Well, there is getting to be even less reason than before to hold on to your cable subscription. After posting record gains two years ago, the industry quickly found out the following year that they lost every one of those gains and then some.
Cord cutting is now making a real impact on those smug bastards that charge you $60 per month for crap channels, and as far as inStash is concerned, we couldn’t be happier. The trend has begun in part due to Netflix Instant, and that has carried over into the realm of set-top boxes like the ones mentioned here. So far, there are five big players on the market. We’re sure there will be more to come.
The big boys are Apple, Roku, Boxee, Orb, and Google. We aren’t including multi-purpose buys like the Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii and PlayStation 3 because we want to hone in on the guys that make Internet TV their specialties. Which one is the best? Read on to find out!
Orb TV
The Orb TV is pretty cool in a couple of regards. First, that slick coaster display is small and effective, and it will look great with most any entertainment center. Secondly, it is one of the cheaper set-top boxes on this list, and it will play things like Hulu and Netflix.
In fact, virtually anything you can access on your computer can be played on the Orb TV because it is really just a media extender. You still have to use your trusty Mac or PC to access the content. It is then shipped to the Orb TV device and blasted out on your flat-screen at VGA quality. And therein lies the problem. At $99, why would you want to purchase a set-top box that won’t do what a $59 box can do (see Netflix)?
Well, we can see some value in it. After all there is some, ahem, content available on the web that you are not likely to see turn up on any of the big boy boxes for quite some time (i.e. Porn, illegal movies, etc). But still, no HD? Come on, guys!
Nevertheless, the Android and iPhone grants owners access to an app that serves as a remote control for the device, which is cool. We can see this thing being updated at some point to include HD capabilities, so don’t rule it out. You can also have multiple Orbs available on the same network, so it may make a great supplement to all those homes with multiple TVs and multiple tastes.
Google TV
The bad thing about Google TV is that it will be a really great product in two or three years. Right now, not so much. While the functionality of Google TV is a site to behold, it is far too limited in the scope of what it is capable of doing, and costs way too much money for you to worry about picking up right now.
The entire setup consists of a Logitech Revue, mini-controller, and TV Cam, which comes to a grand total of about $577. That’s a little steep for something that is built primarily to watch short videos from YouTube and Google video search.
Now a word on pricing: you don’t need the TV Cam and mini-controller to make this thing work, but even still, you are going to pay more for this than you would any of the other options on our list. Furthermore, there have been no real movements forward in app development for the device, meaning that if it survives long enough to catch the interest of major networks, it could be a big player in the industry.
But who’s going to spend half a grand just so they can see short YouTube playlists of Uncle Dave getting hit in the nuts by his three-year old nephew? Not us. However, the toggle functions between the sleek Internet interface and standard television are unique and very cool. Unfortunately, Google TV, at this time, is a victim of content (or the lack thereof).
Still, keep your eyes on it. If this thing catches steam it could be the easiest way to watch TV on demand that there is, thanks to the ability to wirelessly search from across the room via keyboard technology. Of course, some would say you could do the same thing if you wirelessly connected your laptop to your flat-screen, but it wouldn’t be nearly as smooth as this bad boy.
Boxee Box
This little general of the budding Internet TV industry has a few advantages over its most obvious competitor (Google TV). While both are basically aggregators for videos from all across the web, Boxee is much cheaper ($199) and has a sweeter user interface than the big boys at Google.
The remote, in particular, is a genius sight to behold, consisting of a basic stripped down remote on one side and a full service keyboard on the other. All you gotta do is flip! That’s much better than Google TV’s $278 in extra accessories.
Google TV does have one advantage aside from name recognition, however. It is much easier to find worthwhile content using Google TV, and Boxee is still very limited in that capacity. While app developers are not exactly beating down either one of their doors right now, Boxee has one super cool advantage over Google TV (along with that price), and that is social media integration.
Boxee makes it very easy for you to use your Internet TV box as a virtual Facebook for videos. You can see what your friends are watching, just like they can see what you are watching, and you can more easily exchange recommendations. We’ve all been to YouTube and seen the abundance of clips that are far more than any normal person will ever be able to watch.
As Internet TV marches on, it is only going to get more difficult to weed through the chaff, and this feature will streamline your experience by leaps and bounds. Boxee can also be integrated with virtually every operating system (we’re talking Windows, Linux and Mac). You don’t even have to pay anything to try it out. Just download the software and buy the box later if you want to make things easier for yourself.
Apple TV
We here at inStash are big fans of Apple. This article is even being written on a MacBook Pro. Therefore, it is with a heavy heart that we do not give the No. 1 slot to the latest version of Apple TV, though with just a $99 price tag, we can see how anyone would want to purchase it. In fact, even though it isn’t No. 1, yours truly would probably get it anyway just for easier integration with said MacBook Pro.
Still, when it comes to speed and ease of use, we’ve got to say it falls just short of the next option on this list. Nevertheless, the folks at Apple TV have quite possibly more content than you will find anywhere else, and that alone could make it worth the purchase.
The company boasts that its Netflix experience is second to none (though we would disagree), and it brings numerous audio and video podcasts to its super-compact set-top, which could mean that in two years time your favorite show to watch could be some kid crying about his dates in the basement of his parents’ house and not the latest offerings from NBC, ABC, FOX and CBS.
Apple’s products have made stars (of sorts) out of Average Joes with something to say, but until Apple TV came along, those stars were pretty dimly lit due to the experience of having to listen to them through ear buds and a tiny little device you could fit in your pocket. Now that this little number has come along, the funniest sitcom you watch could very well be produced by a guy with a video camera and four super-bored friends.
Apple has done it before, and they could very well do it again. One feature that could eventually move Apple TV into the No. 1 slot: AirPlay. The company is currently working on a way for you to stream iPad and iPhone content wirelessly to Apple TV.
Roku Player
When picking out a No. 1, you have to give consideration to all areas: usability, price, and simplicity. Roku wins in all three areas, and it does something that few other set-top boxes do. It gives you a choice. For as low as $59 you could be watching your Roku Player with the family this weekend. In fact, most customers choose this option, and in return they get standard 720p television, built-in wireless with ethernet jack, HDMI video output in case you want to try it out on that brand new HDTV, and compatibility with most every television from Standard on up.
If you visit the Roku website, you will see that as of April 8, 2011, there are 31,299 reviews averaging out to 4.5 out of 5.0 for the Roku HD. This number dwarfs the 1,952 for XD ($79) and the 5,054 for XD|S ($99), though all reviewers are favorable, meaning that whatever you pick you’re bound to be happy with. For our money, we like the $79 XD for the simple fact that you can play 1080p HD on it (same as Blu-Ray).
With all this talk about options and pricing, we almost failed to share a word on content. Roku was the original “play Netflix on your TV” box, so no worries there. For those of you who are worried that you may be missing out on the Apple TV content, don’t be.
Roku has added Amazon Video as well as Major League Baseball, UFC, HuluPlus, and Crackle. The latter two allow you to watch uncut movies and TV just like Netflix, so you get a little more bang for your buck. Roku is not good for videos from across the web like Boxee and Google TV, but if we want to watch something on the web, we generally don’t think it’s worth the TV effort anyway.
Know of any other great Internet TV applications we should write about next? We’re always eager to hear about the latest cutting edge stuff, so don’t be shy. Feel free to contact us or comment on our Facebook wall to share your thoughts!
