The best option for streaming Netflix and other web based movie sites onto an HD screen?

[OmahaBlueDog]

If you could post as to why you chose what you chose, your input would be appreciated.

On edit - The TV in question is not currently hooked to cable.

[Courtesy Flush]

1. Limited experience here

I have a Roku box, and web-enabled TV and of course, a PC. Among those choices, I vote Roku.

[txwhitedove]

2. A Wii using WiFi hooked up to TV.

[OmahaBlueDog]

3. The Wii is already hooked up to the other TV

Good thought, though. A friend suggested PS3 - Mrs. OBD forbids dueling gaming systems.

[elocs]

9. I have my Roku box hooked up to my 50" plasma in the living room

as well as to tvs in my 2 other bedrooms. You can have up to 3 boxes on one account and watch something different on each one. The Roku box along with Netflix streaming is the best bang for the entertainment buck that I have ever gotten.

[TommyO]

4. I've used two devices, a TiVo HD and the new, tiny, AppleTV

The AppleTV absolutely is the better player of the two, it handles aspect ratios for older 4:3 content well, has a much better interface that lets you search for content as well as do some basic management of your instant queue.

Since I have a lot of content in iTunes that I can also stream, AppleTV is my choice.

Don't forget that we also have a relatively new group here at DU, the Netflix Streaming Videos & DVDs group where the focus is on Netflix streaming and devices. http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=441

[OmahaBlueDog]

6. I did not know. I will x-post!

Thanks!:hi:

[elocs]

5. Roku, hands down. One good reason is because it has so many other channels available to watch:

http://www.roku.com/roku-channel-store?gclid=CK2lqsOJ-qYCFQTrKgod9XSfAw#14 Click "all" to see all of them. Lots to watch if you don't have cable other than just Netflix.

Visit our very own DU Netflix Streaming Videos & DVDs Group to find out more: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=441

[elocs]

8. One Roku channel that should be appreciated here at DU: Roku Newscaster.

There are lots of choices just on this one channel with additional choices within each one such as ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, Al Jazeera English live stream, NASA, CNET, current (KO's coming new home), ESPN, C-SPAN (includes Obama's weekly address, press briefings, speeches such as Obama's speech to the Chamber of Commerce), NPR, PRI, and the BBC.

In fact, if you buy a Roku box you could have all of its free channels without having to subscribe to Netflix because Netflix is just one of its channels.

[targetpractice]

7. Bad experience with the WiFI Blu-Ray option...

My friend opted for that option over my recommendation of the Apple TV or Roku... The Netflix controls were buggy... We had to restart the player over and over. I guess she'll need to wait for a software update... I trust Apple and Roku to keep their software working much more than I would trust a Blu-Ray manufacturer to support the NetFlix add-on.

[kedrys]

10. We hooked up our Mac PowerBook Pro to the AV stack in the living room

I was going to buy an AppleTV over the holidays, but we ended up with other expenses. However, nothing to complain about - the quality is awesome. We got a 42" HD TV about 3 months ago, and we're putting some serious mileage on it.

[Godhumor]

11. Playstation 3, oddly enough. It is actually a phenomenal machine

Upgradable firmware for the blu-ray (Now supports 3D movies), large hard drive, native Netflix app, and, oh yeah, a great library of both disk and downloadable games, to boot (I tend to play downloadables more other, anymore). Not really a bad choice for the money.

[cynatnite]

12. I'd marry my PS3...

We don't game much on it. We watch Netflix, Hulu, and I already have a huge library of music and movies on the PC that we can watch using the PS3. We download stuff from the store all the time.

Love this thing.

[MilesColtrane]

13. I'm going Apple TV as soon as I can afford it.

[EOTE]

14. I recently got a Seagate FreeAgent+ for around $40 shipped.

I can't tell you how much I love the thing. I used to have a HTPC in my living room and now it's completely unnecessary. Yes, it does Netflix, Youtube and a ton of other online streaming options. But more than that, it plays just about any file format you can throw at it. It will stream files over your network either wired or wirelessly and I've only found one file in my massive collection that it won't play. I've streamed large (10+ gigabyte) Blu-ray rips over wireless and it does them without a stutter. Or if you want to load up an external hard drive with your media, it does that extremely well too. The only tiny gripe I have with the unit is that the remote is kind of cheap and unresponsive. However, I've got a Logitech Harmony remote that I programmed to control the Seagate and it does a much better job. I really can't recommend the device enough.