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Roku XDS review
It's an interesting time for Roku -- the upstart device company has owned the cheap'n'easy Netflix streaming market since the beginning, and its platform has been getting more and more flexible over time, adding various channels like Amazon Video on Demand, MLB.tv, UFC, and others. But cheap and simple aren't necessarily good enough anymore, not with the new $99 Apple TV set to launch in just a few weeks -- and while Roku already took the preemptive step of slashing prices across the board, it's following up with some promising new hardware and features. The new Roku HD offers basic 720p streaming capabilities for just $59, the new Roku XD adds 1080p streaming support for $79, and $99 Roku XDS -- which we tested -- offers 1080p support, a USB port for local media, optical and component outputs, and dual-band WiFi. Apart from the new case, the HD and XD are extremely similar to Roku's previous offerings, but the XDS is immediately interesting -- it offers a number of features absent on Apple's offering. So does the newest flagship Roku have what it takes to remain our favorite inexpensive streamer? Read on to find out! %Gallery-102946%
Roku hits FCC with XD S player to complement its upcoming XD line
Roku clearly isn't taking the new Apple TV lying down. After passing the Roku XD and Netgear Roku XD through the FCC a week or so ago, it's back for more with the Roku XD S. There are still plenty of plugs in the back, including HDMI, USB, Ethernet, component video, composite video, optical audio, and Ethernet, and the 802.11n a/b/g/n WiFi makes its requisite appearance as well. Since we don't know too much about the XD line yet, we're not sure set the XD S apart, but prior experience in the CE space suggests that "S" stands for "small" or perhaps "scintillating."
