Roku 2 XS 1080p Streaming Player

This replaced a Boxee Box that I had for several years as it was advertised as supporting the closed captioning of Amazon movies which may or may not be true. I couldn't get it to work the one time I tried it so caveat emptor as they say. It also seems to be supported by the Logitech Harmony Remote that I have although I haven't got that working perfectly yet either. Anyway, it seems to work better than the Boxee generally - faster and seems to optimize my netflix video stream for best picture quality.

To take maximum advantage of this device you will need a broadband internet connection with a stable signal of at least 5.0MB-plus, otherwise there is no reason to buy this box(the lesser versions will do as well for lower resolutions, and at less cost). The Netflix & VuDu image quality at 1080p is extraordinary, equal to or better than many BluRay discs, and equal to or better than VuDu's HDX service. And I'm talking about viewing the Netflix and VuDu HDX on a 65-inch plasma screen where image deficiencies are most noticeable. Of course, as to Netflix you must search through their library to see which offerings are "HD"(currently 4,000-plus titles). Unfortunately, the accompanying 5.1 surround audio is available only with an amp which offers Dolby Digital Plus codec(many late model, high-quality units do not); if not, you're stuck with stereo only. Complaints about this limitation to Netflix and VuDu result in nothing more than their promise to refer the issue to tech department.