This year’s holiday gadget season looks like it’s going to be a bit of a mixed bag. I’m not as excited as I’d like to be about the new stuff available, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of gadgety toys to add to your holiday shopping list. Here’s a quick round-up of the video boxes on the market. Click on the links for more detailed information. What are you planning to buy?
Video Boxes
If DVD and BluRay players were the CE gifts to give in the past, 2010 is shaping up to be the year of the over-the-top video box. The long-awaited Boxee Box is scheduled to make its debut on November 10th, with retail arrival on the 17th. It’s boasting access to “tens of thousands of movies, TV shows, and apps,” but retails towards the higher end of the current price spectrum at $199.99.
Meanwhile, the Logitech Revue with Google TV tops out at $299.99, and is one of the more pricey mainstream OTT boxes available now. Reviews are decidedly mixed on the Google box, and personally I’m still awaiting Dave’s official verdict. Then there’s the Apple TV, sneaking in at $99, but largely bound to the iTunes ecosystem. And the WDTV Live Plus lists at $149.99 (or less), and brings local 1080p playback to the mix.
For my money, the box to beat is still Roku. The high-end Roku XDS is only $99.99, and it’s got 1080p playback with embedded 802.11n access. It’s easy to set up, plus the channel options continue to expand. Hulu Plus is on its way.
There’s a box for every budget this season. No, we still don’t have the “God Box,” but the choices are far greater than they were even a year ago. Happy shopping.