Orb Brings Hulu and Network TV Streaming to Your Living Room
Posted in: hulu, Media Players, streaming, Today's Chili, TV, video
The common opinion of the Google TV is that its way too geeky for the average couch-bound TV addict, all while Google pretends that it isn’t built for nerds. But if you really want to get your hands dirty with your TV programming, why not try yet another set-top box: The Orb.
The Orb, which would more accurately be called “The Disc”, is a $100 box that plugs into a TV via component or composite connections. It doesn’t actually bring any content in itself: for that you need a computer. You run server software on a PC or Mac and the Orb grabs content from there via Wi-Fi (it has to be on the same network). This sounds awkward, but it has one big advantage: Unlike Boxee and Google TV, your computer isn’t blocked by Hulu, ABC, NBC and CBS. That means you can watch any streams on the big screen.
To control the Orb, you use your phone. Apps are available for iOS and Android devices, and let you browse and choose content from online sources or from your own local collection without having to drag your computer into the living room.
It’s an ingenious solution, and one that works well if you always have a computer switched on anyway. There’s one downside, though: Only standard-def is supported.
OrbTV [Orb]
See Also:
- Hands-On With the Boxee Set-Top Box and Remote
- Boxee Beta, Now On Apple TV
- Google TV
- Logitech Google TV Box Embarrasses Apple TV
- Google Introduces Google TV, New Android OS
Post a Comment