The two biggest names in technology offer solutions for yourcouching needs. While Google, true to its nature, gives out the software forothers to package, Apple, true to its nature controls the complete experienceincluding the hardware.
To decide which one suits your needs best, take this smallquiz:
1. Do youwant to be able to browse the internet on your TV?
2. Do youwant to be able to install and use apps on your TV?
3. Do youwant free TV shows?
4. Do youwant big storage on your media player?
5. Should ithandle HD content?
6. Should ithave its own remote and allow connections to external hardware?
7. Should itbelong to an existing store environment to let you buy content?
8. Should itstream from your existing devices?
If you answered yes to one or more of the above questions,you’re reading the right article! Yes, those were all trick questions. Mostrobust media centres will do most or all of the above. But there are some thatoffer a mix of the above features and are still worth every paisa you willspend on them!
Google TV/Apple TV
Google TV (or Android powered Media Centers as some of theseare now known) let you download apps, movies and other content (restricted bylocation) and view it on your TV. Be warned, that it will eat up a lot of theinternet quota you have on your plan. So put it on only when you know what youmay end up paying for excess usage. While not too many products are currentlyavailable, Sony makes the NSZ-GS7 Google TV player and sells it for about Rs9,000.
Apple TV is not much different, but thanks to the iTunesstore (now available in India), it is easier to identify movies and rent/buythem for viewing. Worth noting, though, that you cannot run apps on Apple TV.Getting movies from your hard drive or other storage media to play on Apple TVdoes require some jumping through hoops, unfortunately. Your movies need to bein a format that iTunes can read and then, you can stream them to Apple TV.
Other Media Players
If the above options are too complicated and what you reallyrequire is just a player with storage to dump your movies and music, don’t eventhink before going for the WD TV Live. One of the pioneers of the genre, WD TVLive has a robust interface and will play back just about any movie format. Thenew versions offer a slightly better interface and most importantly, includeWi-Fi to allow streaming to your device. This also means that you could browsethe internet (some apps included) on your TV.
The WD TV Live doesn’t offer built-in storage, but justconnect an external storage device to any of the two provided USB ports and youare good to go. If internal storage is a must, though, look at the WD ElementsPlay. Available in 1TB and 2TB variants, that’s enough for about 76 to 150 hoursof movies! That’s a lot! One gripe about this device is that it does take along time to move stuff to the device. So be patient!
There are a few other options around as well. Seagate offersthe GoFlex TV HD player, Iomega has the Screenplay HD Director (with internalstorage) and a smattering of others that just help you stream from your ownhard drive or other storage devices.
With prices starting as low as Rs 5,500 (Apple TV) to Rs10,500 (WD TV Live), the choice is vast. And it’s growing. In our opinion, gofor the WD TV Live (no internal storage), priced at about Rs 5,000. Nevermindthe fact that you won’t be able to use most of the streaming apps that comebundled with it. Just as a media player to stream or view your existingcollection, this is a great investment.
