Netgear NTV200 : Over-the-Top Streaming for Non-Networked TVs
by Ganesh T S on December 22, 2011 10:50 PM EST- Posted in
- Media Streamer
- Home Theater
- NetGear
A summary of the characteristics of the various streaming services supported by the Netgear NTV200 is provided below.
| Streaming Services Compatibility Details | |
| Netgear NTV200 | |
| Firmware Version v1.01.10 | |
| Service | Notes |
| Netflix | No Support for 1080p or DD+ |
| Adaptive Streaming Implemented | |
| YouTube | Leanback Interface |
| Max. 720p Supported | |
| Miscellaneous Video Services | Amazon VoD, Hulu Plus Not Supported |
| VUDU HDX Supported with Seamless Adaptive Streaming | |
| Crackle Not Supported | |
| Miscellaneous Audio Services | Pandora Supported |
| Spotify Not Supported | |
| Web Browser | Not Supported |
| Miscellaneous Apps | Revision3, Flingo, Blip.tv, CrunchyRoll, Vimeo etc. [ Apps List Video ] |
| Developer Support for Custom Channels | Exists [ Developers can contact Netgear directly ] |
I have purposefully not talked too much in detail about the social apps (like Facebook and Twitter), games and news feeds. As Matthew Moscovciak at CNET points out, these apps just don't lend themselves to a big-screen experience.
In addition to these specifications, some consumers might also care about proper 24 fps support. Unfortunately, despite Netgear claiming the NTV200 as being 24 Hz capable, I found that the Netflix and Vudu 23.976 / 24 fps streams played back with a refresh rate of 60 Hz only.
One of the areas where the NTV200 excels is the power consumption profile. Even when streaming the maximum quality Vudu movies, the unit consumed only 5.1 W at the wall outlet.
An important aspect that we have not touched upon in the review is the Wi-Fi capability of the player. Despite all the recent OTT media streamers coming in with built-in Wi-Fi, our advice is always to have a wired connection. While Wi-Fi might work in specific situations (and considering the fact that the maximum bitrate video being streamed on the NTV200 is going to be in the whereabouts of 10 Mbps), there is always the inherent environmental conditions which prevent us from concentrating too much on this aspect of the media streamers.
In summary, the NTV200 is a mixed bag. The only redeeming features seem to be good CEC support, the excellent Vudu app coupled with a very low price point (I have seen the player on Amazon for as low as $50). Other aspects (including the UI and the Netflix / YouTube apps) have lots of scope for improvement. Would I recommend this for purchase? As a gift, this is definitely better than the lower end Roku 2 models (particularly when the Vudu apps are considered), provided it can be purchased between $50 and $70. For personal use, I suggest spending a little extra and getting a better featured and comparatively well supported unit in the WDTV Live Streaming Media Player.
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raquel - Monday, December 26, 2011 - link
I don't understand why you're saying this is better than the Roku when the only advantage it appears to have is Vudu support. I don't know anybody who uses Vudu.I don't know anybody who uses Amazon video, either. But everybody uses Netflix, and Roku has a better Netflix client. And Roku supports Hulu, which is pretty popular. And the cheap Roku costs less than this. And it supports supports Crackle, which the cheap people who buy these cheap boxes will appreciate since it's totally free. This thing isn't going to catch on like the Roku and it'll never have the support of Roku -- like keeping the Netflix client up to date, and like MKV support which Roku has now.
I just don't see how this has anything going for it except as a cheap Vudu player if you're a huge Vudu fan and you don't have a PS3 or Xbox or Blu-ray player that supports Vudu.
ganeshts - Monday, December 26, 2011 - link
My comparison holds water as long as you can grab this one for ~$50. Let me explain:The cheapest Roku 2 is only 720p, so the latest Netflix client and full 1080p is wasted in it. There is no wired Ethernet support and Wi-Fi is not universally reliable in the 2.4 GHz band, particularly in crowded neighborhoods. Netgear says this will get 1080p Netflix and supports wired Ethernet. Hardware-wise, this is surely one in the bag for NTV200.
On to Vudu.. I am really not a big fan of the non-buffet services, but the quality of titles streamed on Vudu has to be seen to be believed. It is nice to have that extra option (say, when you want to rent a good quality movie once a month).
Roku needs your credit card even to setup the player. NTV200 doesn't. That alone is a good enough reason for some people to avoid the Roku :)
Playing back local media with Roku is often not worth the hassle.. The time and effort taken to get that up and running (often with a media server running all the time on a PC) is often worth more than the ~$20 one would save over the WDTV Live SMP.
If you have got only $50 to spend, I still suggest going the NTV200 route (if only for Vudu). If you can spend more, get the WDTV Live SMP. Personally, I think Roku is surviving because they were the one of the first guys in this media streaming market, and they have a huge advertising budget. Technically, the WDTV Live SMP is miles ahead. And price wise, the NTV200 at $50 is what I would recommend in the general case. Of course, individual requirements might vary.
raquel - Monday, December 26, 2011 - link
Best Buy and Staples have it for $60. It's a great deal if it's what you want. I just don't see there being many people saying, "I want to pay for premium streaming services but I need a box less than $100."If you're a big enough geek to have ethernet running through your house and you're paying for more streaming services than a cheap Netflix account, the WD TV Live has everything the NTV200 has plus Hulu Plus and Spotify and local media support.
I guess I'm just biased towards the Roku. I watch a lot of Netflix, and everything has a pretty terrible client and an even more terrible remote. The PS3 Netflix client just recently got updated so it doesn't crash all the time. Most of the remotes have a bunch of tiny buttons that are all the same size. The only thing I can really stand to watch Netflix on is the Roku and the Wii. But if I liked the NTV200's Netflix client and remote and thought it would get good support and updates in the future, I would think it was the best thing ever.
LoosCarl - Sunday, January 1, 2012 - link
Get this Netgear NeoTV (NTV200) Streaming Player from Amazon, if you missed it: http://cl.lk/21hkykk