VLC
I use Push2TV through WiDi.
It’s wireless, connected to my surround system, anything on my computer is displayed and played right on the flat screen.
It’s also capable of 5.1 surround as well as high def.....for a purchase price of less than a $100.00, you can’t beat it!
Media Player Classic - Home Cinema.
VLC for video. Winamp for audio.
My daughter has the Roku 2, which she really likes, because it can stream Netflix very well;. but, for my money, I’ll take the Western Digital TV Live Media Player anytime..why?
The WD TV Live media player will play ANY audio and video format thrown at it. The Roku 2 is limited to Mp4 video format with AAC or Mp3 audio.
Sure, the Roku 2 specs say that it can handle Mkv format; but in my own experience, uh...not very well. The Roku 2 DOES “pass-through” dolby digital AC3 or DTS audio signals, BUT only IF your tv set decodes Dolby Digital or DTS signals on it’s own, or if the Roku is hooked up via HDMI to an audio reciever that has the ability to decode these formats.
The WD TV Live media player can handle H.264, Mpeg, Avi, FLV,as well as M2TS files (from Blu Ray), Mkv and Mp4 files..but also DTS Core, AC3, AAC, TRUE HD formats, Flac audio, as well as WAV, Mp3, WMA, Lpcm,and E-AC3 audio formats..in other words, this media player can play almost anything, in any format.
I’ve ripped my own extensive collection of Blu Rays to an external hard drive, which is attached via HDMI to the WD TV Live Media Player, which then, is attached in turn to my Yamaha 5.1 surround receiver via HDMI..I can play either High Def or standard videos, and also my album collection, all from the external hard drive.
The WD TV Live also streams NETFLIX, in 5.1 “Dolby Digital Plus” surround audio as well, and has Pandora, VUDU, HULU PLUS..and any number of streaming radio stations as well~
The Roku, or the WD TV Live Media Player? Both cost about the same..BUT there is a VAST difference in the ability of each media player~
Playing audio-video files is truly easier and better through the WD TV Live media player, than playing A/V media through a blu ray player, or dvd player or cd player..everything is there, available at the touch of a button!
This little box is better than anything I’ve seen so far, the video and audio is superb!~ One of the best electronic gadgets to be invented so far, in my opinion.. ~ :>)
Apple TV for me. It is an outstanding device and has perfect seamless integration with iTunes. Fast setup, AirPlay, beautiful UI, outstanding video encoding by Apple for content in their iTunes library, extremely easy purchases of content and downloading. I was filling the hard drive on my MacBook Pro, so bought a cheap external 1 TB drive and use TuneSpan to seamlessly split the content between the internal drive and external drive. I’m going to add an Apple Mac Mini as a dedicated media server in my wiring closet real soon to avoid the nuisance of having to turn on the MBP for video or audio and split the files between the MBP and the external drive. I also use Logitech’s Squeezebox Duet (which I bought long before Logitech bought the company) for streaming audio to the sound system.
The only “streaming” I do, is through YouTube, or through the SLOOH space telescopes.
I listen to Live365 Internet radio, but they have their own little player that needs Adobe Air.
When NASA had the Transit of Venus, I went through their website.