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Browse Player hardware Reviews

   
  • Review: Fourth-generation iPod nano
    The fourth-generation iPod nano is a solid upgrade, offering useful new features, an improved interface and menu system, and a return to tall-and-narrow design. And despite its slight size, it’s passed the iPod classic as the most feature-rich non-touchscreen iPod.
  • Review: Second-generation iPod touch
    The latest iPod touch features integrated volume controls, a built-in speaker, curvier case, and more capacity for the same price. It’s an incremental improvement upon the original widescreen device.
  • Review: Roku Netflix Player
    Roku's Netflix Player gives Netflix subscribers access to thousands of movies and TV shows on their TV set for a flat fee of $99. But is it worth it? Our review has the details.
  • Review: 2GB iPod shuffle
    With more room for your songs and a new low price, what's not to like about the 2GB iPod shuffle? The same limitations in the original 2G iPod shuffle, as Christopher Breen found out.
  • Review: 32GB iPod touch
    The inclusion of Mail, Stocks, Maps, Weather, and Notes has transformed the iPod touch. Now, not only is it a solid and attractive portable media player, but, finally, a darned fine Internet communications device as well. The 32GB model may well be worth a look if you’ve held off on buying a touch.
  • Review: Vudu
    Vudu is an impressive device that brings instant movie entertainment to your living room. Fun, easy to use, and offering great video and sound quality, Vudu has the potential to become a revolutionary device in the digital-movie era.
  • Review: iPod classic with Software Update 1.0.1
    When it originally shipped, the iPod classic was dogged by performance issues related to its new interface. iPod Software Update 1.0.1 addressed the spotty performance -- although at the cost of battery life for audio playtime -- prompting us to re-evaluate the 80GB and 160GB classic.
  • Review: 80GB and 160GB iPod classic
    If the new iPod nano now matches the full-sized iPod feature for feature, what's to differentiate the music player that's now known as the iPod classic? Storage -- and lots of it. While this iPod is a good choice for anyone with capacity concerns, Christopher Breen finds a few interface flaws with the iPod classic, especially compared to the previous generation of full-sized iPods.
  • Review: Third-generation iPod nano
    The changes to the iPod nano -- adding video playback and game support -- make it the equal to the full-sized iPod classic in terms of capabilities. But does it measure up in terms of performance? Dan Frakes takes the third-generation nano in hand to see how it measures up to the rest of Apple's iPod offerings.
  • Game Room: Connect360 3.1
    Mac gamers with an Xbox 360 connected to their home network should take a look at Connect 360, a $20 application that makes it possible to stream unprotected audio, video, and photos from your Mac to your Xbox.
  • Slingbox
    For frequent travelers, especially those who are sports fans or who have DVRs full to bursting with recorded shows, Slingbox successfully brings the comforts of home to wherever you roam.
  • Review: iPod touch with 1.1.1 update
    In our original review we suggested that the iPod touch’s video quality was a deal-killer. With the 1.1.1 update that quality has improved somewhat—enough to warrant a half-mouse uptick in our rating. But the touch’s feature set remains arbitrary.
  • Review: iPod touch
    This iPhone-like touchscreen iPod is not without its strengths, particularly when it comes to wireless features like the ability to buy music via the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store. But it also has flaws, most notably the quality of video. This widescreen iPod was created with video in mind, and it's in this critical area that it shortchanges users.
  • EyeTV 250
    The EyeTV 250 is a great personal video recorder for Mac users. This is a particularly useful unit if you have a slower Mac, as the hardware encoder ensures high quality recordings without stressing the computer’s processor.
  • TVMicro
    Miglia’s TVMicro is a great portable analog TV tuner for Mac users. If you want something to let you watch TV on your Mac, you won’t go wrong with it.
  • EyeTV Hybrid television tuner
    The EyeTV Hybrid has many benefits and few drawbacks. It’s a clear winner—especially if you want to take TV viewing on the road. If you have a slower, single-processor Mac, however, the EyeTV 250 may be a better bet.
  • Review: Second-generation iPod shuffle
    The small size of Apple's second-generation shuffle is a testament to efficient engineering, but it also makes for a music player that could be easier to use. It's not the best-sounding player made by Apple, but given its intended use, it's a more-than-capable musical companion.
  • iPod Game Review: Vortex
    This Apple-made iPod game adapts a proven concept to the iPod with great results, though it may prove too difficult to hold your attention indefinitely.
  • iPod Game Review: Zuma
    Imprecise aiming and a tiny screen mar the experience of playing this marble-matching game on your iPod.
  • iPod Game Review: Pac-Man
    It's fun to see Pac-Man on the iPod, but using the click wheel control to move the pellet-eating yellow mouth leaves a lot to be desired.
  • Review: 30GB and 80GB video iPods
    Although the new 5G iPod isn’t the “true video iPod” many people were expecting, it’s a solid upgrade from its predecessor, offering useful new software features for watching video, playing games, and browsing music, as well as improved hardware in the form of a brighter screen, better battery life, and better earbuds—all at lower prices.
  • Review: iPod nano (second generation)
    The 2G iPod is both a welcome step back to more colorful (and scratch-resistant) days of the iPod mini and a moderate step forward in functionality. This middle-child iPod feels and looks great with its rugged aluminum finish and bright display.
  • TVMini HD
    This stylish looking and compact device is a great way to get HDTV content on your Mac. And since it's a bus-powered USB 2.0 device, you can take it anywhere you go.
  • EyeTV 2.1
    EyeTV 2 is a solid upgrade for all users who already own EyeTV and other compatible Personal Video Recorder hardware. The integrated programming guide and new editing options make it especially worthwhile.
  • EvolutionTV
    One could argue that Elgato Systems’ EyeTV products rule the Mac personal video recorder market. Miglia takes a valiant shot at EyeTV’s dominance with its EvolutionTV USB 2.0 digital video recorder, but falls short because its software simply isn’t as mature.