What Alternatives to Apple T.V are there?

[Stereoguy]

Hi: I’m looking into what devices will stream all my music/video files from my P.C to my home theater set-up? Will be buying a new AVR shortly which might be a network ready unit (Likely a Denon 2112/2312. Are there any ones besides Apple T.V? Would like to keep it around the $100.00 price point,thanks

 

[JohnA]

The Roku box will stream using the squeezebox server software (free) on the PC and the squeezebox "channel" on the Roku box.

 

[krzywica]

Hi: I’m looking into what devices will stream all my music/video files from my P.C to my home theater set-up? Will be buying a new AVR shortly which might be a network ready unit (Likely a Denon 2112/2312. Are there any ones besides Apple T.V? Would like to keep it around the $100.00 price point,thanks

Egreat M34A

Western Digital

Patriot Box Office

....there are more but I can't think of them right now....a bit hazy today....

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

..a bit hazy today....

Hazy? As in

 

[sholling]

In that <$100 price range the Western Digital TV Live (or $90 Live Plus) is the best for watching saved content that I've seen so far. It will play pretty much every music format, DVD rip, and Blu-Ray rip format (1080P and 5.1). And it will play them from a DLNA server or a simple network share or an external hard drive. The only limitation is that it down-samples 24bit flacs to 16bit, but that's a limitation of almost all of the current generation media players. I also like the interface a lot.

It's still a young product category. Some of the more expensive players offer a prettier face, or more online content, or up-conversion but everything at any price is still a compromise and darn little has the flexibility of the WDTV Live.

 

[Zuhkov]

Totally agree on the Roku recommendation. There's also a Plex channel for Roku which would be perfect for streaming from a PC. I don't if any of the other options have the same flexibility in terms of sources that Roku has.

If you do stick with the AppleTV, it's worth checking out the XBMC and Plex versions for that. Installing those would be a bit more complicated, though.

 

[Stereoguy]

Hi: I bought a L.G Smart TV upgrader (ST600)(Got it for $88.00 up here in Canada on sale) and will be adding plex later this month.Will post back as to my opinion after I've had time to use it with Plex.I've already discovered it plays my music files better than my PS3 ever did(No skipping),it use Nero Home-media server 4 program.Thanks for the advice

 

[BrianATS]

You may already have one... the Xbox 360 will stream videos from your computer to the Xbox. Windows Media Center does this on that OS, and on Mac it's Connect360. Not the very best option, but it works and might not cost you much, if anything.