The best ... streaming devices for your TV

XStreamHD Fast Start

XStream is the “first set-top system” able to download Blu-ray–quality movies in 7.1 surround sound. The device offers its own library via satellite, as well as access to Hulu and Netflix.

$400, plus $10 a month and cost per title, xstreamhd.com

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Source: Popular Science

Logitech Revue With Google TV

The potential here “is as big as the Internet,” but Google TV needs to add more content feeds: Major networks are still blocking this box’s access to programs “any old laptop” can stream.

$300, logitech.com

Source: The Wall Street Journal

Apple TV

The clear best choice for Apple devotees, because it’s the “only box that’s compatible with iTunes.” You can even start a movie on your iPhone and finish watching it on your home screen. For now, though, available TV content is limited.

$100, apple.tv

Source: CNet.com

Roku

“Beats Apple TV hands-down” for versatility. Now available in three models, Roku’s boxes support 1080p images, work with older TVs, and offer access to more than 130 non-cable channels, including Netflix, MLB.tv, and, for a fee, Hulu Plus.

$60 to $100, roku.com

Source: BusinessInsider.com

Boxee Box by D-Link

For finding videos on the Web, “there is no finer software” than Boxee: It’s like a “TV Guide for the Internet age.” This media player, however, doesn’t have access to much more content than your laptop does.

$200, boxee.tv

Source: The Wall Street