If you are thinking about getting a network media player it is worth remembering that most have a large number of features, some of which are most useful than others and can cause problems when deciding which to get. Although your budget will play a big part in your decision, you should also look out for these 3 things.
What movies it can play – There is not point in getting a media player if it cannot play popular file formats and especially those that you use on your network. Any files that you have, such as music and videos, will have a file extension and this should help you to determine what type they are. MP3, AVI and ISO might be familiar to you and are quite specific formats, however there are also video container formats that collect together the audio and video in one file and the player must be able to read these too (MKV for example).
Online Media – If you have everything you need in your movie collection already then you might not need access to online media, but that is probably unlikely. These services can give you access to tens of thousands of movies and episodes which you can legally stream from websites such as Amazon, Hulu and Netflix. Some services do charge a nominal fee but as long as you are using them often then you will easily get your moneys worth.
Output Resolution – If you have spent your hard earned money on a nice new HD TV then you will want a media player that can make the most of it. Some devices might seem to be very attractive and affordable such as the appleTV, but they won’t be able to output the content at more than 720p. Look for a media player that will match your televisions maximum resolution.
You do not need to spend a lot of money in order to buy the best network media player as long as you dont forget the above three things. These will ensure that you are getting value for money in whatever you purchase so the rest is really down your preferences. Many cheap media players will tick the boxes above, so its not usually a good idea to base quality on price alone.