Network capabilities
Apple TV
The Apple TV has WIFI (802.11n 150/300 Mbit) and Ethernet (10/100Mbit) built in. It's really easy to install. Just connect you device and the Apple TV will find the WIFI networks that's close. Then just type in the password and you'll have an connection. Same goes for the Ethernet connection. You just have to connect the network cable into the device and the network will automatically connect you and override the WIFI network. Very simple which of course is a big plus!
So how does it work streaming through the device? I tried a movie that was about 1 minute long which I filmed on my iPhone 4S with 1080p quality. I used airplay to stream and it took a quite while for it to buffer and become ready for play. It took several minutes actually. Not good at all. But once it was ready it look very nice. Same goes for pictures. They look very good and when you swipe to the next pic on your phone it changes on your TV with no notable delay.
Ok I shouldn't bring up capabilities with a jailbreaked Apple TV but I think it's necessary in order to compare the 3 devices. I used XMBC and tried various file sizes to see how it would perform. Starting with a large file at 10 GB made the Apple TV work slow. It needed to buffer sometime during the movie as well as before it started to play even smaller files had the same problem. It was in files that only contained 200 MEG that it would work just fine. However when I ran a wired network the Apple TV worked great and displayed all I fed it with. No lag, no delays and no buffering. I know it's a bit of a drag to have it wired but it goes without saying that the device will perform better. So my advice to you all, run the Apple TV wired.
Score 6 out of 10
WD TV Live
The WD TV Live doesn't have WIFI built in, just an Ethernet port. However you can by a WIFI USB dongle and connect it to the WD TV. It has a wide range of dongles and here's a list you can choose from >> List of compatible devices for the WD TV Live
I bought a D-Link adapter and plugged it in. Plug and play and automatically it got installed to the WD TV. No problem of finding my WIFI network. Just typed in my password and I had my connection. Simple and fast setup.
With the D-Link adapter the WD TV live worked very well. Only time it had a bit of problem was when it was playing large 10 GB files. It got a bit laggy. However smaller files like 3-8 GB it worked like a charm. No lag and no buffering. As a matter of fact with the D-link adapter the WIFI network worked best on the WD TV compared to the 3 devices. However, you'll have to buy it as an extra accessory. The price lies around $20 or 200SEK.
For best performance you should run the WD TV Live wired. It'll have no problem playing larger files and will eliminate lag and buffer, running under 10/100 Mbit.
Score 6 out of 10
D-Link Boxee
The Boxee has both WIFI and Ethernet built in. It has the same configuration as the Apple TV. 10/100 wired and 802.11n 150/300 Mbit in WIFI. Easy setup. Just like the other devices just start the device choose your WIFI network and enter the password and voila, you're connected. If want to run wired just plug the ethernet cable in. Then choose in the network menu in settings to disable the WIFI and enable the wired network option. Press save and Boxee will automatically find the network.
The Boxee performs very similar to the WD TV Live. It gets some problems when 10GB files are played. I then tried 4,5 GB files and had no problem at all watching it. I even tried a 8 GB file and surprisingly the Boxee manage to take those on as well with no problem other than some buffer before the movie would start. Same as above, the D-Link Boxee will perform much better in a wired network. No lag, no buffer and no waiting. Even some apps like Navi - X will be more stable because running under WIFI it often tends to buffer.
The Boxee has both WIFI and Ethernet built in. It has the same configuration as the Apple TV. 10/100 wired and 802.11n 150/300 Mbit in WIFI. Easy setup. Just like the other devices just start the device choose your WIFI network and enter the password and voila, you're connected. If want to run wired just plug the ethernet cable in. Then choose in the network menu in settings to disable the WIFI and enable the wired network option. Press save and Boxee will automatically find the network.
The Boxee performs very similar to the WD TV Live. It gets some problems when 10GB files are played. I then tried 4,5 GB files and had no problem at all watching it. I even tried a 8 GB file and surprisingly the Boxee manage to take those on as well with no problem other than some buffer before the movie would start. Same as above, the D-Link Boxee will perform much better in a wired network. No lag, no buffer and no waiting. Even some apps like Navi - X will be more stable because running under WIFI it often tends to buffer.
Score 7 out of 10
Conclusion
It was a close round this time. The Boxee wins it by just one point. The WD TV gets quite low points despite it showed the best results using WIFI. How come? I think all media centers should have WIFI built in to the device. There's no question about it, and therefore the WD TV gets a huge points loss. If you really have to use the WIFI then Boxee should be your choice. It performs a bit better then the Apple TV and has the WIFI built in. However, for best performance I recommend you all to run the devices in a wired network. All 3 devices work great and had no problems at all.
Did you miss part 1, 2 or 3?
>> The Media Center Showdown Part 1
>> The Media Center Showdown Part 2
>> The Media Center Showdown Part 3
>> The Media Center Showdown Part 5
>> The Media Center Showdown Part 6
Did you miss part 1, 2 or 3?
>> The Media Center Showdown Part 1
>> The Media Center Showdown Part 2
>> The Media Center Showdown Part 3
>> The Media Center Showdown Part 5
>> The Media Center Showdown Part 6
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