Digital Home Thoughts: Which Box Should You Pick To Go Under Your TV?

While you know an MP3 player will play MP3s, and a DVD player will do its thing, the new breed of boxes don't wear their functionality on their sleeve. Set-top boxes, media boxes-we know they're boxes, yes, but what's inside? What are these boxes going to do for you? Some want to make renting movies a cinch, some want to help you stream the movies you already have-and some seem like they want to try to do it all."With new offerings from Roku and Apple, and the grand impending entrance of Google TV, the crowd of little plastic boxes that all want to stream your video is getting packed. And confusing. But we're here to help you compare."

There are plenty media devices out there, all trying to be the ultimate device that you choose to connect to your TV. Gizmodo have put together a basic chart comparing the features of some of the main ones, specifically Apple TV, Google TV, Roku XDS, PS3/Xbox 360, Boxee Box, TiVo Premiere, and the WD Live Plus. This chart gives you a quick glance look at the main features and how each compares to each other. Obviously this is not the most comprehensive list of devices and is missing some obvious ones such as the PopCorn Hour or even Microsoft Media center (though I can see why Media Center is not included as it is a PC rather than an integrated box). Regardless, this is a useful chart which can give you a nice overview of each device and help you decide which to go for if you are looking for one and are unsure of the differences.