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Set-Top Box Shoot-Out

Wendy Sheehan Donnell
 & Wendy Sheehan Donnell Editor-in-Chief, PCMag / VP of Content, Ziff Davis

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Set-Top Box Shoot-Out

Media streaming has come of age. A class of products that was born back in 2008 with a simple box by Roku that streamed Netflix video to your television has grown to include devices that bring the entire Web to your TV screen. You might even say that the concept of living room convergence we've been talking about for years has arrived.

The media receiver/media extender/set-top box category is a bit slippery since it includes so many divergent products. Some, like the Roku XDS, focus more on streaming Web content from sources like Hulu Plus, YouTube, Flickr, or Pandora, while others, like the CiragoTV Platinum CMC3000 concentrate more on storing or streaming your own audio, video, and photos over a wireless network. Some, like Western Digital's WD TV Live Hub and Orb TV, do a little bit of both. Others, like Apple TV, hook into a large online catalog of streaming video you can rent. Apple has its own iTunes store, but other boxes use Amazon on Demand, Blockbuster on Demand, Hulu Plus, and/or Vudu. The Boxee Box and the Logitech Revue with Google TV even integrate a browser so you have access to Flash video, search, and, well, pretty much the whole Web.

While they are the focus of this story, it's not just set-top boxes: TV manufacturers are piling on streaming services in HDTVs and Blu-ray players. Currently, all three major game consoles integrate some form of Internet-video streaming. The Nintendo Wii has Netflix, while the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 offer several services along with easy access to your own PC media over your wireless network. Also, Sony is integrating Google TV in some of its HDTVs like the NSX-32GT1 and its Internet TV Blu-ray Disc Player; other manufacturers are likely to follow suit.

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If you want in on the Web-meets-TV movement, but you don't know where to start, we've got full reviews of the latest dedicated media-streaming devices below, and the chart, which follows, stacks the most popular products side by side so you can compare key features at a glance.

Apple TV  
Boxee Box by D-Link
CiragoTV Platinum CMC3000
Logitech Revue with Google TV
Orb TV
Roku XDS
Western Digital WD TV Live Hub  

Set-Top Box Shoot Out

About Our Expert

Wendy Sheehan Donnell

Wendy Sheehan Donnell

Editor-in-Chief, PCMag / VP of Content, Ziff Davis

My Experience

I'm the Editor-in-Chief of PCMag.com and the Vice President of Content for Ziff Davis. I oversee the editorial operations of PCMag and ExtremeTech.com, leading more than 65 writers, editors, and contributors, steering PC Labs, reviews, and product coverage, as well as news, expert commentary, and service journalism across the sites.

Back when the first iPhone was released, I started at PCMag as a senior editor covering consumer electronics and mobile reviews. After that, I went on to head up the reviews team as executive editor. And most recently I served as deputy editor, managing PCMag's editorial team and day-to-day operations. I've covered more product releases and have edited more reviews, roundups, and buying guides than any human reasonably should, each and every one contributing to the noble pursuit of helping you find the right technology to fit your life.

Before joining PCMag, I was the managing editor of Computer Shopper. I earned my master's degree in magazine journalism from New York University. (Nope, the irony of witnessing the deaths of both of the print magazines I've managed is not lost on me.)

Though I rarely have the opportunity to write these days, I still crave the rush that comes from crafting the perfect headline and enjoy nothing more than a spirited AP Style debate.

My Areas of Expertise

In my quarter-century-long journalism career, my main areas of focus have been mobile technology and electronics, but I've managed to cover most aspects of consumer and business technology. These days, I spend most of my time strategizing in endless video calls. I'm an ace at sharing my screen and telling people who are already speaking that they're muted.

The Technology I Use

I'm a Mac. Always have been, since my family got our first computer, the Apple IIe, in the early '80s. More irony: I was the first staff editor to use an Apple computer instead of a PC to edit reviews for PCMag. Today, my main computers are a Mac Studio with Pro Display and a 13-inch MacBook Pro. I've carried an iPhone since 2008, and proudly display the click-wheel iPod in my office. My 12-year old stole my iPad a long time ago and now he's eyeing my AirPods. I have more smart devices installed in my home than most people on the planet, and I drive an electric Mini Cooper SE and have become mildly obsessed with EV charging. There's a video game museum in my basement.

The Technology I Use

I'm a Mac. Always have been, since my family got our first computer, the Apple IIe, in the early '80s. More irony: I was the first staff editor to use an Apple computer instead of a PC to edit reviews for PCMag. Today, my main computers are a Mac Studio with Pro Display and a 13-inch MacBook Pro. I've carried an iPhone since 2008, and proudly display the click-wheel iPod in my office. My 12-year old stole my iPad a long time ago and now he's eyeing my AirPods. I have more smart devices installed in my home than most people on the planet, and I drive an electric Mini Cooper SE and have become mildly obsessed with EV charging. There's a video game museum in my basement.

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