Streaming Device Reviews

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Streaming Device Reviews
Western Digital WD TV Play Media Player
Barb Gonzalez  |  Oct 03, 2013  | 

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE $70

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Excellent sound and picture quality
Unit powers on whole home theater and switches inputs
Easy direct-access buttons on remote for Netflix, Hulu, Vudu
Minus
No Amazon VOD app
Poorly executed Facebook app

THE VERDICT
As long as it supports all the services you use, you’ll find the WD TV Play will deliver consistently high video and audio quality and a nice user experience at a very good price.

With all the media players available to me, a Western Digital player has always been my go-to streamer. I know the quality will be good and that I can connect it and be ready to go in minutes. The newest model, the WD TV Play, offers the quality and usability of its predecessors at a lower price. Although Western Digital chose the WD TV Play name to distinguish it from earlier models, little else has changed besides the home screen, and perhaps an increase in audio and video performance.

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New ProductsAudio Video NewsStreaming Device Reviews
Whole-Home Audio for the Rest of Us
Michael Berk  |  Oct 13, 2011  | 

Legrand - a leader in residential wiring and custom install components - in something of a surprise move announced the airQast wireless music system at this year's CEDIA Expo.

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Streaming Device Reviews
Xbox 360 as Media Streamer
Barb Gonzalez  |  Jul 30, 2012  | 

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
Price: $300-$400 At a Glance: Streams from online providers and networked home computers • Kinect voice and gesture command work well • Excellent video and audio quality

Unless you've been living in an isolated compound in Abadabad, Pakistan—and perhaps even if you have—you know that the Microsoft Xbox 360 is a top-ranked video-game console. However, you might not know that it's also a media streamer with access to oodles of online content. In fact, with all the streaming devices, TVs, and connected Blu-ray players I have in my house at any given time, my first go-to player is the Xbox 360. Not only does it have all my favorite streaming services, its Kinect voice and gesture control appeals to my tendency to be lazy.

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Media Server ReviewsStreaming Device ReviewsAudio Video News
Your Tunes Anywhere: Roon Releases 2.0 and ARC Mobile App
Mark Henninger  |  Sep 22, 2022  | 
Roon is an impressive software music playback system that runs as a core (i.e. server) on a dedicated PC in your home, which you can access from various playback devices. It allows you to merge streaming through Tidal or Qobuz with local music files to provide a seamless listening experience. However, until now Roon only worked in the home.
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