digital media players we find the Roku XD|S and the new Apple TV, both reviewed on our site.

Digital Media Player Installation... a simple straightforward process

Wireless digital media players and Wi-Fi enabled home theater systems are easy to set up and use; thus making it possible even for non-proficient PC users to go ahead with the latest trend in wireless home entertainment integration.

Most players with DLNA support require the installation of the accompanying software to transform your PC into a multi-media server; this is the case with the Samsung BD-C6900 3D networked Blu-ray player referred to earlier on.

Others like the Netgear Digital Entertainer Live wireless digital media player require the installation of a media utility driver on your computer to enable the wireless media player to play digital media files using your favorite media player application like Apple iTunes. Using a standard media player application often represents a significant advantage since these would normally include a host of features that one gets used to and that are often missing from dedicated media server software.

On the other hand, with the so called 'instant' wireless digital media players such as the Roku XD|S, you do not need to install anything on your computer though you would need to use your PC to setup content accounts like Netflix, etc.

Part of the setup process of any networked wireless digital media player - like any other networked devices, requires you to configure the media player to join your home network. Just run the player set-up wizard, select or key in your wireless network name or SSID, the security type (WEP, WPA, or WPA2), and security key or passphrase when instructed so.

Some of the latest systems use WPS - for an even easier approach; all you have to do is to press a button (or a virtual button) on your wireless digital media player and on your wireless access point or router for the player to join the network. There is no need to enter any settings - it is all done automatically!

Note that depending on your network security setup, you may also need to open or unblock your firewall to allow the wireless digital media player to connect to your PC, as well as configure additional network related information such as IP, channel number, and connection mode.

Internet-enabled wireless home entertainment has become a true mass market proposition. Never before we have seen such a range of products that offer not only the possibility to pull digital content from your PC, but equally appealing, straight from the internet without switching on your computer!

Some of these multimedia streaming boxes would even enable you to seriously consider cutting off that $100 TV subscription bill - thanks to tens of thousands of TV shows and movies available online via iTunes Store, Netflix, Amazon video-on-demand, as well as online portals such as Hulu and TV.com.

On our part, we have gone through what we consider the best wireless digital media players in terms of features, performance, and affordability. We hope that our media player reviews would be of assistance in your selection process.

Best Wireless Digital Media Players

Featured Product Reviews

Roku XDS Wireless Digital Video Player

Roku XD|S 1080p Video Streaming Player The new Roku XDS is in our opinion the No.1 Internet streaming player presently available.

Way back in 2008, the original Roku wireless digital media player did prove to be a big hit. It was one of the first few video streaming little inexpensive boxes that made it possible to view a vast range of movies and TV shows from Netflix and Amazon video-on-demand without being tied up to a PC. At the time, it was the only Netflix-compatible streaming device on the market. It presented itself as a strong option to those seriously thinking of a way to cut that $100 cable or satellite TV monthly bill.

Not that the original Roku did provide an exact replacement to your monthly TV subscription but with its Netflix/Amazon digital media content bundle and a series of firmware updates that further expanded the available programs, it provided a lot more for your dollar than most TV subscriptions from network providers. We reviewed the original Roku in April 2009 here...

Since then a lot has changed and by autumn 2010, the original Roku player was replaced by the new Roku HD, the Roku XD (and its rebadged Netgear Roku NTV250), and the top-of-the-line Roku XD|S player.

The new Roku players offer a lot more content: Netflix, Amazon Video On Demand, Hulu Plus, watch MLB and NHL games, listen to music on Pandora, news, and more. And all this is available in an even smaller yet more powerful box! Equally appealing is the extra low price with some Roku options starting at just $69.

In total, you get more than 100 different program options. OK, you would not get access to Apple's iTunes store and strange as it may seen, to YouTube movies as well. And for those looking for a way to stream multimedia content from their PCs, the Roku is not DLNA-enabled. But...

If you still do not have an Internet-enabled HDTV or Blu-ray player, or simply want to join the latest trend of streaming full screen video to your TV, the Roku player is in our opinion the best Internet TV streaming box you can buy - with the Roku XD|S offering upconverted 1080p video and support for dual-band wireless technology for the best streaming performance.

Yes, we think this is the best wireless digital media player, especially for those looking to ditch that monthly TV subscription bill. It delivers more in terms of content than what you presently find on Internet-enabled HDTVs, Blu-ray players, and most of the latest streaming media boxes - including the similarly-priced new Apple TV, despite the latter edge in streaming performance.

To discover more on the new Roku line of media streaming players, please check our Roku review article here.

The new Apple TV 2010

The original 2007 Apple TV did prove to be a great product; two years down the line, the upgraded Apple MB189LL/A offered even more in terms of features with its 160Gb built-in hard disk, DLNA functionality, and digital media content support.

But as we stated in our review of the MB189LL/A, the upgraded Apple TV still suffered from the same original restriction, namely content was very much limited to the iTunes store though a number of firmware updates did eventually add access to more non-iTunes content like Flickr and YouTube.

However, the real breakthrough for Apple came with the new 2010 Apple TV MC572LL/A wireless digital media player. You see, the 2009 Apple TV version was nothing more than an upgraded firmware over the same 2007 Apple TV hardware. Instead, the 2010 version represents a totally new compact design.

The new 2010 Apple TV MC572LL/A

The new Apple TV is extremely small, practically a quarter the size of the original Apple TV. This became possible as Apple ditched the built-in hard-disk found on the original Apple. This means that the new Apple TV is not an exact replacement to the previous Apple but the latest concept in media streaming is now shifting from playing content you have downloaded on your player to streaming of content straight from source - whether that being a networked PC or the Internet.

Obviously, in these circumstances, sufficient wireless network bandwidth and a fast Internet connection are a must for the best HD streaming performance. But if these are non-issues, the new Apple TV hardware with its dual-band wireless technology is capable of superior HD streaming performance - delivering a picture quality that is somewhat better than that of the new XD series of Roku wireless digital media players. In a similar manner, the Apple TV user interface is also better than that of the Roku, with a menu that is somewhat quicker and more intuitive.

The new Apple TV comes with AirPlay support - dubbed my many as Apple's secret weapon. The reason is that with AirPlay functionality, you can wirelessly stream music and video stored on your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad running iOS4.2 to your HDTV via the new Apple TV.

Equally important from a user perspective is that the new Apple TV comes with an enhanced content support over previous Apple TV versions, and apart from the possibility to rent movies and TV shows from the iTunes Store, now you can also get 99-cent HD TV show rentals on some Fox and ABC shows. And like most wireless digital media players, the 2010 Apple TV supports Netflix streaming, something which now is standard on most Internet-enabled streaming gear.

But content is still Apple TV main shortcoming with respect to the competition, in particular with respect to the Roku; the only real plus over the Roku is the Apple TV ability to stream music, photos and video files wirelessly straight from your PC. Otherwise, there are only a handful of supported TV networks (ABC, Fox, Disney, and BBC), and even from these supported networks, many popular shows are still missing.

Connectivity on the new Apple wireless digital media player is basically the same as that on the previous versions, limited to HDMI and optical audio out. In other words, you will only be able to use the Apple with an HDTV set. However, our real issue with the new Apple TV is not connectivity but content support. Content is what you will be looking for with a product like this.

Admittedly, content is something Apple can fix with a firmware update anytime. In the meantime, at just $99, the new Apple TV is all set to help Apple capture more of the latest emerging video streaming market in the world of home entertainment - while enabling Apple fans bring Netflix into the living room.

More on the new Apple TV can be found in our review here.

Western Digital WD TV Live Plus HD media player

The Western Digital WD TV Live Plus The Western Digital WD TV Live Plus HD media player represents an update over the WD TV Live HD player released in 2009. Housed in a small package, the new 'Plus' player falls within the same category - in terms of features and price - as the Roku XD|S and the new Apple TV, but with a few differences. Like the Apple TV, it can stream multimedia content straight from your networked PCs, except that the WD TV comes with better file support than the Apple.

As expected, you cannot play protected premium content such as movies or music from the iTunes® Store but otherwise it supports practically any type of media file you can think of and provides full HD video playback up to 1080p.

The new WD TV Live Plus also includes access to Internet driven content headed by Netflix and BLOCKBUSTER on-demand services, YouTube videos, Live 365, Pandora radio and the like. But the list of accessible content is rather limited - in a similar manner to what one finds on the new Apple. It is definitely a case that when it comes to content, the Roku is at present the king of wireless digital media players.

Content aside, the WD TV Live Plus comes with a significantly improved user interface over what one used to find on previous WD media players, with an interface that is smooth and functional. The WD player also comes with a better connectivity suite that unlike the Apple TV also supports standard analog TV connection thanks to the presence of composite and component video outputs.

The real edge of the Western Digital WD TV is that you can connect multiple USB2.0 mass storage devices (practically any USB mass storage device will work) to its two USB ports. The media player will then collect the content on all the drives into one play list - sorted by media type.

There is only one caveat though... The Western Digital comes as wireless-ready rather than a true wireless media player. Not much of an issue when considering its streaming performance. Rather in our opinion, it is still one of the best digital media players for streaming content to your HDTV.

But this also means if you want a wireless Internet connection, you will have to buy one of the many compatible wireless USB adapters as listed on the Western Digital website to transform the WD TV into a wireless digital media player.

Interesting is that Western Digital has come up with a WD TV Live Plus version that includes a built-in hard drive. It is known as the WD TV Live Hub Media Center and comes with a 1 TB built-in hard drive which can be used also as a network hard drive.

With the WD TV Live Hub, you can easily transfer, copy, or delete files stored on the built-in drive as well as download movies and TV shows straight to the player hard disk. At 7.8 x 6.1 x 1.3 inches, it is not much bigger than the WD TV Live Plus player, and the hard drive gives you the added advantage of having all your media files as a centralized collection.

In addition, the WD media hub comes with HDMI 1.4 and can be used as a multi-room media server streaming to any TV in your house equipped with a WD TV Live or WD TV digital media player, or in that case to any TV or Blu-ray networked player that comes with DLNA support. In addition, the system is powerful enough to handle multiple streams so you can stream a movie to your Blu-ray disc player while viewing photos on your TV elsewhere in the house.

NETGEAR Digital Entertainer Solution

The Western Digital TV Live Hub referred to above provides very similar functionality to the NETGEAR EVA9150 Digital Entertainer Elite reviewed on our site here. The Netgear however comes with the added convenience of built-in dual-band Wi-Fi support and a 500GB internal hard drive; the latter can be upgrade by the user for an even larger capacity.

NETGEAR EVA9150

The EVA9150 Netgear wireless digital media player also supports practically all forms of media files while accompanying software makes it easy to catalog the media content available on your network. In addition, connectivity is quite complete - and includes HDMI, component and digital outputs, as well as standard composite (including a SCART output), analog audio and Ethernet.

The EVA9150 is still among the best wireless digital media players around despite that it has been almost two years now since it first appeared on stores shelves.

The original Netgear EVA9150 wireless digital media player real problem - by today standards - was its limited access to direct Internet streaming content services, with the only supported services at the time of its release being YouTube, Internet radio services, Flickr™, and a few more popular Internet media sites. However, in September 2009, Netgear released a firmware upgrade that included support for the PlayOn media server.

The PlayOn feature means that once you install the PlayOn software on your Windows PC, the EVA9150 would give you instant access to a whole new world of Internet content on your TV - Hulu, Netflix, YouTube, Amazon VOD, and many others - by streaming these services straight from your PC. Not exactly the PC-less wireless digital media player may dream of but the PlayOn feature did change the whole content support of the EVA9150 - making it more of a valid wireless digital media player option even two years down the line.

For our evaluation of the Netgear EVA9150 wireless digital media player, please click here...

There is one significant difference though between the Netgear EVA2000 and the WD TV Live Plus; the Netgear provides a more complete list of Internet streaming services - including On-Demand and Pay-Per-View movies from Roxio/CinemaNow, Netflix, Hulu, CBS, CNN, ESPN and more using the PlayOn server software on your PC.

However, these added Internet streaming services come at a price; the Netgear is significantly more expensive than the Western Digital Live TV/Plus. Otherwise, the new Netgear represents a solid overall multimedia streaming option.