Roku XDS

1. CNET

CNET looks at the Roku XDS in a detailed testing-based report. Comparisons are made to other digital media players. In the end, the editors are sufficiently impressed with content, usability and value to give the Roku XDS the site's Editors' Choice award.

Review: Roku XDS (2100X), John P. Falcone and David Carnoy, Dec. 2, 2010

2. PC World

Though not overly long, this review at PC World -- where the Roku XDS is the top-rated digital media player -- covers the essentials. Yardena Arar is disappointed that the Roku XDS can't stream content from a networked PC or storage device, but says that when it comes to streaming from the Internet, the Roku XDS is "a great choice."

Review: Roku XDS (2100X), Yardena Arar, Sept. 22, 2010

3. PCMag.com

Tim Gideon and PCMag.com take a contrarian view to most experts, awarding the Roku XDS one of the lowest grades among digital media players it has reviewed. Video quality takes a knock, as does Wi-Fi streaming and the limited number of free content providers. Gideon also complains that the necessity to sign up for each provider separately seems tedious. A number of owners post their own ratings for the Roku XDS, and those are notably higher.

Review: Roku XDS, Tim Gideon, Sept. 22, 2010

4. Switched.com

The Roku XDS com makes the cut as one of the best Network Enabled Replay Devices (NERD) -- aka digital media players. Positives and negatives are explored, though not in tremendous depth. In the end, the Roku XDS is said to be best for those who want a simple and reliable way to access Internet media from Netfilx, Hulu Plus and more -- as long as they don't also want to stream content from their computer.

Review: Best Boxes for Streaming Internet Video (and More) to Your TV, Jon Chase, Dec. 2, 2010

5. Macworld

Jason Snell compares the Roku digital media player to Apple TV and gives the edge to Roku. Ease of use and performance are praised, but access to more varied content is the big advantage. While iTunes users might still favor Apple TV, Roku's bigger stable of content providers gives it "a distinct advantage." One negative is that unlike Apple TV, Roku can't natively stream from a networked computer, though unsupported third-party work-arounds to do that are available.

Review: Roku Players, Jason Snell, Nov. 5, 2010

6. Big Picture Big Sound.com

BigPictureBigSound.com's Ian White rates the Roku XDS higher than any other digital media player he's reviewed and grants the streaming video player the site's The Biggie award. The review is meaty, testing-based and balanced. White reports that he is so impressed with the Roku XDS that he's added it to his own home system.

Review: Roku XDS Review, Ian White, Dec. 3, 2010

7. ConsumerReports.org

From the March 2011 edition of the print magazine, ConsumerReports.org posts a brief summary of the capabilities, positives and negatives of the Roku XDS. There's also an opinion of which type of user would be happiest with the digital media player.

Review: How Set-Top Boxes Compare, Editors of ConsumerReports.org

8. Amazon.com

More than 500 owners have posted their opinions of the Roku XDS digital media player here. Some owners report issues with network connectivity and with customer support that could be more helpful. However, far more are mostly to completely pleased, resulting in an overall rating of 4.2 stars (out of 5).

Review: Roku XDS Streaming Player 1080p, Contributors to Amazon.com