CUSTOM INSTALLATION HOW-TO

Digital Media Receiver Roundup

Geoffrey Morrison  |  May 9, 2011

DEFINING A NEW PRODUCT CATEGORY

I'm struggling with this: What do you call these things? Digital Media Streamers? Digital Media Receivers? How about media extenders, media streamers, or digital media adapters? Maybe Internet Streaming Devices? If you abbreviate that last one, it sounds a bit sinister. "Dude, I got an ISD." Annnnnnnd, you're on a list somewhere.

Whatever you call them, these are simple products designed to let you access the wide world of Internet streaming content - Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, Hulu Plus, Pandora, iTunes - and in some cases, the media you have may already have hiding on your own computers and networked hard drives.

We take a look at four current offerings - bare-bones (but surprisingly full-featured) DMRs from Apple and Roku, Western Digital's WD TV Live Hub (which adds an internal hard drive) and the Boxee Box, which is a miniature computer in its own right - to help you decide where your DMR/DMS/ME/MS/DMA - or ISD - money should go.

COMMENTS
bobbymarrero's picture
Submitted by bobbymarrero on March 17, 2025 - 1:11pm

Digital media receivers have come a long way, and it’s crazy how much tech is packed into them now. Whether it’s streaming, Bluetooth connectivity, or high-res audio support, having the right setup can totally change your listening experience. Speaking of media, I’ve always been into keeping up with news and current events, and MSNBC has been one of my go-to sources. If anyone ever needs to reach out for support or inquiries, having the msnbc phone number handy is a good idea. It’s always nice when customer service is responsive, especially with how fast news moves these days!

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