macvala nevenah aleigha
Margorie Gomoran
Instead of presenting a grid of separate streaming apps the way many competing platforms do, the Google TV home page prioritizes recently watched shows and movies, as well as personalized recommendations, and it adds a live-TV interface that works across several apps. This design makes it easier and faster to find what you want to watch. Streaming content from mobile devices via Chromecast is simple, too.
The RF-based remote can work through walls and cabinets, has dedicated power and volume controls for your TV, and includes a microphone for voice search. For $30, you can upgrade to the rechargeable Roku Voice Remote Pro, which adds a headphone jack, a remote finder, and an optional always-on voice assistant.
While this guide focuses on standalone streaming boxes and dongles, we also see it as a guide to the software built into smart TVs. The information and critiques here concerning Google TV, Roku, and Fire TV boxes apply to their smart-TV counterparts, too.
Google TV has built-in Bluetooth audio support, so you can wirelessly transmit the audio signal to Bluetooth headphones for private listening. Our runner-up pick from Roku requires the use of a mobile app for private listening, which is less convenient.
The menu also offers personalized recommendations pulled from various services, instead of limiting recommendations to a single service. And the Google TV mobile app mimics a lot of the interface options, if you prefer to browse on your mobile device.
When you select a show or movie, Google TV also gives you a lot of information about the title, including the Rotten Tomatoes rating, cast info, the different sources you can stream it from, and related content. You can rate a show to improve your recommendations or add it to your watchlist so you can come back to it later. Since this functionality works across the different streaming services, it gives you a more consistent experience.
If you prefer a more app-centric interface, the Roku Streaming Stick 4K is a great alternative that presents a wide selection of streaming services in a simple, uncluttered way. This HDMI stick plugs directly into an HDMI input and can draw power from a compatible USB port, so you can easily add it to a variety of TVs and other home entertainment systems.
It plays nicely with Apple devices. The inclusion of AirPlay 2 support and the Apple TV and Apple Music apps gives the Roku Streaming Stick 4K a lot of the perks of the Apple TV 4K streamer at a much lower price.
Even the more affordable, $130 version is still significantly more expensive than our picks, and despite the slick appeal of the Apple TV interface and its interrelated services, the box is not abundantly more powerful (where streaming is concerned) than something like the Roku Ultra. Our picks will serve the average buyer better at less expense.
When Vudu was first released in the fall of 2007, it was the first realInternet video-on-demand box worthy of the name. Unlike previousnon-starters such as MovieBeam and Akimbo, Vudu offered a decentselection of movies from all major studios--and, later, TV shows--forinstant on-demand viewing. Video quality was good to begin with (whencompared with other online video offerings); a later software upgradeadded HD video. Selections were available for purchase or rental, andthey could be ordered directly from the TV screen. Unfortunately forVudu, Apple updated its similar AppleTV box just a few months later to co-opt nearly all of theVudu's once-unique features. The early 2008 "Apple TV Take 2"upgrade added on-screen ordering (no need to sync withcomputer-based iTunes libraries); HD video (and improved standard-definition video); near-instant viewing for standard-def selections; and movieselections from all major studios. Those upgrades were above and beyondsome advantages Apple TV already had over Vudu: a lower price, built-inWi-Fi, and the ability to stream photos and iTunes music and video filesfrom networked computers.
Still, Vudu hasn't been standing still. Even while it's struggled atthe corporatelevel, Vudu has added TV shows and adult content to itsroster, as well as an accessory that adds wireless support. Inaddition to HD downloads, the company also now has a bargain channel thatoffers a rotating list of 99 movies for just a 99-cent rental. Thelatest feature hitting the Vudu docket is "HDXhigh-definition"--a selection of movies in 1080p HDresolution and 5.1 surround sound. It remains to be seen whether or notthe improved video and audio quality will be enough to distinguishVudu--now available for $300--from its competitors. But for purists whobemoan the lack of "true HD" from rival providers such as Apple,Microsoft, Sony, and Netflix, the impressive picture quality offered byVudu's latest upgrade may be just what the doctor ordered. Sweeteningthe deal is a $200 movie credit (when purchased at Best Buy beforeDecember 31, 2008), bringing the effective cost of the box to just$100.
Design
With its modest dimensions of 2.38 inches high by 8.88 inches wide by7.25 inches deep, the Vudu BX100 box looks like a slightly oversizeApple TV or Mac Mini--though it's thankfully finished in black, so itwon't clash with the rest of your home theater gear. Pick it up, andyou'll feel its 4.2-pound heft; it's densely packed with components,including the 250GB hard drive. The front panel is barren, except for acouple of indicator lights and the Vudu logo. The real action, ofcourse, is around back. The Vudu's rear panel includes every possibleoutput you'd want on a networked audio-visual device. HDMI and componentvideo outputs enable high-definition video output (you can specify 480i,480p, 720p, 1080i, or 1080p resolutions), and--unlike the Apple TV--theVudu will also connect to older TVs via its composite and S-Videooutputs. Digital audio can be sent to compatible TVs or AV receivers viaHDMI, optical or coaxial jacks, and analog stereo RCA jacks are alsoavailable. The Ethernet port provides network connectivity, and a USBport is available for future expansion (a second USB port resides on theleft-hand side).
The Vudu includes every possible AV output you could want, includingHDMI.The rear panel also hosts a little 4-inch antenna, but it's not forWi-Fi. The antenna interfaces with Vudu's unique remote. The contouredclicker has a dual teardrop shape that fits perfectly in your hand (andlefties will appreciate the fact that it's ambidextrous). Taking a cuefrom Apple's intuitive product design, the Vudu remote has only fivebuttons--power, back, home, more, and play/pause. But the biginnovation is a clickable mouse-style scroll wheel--it's used tonavigate the Vudu's onscreen menus, as well as to fast-forward andrewind videos. The remote takes a minute or two to get used to; we werefighting the urge to tilt the wheel left to move up through certainmenus--until we realized that's where the back button should be used.Once you quickly figure it out, however, it becomes second nature.
The only drawback: while the RF (radio frequency) controlmeans you don't have to worry about line-of-sight issues--so, you canlock the Vudu boxaway in a cabinet if you'd like--the lack of an infrared sensor on thedevice precludes the use of most universal remotes. Thankfully, Vudu hasadded an IRremote dongle to its lineup. It should offer interactionwith most programmable universal remotes, but the accessory will set youback about $40.
Vudu's first-time-out-of-the-box setup is about as simple as it gets fora networked home entertainment product (assuming you have a nearbyEthernet connection). If you use the included HDMI cable, the box canhave as few as three wires total: HDMI (to your receiver or TV), power,and the network cable. After the initial power up, Vudu presents anarrated onscreen walk-through that ensures you're getting working audioand video signals and network connectivity, explains how to use theremote, and helps you set up your Vudu account. Vudu does not charge amonthly fee, but you must link a credit card to your Vudu account andpreset it to charge in increments of $20, $50, or $100; your rental feesare then debited against those charges. Once it zeros out, your card isrecharged that preset amount, and the debit process begins again.
While basic setup is really easy, advanced users will appreciate avariety of expert options, including video, audio, and network tweaks.For instance, stereo or surround signals can be prioritized for HDMIoutput, specific high-definition resolutions can be set, and Vudu's data streamcan be prioritized on your home network. We particularly liked theflexible aspect ratio control (zoom, stretch, or full screen on 4x3 or16x9 TVs) and the capability to customize the overscan setting.
Like Slingbox and TiVo products, there's no built-in Wi-Fi option onthe Vudu. If there's no nearby Ethernet connection, you'll need awireless bridge or powerline adapter to get the Vudu online. Vudu alsooffers its own option: the Vudu WirelessKit is a pair of plug-and-play plastic bricks thatwirelessly communicate with one another. Plug one into the Vudu andanother into your home router (or any free Ethernet port on yournetwork), and you'll be good to go.
Maneuvering through each area is dead simple, thanks to the scroll-wheelremote. Movies have full summaries and rating info, and they're allcross-referenced by genre, stars, and director. And because all of thatinfo is essentially "hotlinked" (think IMDB), it's easy to navigatebetween them--jump from Aliens to all Sigourney Weaver movies, forexample, or everything directed by James Cameron. (The resulting listsare limited to titles available on Vudu--not the entertainers' entirefilmographies.)
Once a video is started (rented or purchased), it can be paused,rewound, and (once it's fully downloaded) fast-forwarded. A DVR-styleprogress bar is shown when any of those controls is engaged, and you canrewind and fast-forward as quickly or as slowly as you spin the clickwheel. If you leave a movie, it will automatically resume right whereyou left off (assuming, for rentals, that you return to it within the24-hour viewing window). But the key is the instant gratification thatVudu offers, which differs from the "queue and view" methods employed byAmazon On Demand and Apple TV/iTunes, as well as older Internetvideo-on-demand solutions such as Akimbo.
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