Streaming Device Reviews

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Streaming Device Reviews
Review: Meridian Sooloos Media Core 200 and DSP3200
John Sciacca  |  Aug 16, 2011  | 

Wikipedia says minimalism “describes movements in various forms of art and design . . . where the work is stripped down to its most fundamental features.” At Sound+Vision, we generally preach the exact opposite: a “go big or go home” view toward TVs, speakers, and subwoofers. Why settle for 5.1 and a 42-inch screen when 9.2 and a 100-inch screen would be so much better?

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Streaming Device Reviews
Review: Pro-Ject Box Design Stream Box DS and Media Box S
Daniel Kumin  |  May 22, 2012  | 

Who wouldn’t want to play their growing horde of audio files – the same ones that feed the iPod and iTunes — on the “big” system, with big-system volume, quality, and impact?

Nobody, that’s who.

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Headphone Amp/DAC ReviewsOther Source Component ReviewsStreaming Device Reviews
Review: PS Audio PerfectWave System
John Sciacca  |  Oct 19, 2011  | 

Peanut butter and chocolate. Wine and cheese. Lennon and McCartney. Some things are great on their own, but when they meet their perfect counterpart, the result can be pure magic.

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Streaming Device Reviews
Review: SlingPlayer for Kindle Fire
Geoffrey Morrison  |  Jan 29, 2012  | 

As an unabashed fan of the Kindle Fire, anything that adds to its usefulness I'm instantly interested in. 

Already available for iOS, Android, and other devices, the $30 SlingPlayer app for Fire is the second part of the Slingbox system. 

How well does it work? I was as interested as you. . .

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Streaming Device ReviewsCustom Installation How-To
Review: Sonos S5 ZonePlayer and 3.4 System Update
Michael Berk  |  May 23, 2011  | 
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New ProductsTurntable ReviewsStreaming Device Reviews
Rocky Mountain Audio Fest Report, Part 2: Speakers, Amps, and More
Brent Butterworth  |  Oct 18, 2011  | 

The Rocky Mountain Audio Fest is growing up. A few years ago, it was known as a gathering of small (sometimes one-man) companies demonstrating exotic (sometimes downright wacky) audio products. Some of those guys are still there, but so now are most of the better-known high-end audio companies.

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Streaming Device Reviews
Roku 2 XS Media Streamer
Barb Gonzalez  |  Dec 16, 2011  | 

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
Price: $99 At A Glance: Vastly improved picture quality • More responsive, motion-sensitive, Bluetooth remote • Tiny footprint • Wide variety of content providers

Roku has released its newest generation of media streamers, including the top-of-the-line Roku 2 XS player. Perhaps you haven't given Roku much thought as a serious addition to your home theater. Its earlier models gave more attention to the quantity of media-streaming partners than to the quality of the pictures they were streaming. The Roku 2 XS may change your mind as it changed mine.

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Streaming Device Reviews
Roku 3 Media Streamer
Barb Gonzalez  |  Jul 15, 2013  |  First Published: Jan 31, 2014  | 

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE $100

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Remote control with headphone jack
Global movie title search
Zippy processor for quick navigation and search
Minus
Can only be connected via HDMI

THE VERDICT
Performance improvements and a new interface make streaming easy and keep Roku ahead of the competition.

Where other companies that make media players seem stuck in endless delays in the release of new models, it seems that Roku rolls out a new option every few months. I’m not complaining. Its newest release, the Roku 3, is my favorite so far. I use a Roku box with my bedroom TV because my tech-challenged partner can easily understand how to navigate its menus. Roku 3 has now added a headphone jack in the remote that mutes the TV when you plug into it. No longer do I have to endure listening to explosions, gunshots, and car-chase scenes while I’m trying to fall asleep. Performance improvements plus a new interface and box design continue to keep Roku ahead of its competition.

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Streaming Device ReviewsSmartStream
Roku 4 Streaming Media Player Review
Barb Gonzalez  |  Nov 04, 2015  | 

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE $130

AT A GLANCE
Plus
4K streaming to UHDTV
Agnostic search finds titles in multiple services
Notifications when specific movies become available

Minus
Remote mic is inaccurate
Search can’t find specific episodes of specific seasons

THE VERDICT
If you own a 4K TV, this is a slam-dunk. If not, the advances in hardware are still enough to step up from a Roku 2.

One must wonder if Roku waited to release its fourth-generation media streamer until the aptly named Roku 4 was capable of streaming 4K content. The newest Roku box can connect to compatible UHDTVs to stream 4K movies, TV shows, and videos from Netflix, Amazon, YouTube, M-Go, and a growing number of 4K streaming sources. And though 4K streaming is the Roku 4’s main appeal, improvements in hardware and the software interface make it the best Roku box yet.

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Streaming Device Reviews
Roku Netflix Player
Kim Wilson  |  Dec 01, 2008  | 
Price: $100 At A Glance: Instant streaming • Ultra-simple interface • No additional service charge for Netflix subscribers • Limited choice of available titles • Requires very fast Internet connection for good image quality • No multichannel surround or HD content yet

Netflix on Demand

What could be better than waiting for your next Netflix movie to arrive by snail mail? What if you could receive it on demand, via streaming technology?

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Streaming Device Reviews
Roku SoundBridge M1000
Mark Fleischmann  |  Apr 14, 2006  | 
Convergence shows many faces to music lovers. If you've got the bucks, you can add a hard-drive-based music server to your system. Or you can pay a custom installer to bring IP-based networking to every room in the house. But if you just want to move music from one PC to one rack, all you need is a simple device and it doesn't have to cost much. One of many possible options is the Roku SoundBridge.
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Streaming Device Reviews
Roku Stick: Plug 'N Play Redefined
Barb Gonzalez  |  Mar 22, 2013  | 

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Price: $100 At a Glance: Small stick connects directly to HDMI input on TV • Same menus and channels as full-sized Roku Box • No additional power connection; requires MHL-enabled TV

That Roku box is shrinking…again. The Roku Stick looks like a thumb drive and is only about 3 inches long. For the most part, it provides the same experience as the standard Roku boxes—same menus, same performance. But to use one, you’ll need an MHL-enabled TV or other device.

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Soundbar ReviewsStreaming Device ReviewsSurround Sound System Reviews
Roku Streambar Pro 5.1 System Review
Mark Henninger  |  Nov 23, 2022  | 

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE $660

AT A GLANCE
Plus
High fidelity sound
Components sold separately
Easy setup
Built-in Roku 4K streaming
Cordless private listening mode
Minus
No Dolby Atmos support
Weak bass without the subwoofer

THE VERDICT
The top-of-the-line soundbar system from Roku is full of cool features and gives you a surround-sound listening experience that is better than competing systems of similar cost. But it lacks support for 3D immersive sound like Dolby Atmos or DTS:X, and the Streambar Pro on its own is not nearly as impressive sounding as when it's part of a complete 5.1 system.

Soundbars have evolved from simple standalone add-on speakers for TVs into fully self-contained home entertainment systems able to deliver cinematic, immersive listening experiences. The catch is today's soundbar systems can get quite costly, often exceeding the price of the TV they might be connected to. With Roku's Streambar Pro, the cost of entry is only $179.99 for the soundbar itself, and you can expand the system from there. Granted, tricking it out with a subwoofer and four add-on wireless is almost four times the cost, but what you get is a very nice surround-sound solution that's easy to install, easy to use, and outperforms many similarly priced soundbars.

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Streaming Device Reviews
Roku Streaming HDMI Stick
Barb Gonzalez  |  Aug 29, 2014  |  First Published: Aug 28, 2014  | 

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
PRICE $50

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Direct HDMI connection to most TVs
Extensive content options
Suggested videos and apps on home screen
Remote with direct access to Netflix, M-Go, Amazon Instant Video, and Blockbuster

Minus
Music stops when navigating away from channel
Long start-up time
No option to group channels by category

THE VERDICT
The great features of a Roku box in a stick for half the price.

The second Roku Streaming Stick (HDMI version) is a fit-in-your-pocket HDMI dongle that is basically a Roku box on a stick. Where the previous Roku Streaming stick worked only with TVs that have an MHL (Mobile High Definition Link) HDMI port, the new Roku is compatible with most TVs’ standard HDMI connections. As with its predecessors, the Roku HDMI is easy to use and offers more than 1,700 channels (that is, apps). Notably, these now include apps that stream from pretty much any video source you can think of—the usual online streaming services, plus your home network media libraries, or live TV and recorded DVR recorded content using Simple.tv or a Slingplayer channel.

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Streaming Device Reviews
Roku Ultra 2024 Review: The Ideal Streaming Upgrade for Home Theater Enthusiasts
Barb Gonzalez  |  Jan 20, 2025  | 

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE $99

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Excellent Video Quality with Dolby Vision and HDR10+
Excellent Dolby Atmos Sound Separation
Backlit hands-free voice remote control with mute switch
Minus
No headphone jack on remote
Shortcut button can’t be programmed for specific apps
Search results favor Roku Channel offerings

The Verdict
The Roku Ultra 2024 uses the best video and audio formats for an excellent home theater streaming experience. Its backlit hands-free voice remote and improved Roku OS14 make accessing the content you want to watch easier.

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