Quote:
Originally Posted by DMAC
I'm pulling the trigger this month. There are many new options available since 2013.
Ideally, I'd like to have the Chromecast for apps and sign up for mlb.tv for Royals games. But I am sure they are blacked out in Springfield.
Fish, what's the latest and greatest?
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There's quite a few good solutions right now. Depends on how much you want to spend.
<$50:
FireTV Stick: $39.
Specs: Dual core, 1GB RAM, 8GB HD, dual-band dual antenna wifi(No Ethernet), Bluetooth, remote included.
Capabilities: Plex, XBMC, Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Prime, HBO Go, Showtime, Pandora, WatchESPN(requires cable subscription for full viewing), Youtube, Crackle, etc.
It's better than Chromecast in many ways. Mainly because it's a stand alone device and doesn't require you to "Cast" video from another device. It's got a nice little remote. It does everything Chromecast does, and much more.
Cons: Not quite beefy enough to serve as a main home theater setup, but super for a bedroom/extra room setup. Wifi only. Has its own power adapter.
~$100:
Fire TV: $99.
Specs: Quad core, 2GB RAM, 8GB HD, dual-band dual antenna wifi, Ethernet, USB(No support for external hard drives unless rooted), Bluetooth, remote included.
Capabilities: Plex, XBMC, Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Prime, MLB.tv, NBA, NHL, HBO Go, Showtime, Pandora, WatchESPN(requires cable subscription for full viewing), Youtube, Crackle, etc. Optional game controller for Android games.
Cons: No support for USB external drives without root. Root is only possible on units that come with older firmware, so root is not guaranteed. Limited hard drive space if you install many Android games(~5GB usable free space). Sideloaded apps require several navigation clicks to open without some tweaking.
Pros: With root, this device really shines. Very dependable. Very powerful. This is the device I use for all my home theater needs. But wouldn't satisfy me without root, since I depend on external USB capabilities. Requires some tweaking, but if you're capable of the necessary tweaking this can be an amazing device.
Nexus Player: $99.
Specs: Quad core, 1GB RAM, 8GB HD, dual-band dual antenna wifi, USB support for external hard drives, Bluetooth, remote included.
Capabilities: Plex, XBMC, Netflix, Hulu Plus, MLB.tv, NBA, NHL, HBO Go, Showtime, Pandora, WatchESPN(requires cable subscription for full viewing), Youtube, Crackle, etc. Optional game controller for Android games.
Cons: Only 1GB RAM. No Ethernet. Limited hard drive space if you install many Android games(~5GB usable free space), but does allow USB external devices with a microUSB->USB cable. Wifi only is a deal breaker for me though.
Pros: Very open Android environment. Easy to configure and customize.
~$150:
Minix Neo X8-H: $150
Specs: Quad core Amlogic S802-H with 8 core Mali-450 GPU, 2GB RAM, 16GB hard drive, SD card slot, USB, microUSB, dual-band dual antenna wifi(2.4Ghz + 5Ghz), Ethernet, Bluetooth, remote included with 6-axis gyro "Airmouse" capability. True Dolby and DTS.
Capabilities: Plex, XBMC, Netflix, Hulu Plus, MLB.tv, NBA, NHL, HBO Go, Showtime, Pandora, WatchESPN(requires cable subscription for full viewing), Youtube, Crackle, etc. Optional game controller for Android games. 4K2K UHD decoding.
Cons: Fairly new device.
Pros: Incredible specs for the price. Vanilla Android 4.4 OS provides the ultimate customization opportunity. No manufacturer BS restrictions. Capable of decoding nearly any video format. Guaranteed capable of root access. full USB access. This is the device I'd get if I were buying right now.
Ouya: $150.
Specs: Quad core Tegra3, 1GB RAM, 8GB hard drive, USB, microUSB, dual-band dual antenna wifi, Ethernet, Bluetooth, gamepad remote included.
Capabilities: Plex, XBMC, Netflix, Hulu Plus, MLB.tv(via browser and Flash), NBA, NHL, HBO Go, Showtime, Pandora, WatchESPN(requires cable subscription for full viewing), Youtube, Crackle, etc. Game controller as a remote.
Cons: The game controller is your remote for everything. Limited apps. Wifi performance isn't great. Personally I'm not a fan, but many people use it for their home theater setup.
Pros: Gaming centric device. Open environment, no root required. Very easy to configure and use. Just works.
> $200:
Intel NUC: $200-500.
There are many different "Kits" you can get, ranging from barebones to fully loaded.
Specs: Beast Mode. The NUC is a full-functional PC in a 4X4X2 form factor. Most come with no RAM or HD, and you would buy your choice of SO-DIMM RAM and 2.5" hard drive. Most are Core i3 3217U CPUs. Will run Windows. Or OpenELEC, etc.
Cons: Cost.
Pros: Everything else.
I'm really not a fan of the Rokus. They're incredibly limited in what you can do. The lack of XBMC is an absolute dealbreaker. When you see what XBMC is capable of on one of the listed devices above, you'll never consider a Roku. It's good for people with zero technical capabilities, but you'll never be completely satisfied with just using Roku for cord cutting. Chromecast works well and is very reliable. But it depends on having another device to cast from. Which is just unnecessary when you have other devices that do the same thing in addition to the many other capabilities of a stand alone device. Apple TV is too old and too restricted for anything other than iTunes rentals and Netflix.
Hope that helps. Let me know if you have questions.