Expert’s Rating
Our Verdict
For the last few day we ’ve had a small-scale pitch-black boxful with a sub-$100 damage ticket attached to the flatscreen telecasting in theMacworldoffices . But this is n’t Apple ’s forthcoming Apple TV loge — it ’s the top - of - the - descent member of the new Roku Player mob .
The new Roku boxful ( left ) are quite a bit smaller than their harbinger ( right).One of my favorite thing about theRokuplayers is that they ’re fantastically small — so small , in fact , that I often move around with one , since all I need is a television and a internet connection and I ’ve got admittance to my full Netflix instant waiting line . The new Roku D series boxes are even smaller than their herald , notably less tall and with cute curved edges ( and a little blue fabric yellow journalism that reach them look like they scat from some alternate - universe Levi ’s manufacturing plant ) . They ’re 4.9 inches square and 1.2 inches gamy , and matter just 7.2 Panthera uncia . ( That makes them big than the new Apple TV , but a couple of apothecaries' ounce lighter . ) They all support playback of a growing collection of multimedia “ channels , ” including Amazon Video on Demand , Netflix streaming , MLB.tv , Pandora , and more .
Unlike Apple ’s one - size - fits - all $ 99 offer , Roku ’s stimulate three different models . All of them extend composite and HDMI outputs , as well as Wi - Fi and ethernet networking . $ 60 gets you the mean manikin Roku HD , which supports streaming video up to 720p . ( Previously Roku ’s $ 60 player did n’t support HD video recording at all , so this is a tone up . ) The $ 80 Roku XD contribute accompaniment for 1080p telecasting and 802.11n networking . The $ 100 Roku XDS ups the ante with duple - band 802.11n networking , support for component part video and Toslink optical audio out , and comes with a USB port .
The new Roku boxes (left) are quite a bit smaller than their predecessors (right).
The Roku XDS sport a USB port on the side , and component , optical , HDMI , Ethernet , and composite ports on the back . And yes , you could imitate TV onto a operose campaign or keychain crusade and attach them to the USB port on the Roku XDS . The companionship is work on a new channel that will play back TV tie to the USB port wine . I test out a beta version of the channel , and it worked , spiel back 1080p picture trailers with no problems . It also played back 720p and lower - resolution get along easily . forged news for fans of esoteric video format , though : the Roku boxes bear H.264 MPEG-4 television — basically the same formatting that most Apple machine play . The only real difference of opinion is that the Roku XDS will fiddle up to 1080p video , while the AppleTV ca n’t handle more than 720p .
The new Roku box also descend with a new remote control , and on the $ 80 and $ 100 exemplar the remote control offers a few new buttons , most notably a hop - back button that let you replay the last few moment of content without re - buffering the entire television stream .
On the software system side , these Roku boxwood are more or less identical to their forerunner . The Netflix user interface is very nice ( Roku of late overhauled it , and it prove ) , it ’s easy to find , buy , and play back Amazon Video on requirement choices , and I ’ve often enjoyed playing Pandora or watching a television podcast via one of the third - party communication channel .
The Roku XDS features a USB port on the side, and component, optical, HDMI, Ethernet, and composite ports on the back.
Until we get our hands on the raw Apple TV , we ca n’t directly compare these products . But based on the specs , Roku has the reward of 1080p television playback . The subroutine library of Amazon Video on Demand and iTunes are like , and both fellowship ’ product sustain Netflix streaming . Roku ’s boxes are more elastic because they defend a plethora of third - political party content channels , while ( at least for the moment ) the Apple TV is limited to the content partners Apple has dupe right into its box .
Unless you ’re a 1080p video obsessive , though , the biggest divergence between the two box is how they treat “ sideloaded ” video capacity . The Apple TV will stream any compatible TV from a Mac or personal computer in the locality running iTunes ; with Roku , you need to attach a twist to the USB port find oneself only on the high - close XDS model . ( And both limit you to the H.264 video format . ) [ mark : A few reviewer indicate out that Roku gadget can stream networked picture from within your house through the use of third - company groove . These channels are generally “ secret ” and unsupported by Roku ; as long as Roku refuses to build in household - meshwork streaming to its product itself , it ’s heavy to advocate these devices for that purpose . ]
The new Roku box will be useable on the company ’s Website begin on Thursday .
