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Set-Top Boxes; An Affordable Way to Add Extra Programming The latest Roku boxes; the Roku 2 XD ($79) and Roku 2 XS ($99) both support 1080p video, the XS has an Ethernet port in case you don’t think your Wi-Fi network is up to the task of streaming high definition video. The Roku set top box is one of our favorites not only for the way it works but for all the “channels” that are available for it. You know a product is successful when it spawns a “community” of third party “private” channels that specialize in everything from politics to religion. A product we use that goes well with a Roku box is PlayOn which is an application and a service that runs on your PC and streams video to any number of devices including a Roku box. The fact that it runs on your PC offers a big advantage with Hulu which can’t stream a lot of programs directly to devices like the Roku but can stream them through PCs to the Roku. In fact with PlayOn you get lots of channels for the included price that you might have to pay for; here’s the list. You can get a lifetime subscription to PlayOn for $44.99 or for $59.99 you also get PlayLater which offers the ability to record programs. Other set-top boxes worth considering include WD TV HD and of course Apple TV.
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A Media Server Can Hold Lots of Content to Be Played Anywhere Microsoft has been promoting the idea of a home media server for a long time. You get a copy of Windows Media Center in many versions of Windows that allows you to record and play video from lots of different sources. HP tried to make a product out of it with a multi-drive bay PC called MediaSmart Server which you can still find for around $500. Although, we always liked the idea, for some reason, a Windows home media center in a PC never took off however, recently, a media server called Plex Media Center that is based on the open source XMBC Media Center has been gaining popularity fast. The Plex media server runs under Windows, Mac OS or Linux and supports lots of audio, video and other types of media file formats. The server can “transcode” content, i.e. adjust the resolution to suit the playback or client device which runs Plex client software. There are Plex client apps for iOS, Android, Windows Phones and lots of other devices including the Plex for Roku, Apple TV (Jailbroken) and game consoles like PS3 and Xbox 360 through DLNA. It has a reputation for being easy to install, easy to use and having a lot of cool features.
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Consider Upgrading Your Router for Better Streaming If your router is more than a few years old, there’s a good chance your streaming experience could benefit from a router upgrade. For under $200, you can add a lot of speed and range. Newer dual-band routers use both the 2.4 GHz and 5 Ghz channels to deliver transfers up to 900Mbps (450 from each band) while their Gigabit Ethernet ports can get you high speed data transfers to devices that support it. Some of the newer routers are adding USB 3 ports for adding a NAS (network attached storage) hard drive so everyone on your network can access media files stored on it. Some of the top-rated routers include the Linksys EA4500 Media Stream 900 Smart Wi-Fi Wireless Router ($159) which has an app that lets you control and change settings on the router, the ASUS RT-AC66U ($190) which includes a draft version of the next Wi-Fi standard called 802.11ac and the NETGEAR AC 1750 ($199) which is another 802.11ac dual-band router.
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