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Streaming from Multiple Components

Scott Wilkinson  |  Dec 19, 2011

With so many components now able to connect to the Internet, how do you choose which one to use (TV, Blu-ray player, AVR, etc.)? Do you have to connect all of them?

Art Jacques

There's no need to connect all such devices, but most offer access to different content providers and even different content from a given provider, so having multiple devices generally expands the amount of available content. Also, each manufacturer provides a different user interface, some of which are better than others, so having multiple devices gives you a choice in this regard. On the other hand, that means lots of Ethernet cables from the router to all those devices and/or lots of WiFi traffic.

I generally prefer using a Blu-ray player, because conceptually, it's a source device, and you can replace it with a new one much easier and less expensively than a TV or receiver. But if you're going to choose one device for online streaming, it should be the one that provides access to the most content and to the content you want the most.

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COMMENTS
mailiang's picture
Submitted by mailiang on December 19, 2011 - 3:44pm

I would have to agree with Scott and I would also like to add that in many cases, at least at this point in time, many Blu-Ray players and Play Stations offer more on-line features, like Dolby Digital audio and the ability to not just select, but also add, video titles to your Netflix Que.

Ian

Kevin.E's picture
Submitted by Kevin.E on December 21, 2011 - 1:59am

This is something that we should all definitely keep in mind. There is so much information out there and things can really get confusing fast. Thank you for breaking it down to the best method.

TepperJeff's picture
Submitted by TepperJeff on December 21, 2011 - 6:53pm

I don’t understand why they just don’t build a full-fledged PC into a good receiver that would allow you access to any internet site you want. Something like Windows Media Center integrated into a decent AVR? The cost of adding in a processor, memory and network chip shouldn't be that much given that most smartphones have sufficient computing power.

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