Does anyone have a digital media receiver? Like it, love it, use it often? What are your thoughts?

I use Roku and like it a lot. However, it does freeze up now and then, while watching Netflix and other such things.

I was over at a friend's house who has one. He uses one called a gBox by a "boutique" manufacturer - it's Android based and runs on an operating system called XBMC. He has an external hard drive hooked into it with all of his digital music and digital movies as well. Seems pretty cool.

 

I run my TV through a pretty nice digital surround receiver, so the idea of piping your digital music directly through there is pretty sweet. Ends up working kinda like a TouchTunes jukebox. I've also got a Smart TV and a BluRay with streaming capability, so I'm not sure if I'm just going to be adding a lot of redundant media capabilities or not...

I have a Roku and I like it pretty well. The only drawback is that I can't use it for my itunes stuff. There are some "channels" you can download that let you access your computer's hard-drive wirelessly, but they are sort of clunky.

I have a Roku and I like it pretty well. The only drawback is that I can't use it for my itunes stuff. There are some "channels" you can download that let you access your computer's hard-drive wirelessly, but they are sort of clunky.

 

From what I've read, I believe that's the benefit of the gBox that my buddy bought. It has USB inputs that allow it to have an external hard drive plug right into it.

From what I've read, I believe that's the benefit of the gBox that my buddy bought. It has USB inputs that allow it to have an external hard drive plug right into it.

 

In hindsight I probably would have been better off with something like that or the AppleTV. I don't have cable so I use Roku for Netflix and MLB mostly, but I watch a lot of shows through itunes and I don't have access to it from my TV without connecting it via HDMI.

Got a Roku 3. Only been using it for about 2 weeks so the jury is still out on that. So far so good though...very easy to setup.

I use a ROKU and really like it. Easy to use and I have not had a problem with it.

This is also an interesting development: https://www.google.com/intl/en/chrome/devices/chromecast/#netflix

This is also an interesting development: https://www.google.com/intl/en/chrome/devices/chromecast/#netflix

 

Now that's an interesting little toy....

I plan to get Apple TV one day and wouldn't entertain any other device because my multimedia is exclusively through iTunes.

 

 

If it ain't broke.....

I've been holding off on Apple TV because when they actually make cheap televisions they will have it built in I would assume.

I've been holding off on Apple TV because when they actually make cheap televisions they will have it built in I would assume.

 

Makes sense.

I have a Roku...big fan. It was free so I didn't shop around although the gBox sounds like something I would have liked to buy.

I have an Apple TV. I like it. My only complaint is that my wireless is flaky, which affects the Apple TV, but that has nothing to do with the AppleTV itself.