OStatic

Granted, the Roku Netflix player isn't exactly a new device. The little hardware appliance (with open source roots) appeared around this time last year, and the reviews were quite favorable, with the biggest complaint cited being Netflix's relatively meager standard definition instant view selections.

My new family member -- a brand new Roku box -- shows just how much can change in a year. With the appropriate cables (and display), the Roku appliance is able to stream high definition media from Netflix and Amazon Video-On-Demand. Netflix integration still requires one has an account without a monthly limit on DVDs (that's any account that costs $8.99 or more per month). Amazon On-Demand titles can be rented, or purchased outright for unlimited viewing on the Roku device.

One of the best things about Roku's use of open source software is that unless you are genuinely interested in that aspect, you never need to know.

Boxee is just one of several open source media center applications. Sam recently compiled a round up of some of the most popular, and I have been using MythTV for over a year now as a TiVO/DVR alternative.

I like MythTV for several reasons. It's not a project for the faint of heart, but it's less the fault of the software than the wild array of hardware that can be conceivably used in nearly every imaginable configuration. It is quite stable, and doesn't require hefty system specs. I didn't think overly about Boxee when I first heard of it. MythTV worked for me.

One thing that MythTV can't do, of course, is stream Netflix movies. I've all too frequently, now, run into problems with Netflix disks being a little too rough to run in my MythTV box's DVD player. This isn't the fault of MythTV -- it's a hardware/media issue.

Boxee is bringing Netflix onboard. There are a few catches, and a few bits that are a little unclear, but this might lead, at the very least, to Boxee running alongside my MythTV installation.