CNET Reviews - Top Rated Video Players and Recorders

Rank Most Popular Titles
1 Sling Media Slingbox Pro-HD
The Sling Media Pro-HD streams live TV to your PC or smartphone--but for most users, its excellent HD-capable picture quality will be diminished when accessed outside of the home network.
2 Dish Network ViP622 HD DVR
The Dish Network ViP622 and 722 are among the most fully featured and versatile high-def DVRs you can buy today.
3 Logitech Squeezebox Duet
With its excellent iPod-like remote, the Logitech Squeezebox Duet is an ideal way to stream the full range of digital music--including files on your computer's hard drive, premium subscription music services, and free Internet radio--to your living room stereo system.
4 Dish Network ViP722 HD DVR
The Dish Network ViP622 and 722 are among the most fully featured and versatile high-def DVRs you can buy today.
5 Microsoft Xbox 360 Elite
While it's neither a must-have upgrade for existing 360 owners nor as feature-packed as the PS3, the Xbox 360 Elite's combination of top-notch gaming and digital media features make it the current game console of choice.
6 Microsoft Xbox 360 (20GB)
With its extensive digital media features, a superior online service, and an excellent game library, the Xbox 360 remains the game console to beat.
7 Microsoft Xbox 360 Halo 3 Special Edition
With its extensive digital media features, a superior online service, and an excellent game library, the Xbox 360 remains the game console to beat.
8 Microsoft Xbox 360 w/ Forza Motorsport 2 and Marvel: Ultimate Alliance (20GB, HDMI)
With its extensive digital media features, a superior online service, and an excellent game library, the Xbox 360 remains the game console to beat.
9 Oppo DV-983H
The Oppo DV-983H is pretty much the ultimate standard-def disc player, but its high price means videophiles on a budget can get a better bang for their buck.
10 TiVo HD (20 HD hours)
While it's not compatible with your cable company's interactive and video-on-demand services, the TiVo HD's excellent onscreen interface and long list of network and Internet features puts it in a class above the generic high-def DVRs offered by most cable providers.
11 TiVo HD XL DVR (150 hours)
The TiVo HD XL charges a hefty premium for its spacious recording capacity and THX certification, but most users will be content sticking to the all-but-identical standard TiVo HD DVR.
12 Denon DVD-2930CI
We were floored by the Denon DVD-2930CI's image quality, but we were also floored by its high price.
13 Oppo DV-980H DVD player
If you're not ready to get a high-def player, the Oppo DV-980H DVD player delivers excellent performance and an unparalleled feature set for the price.
14 Sling Media Slingbox Pro
While its ability to accept multiple sources and optional HD is overkill for most users, the more-expensive Slingbox Pro makes sense for hardcore Slingers with gobs of video gear.
15 OPPO DV-981HD
Performing nearly as well as players costing four times the price, the Oppo DV-981HD is an unbeatable bargain for videophiles and enthusiasts.
16 Pioneer DVR-533H-S
With dual-layer recording, a host of conveniences, and a slim look, the full-featured Pioneer DVR-533H-S recorder seems like a bargain.
17 Sling Media Slingbox Solo
An evolutionary upgrade of past Slingbox models, the Slingbox Solo remains an excellent way to stream your home TV programming to an increasingly wide variety of broadband-connected computers and smart phones.
18 Acoustic Research Digital MediaBridge DMP3000
If you're more interested in streaming video than audio, the HD-friendly Acoustic MediaBridge should be at the top of your list.
19 Philips DSR708
The Philips DSR708's built-in TiVo-powered dual-tuner DVR is an ideal upgrade for any DirecTV subscriber.
20 Panasonic DMR-EA18K
Outstanding recording quality and tons of features, like flexible recording speed and chasing playback, make the Panasonic DMR-EA18K an excellent all-purpose DVD recorder.
21 Escient Fireball DVDM-100
If you have a large DVD/CD collection and wads of cash, you can't go wrong with Escient's DVDM-100 DVD and music manager, which supports up to three compatible DVD/CD changers.
22 JVC HM-DH3000U D-Theater
If you must have an HD recorder/player today, this is an attractive yet expensive solution that likely will be supplanted by the HD DVD format in next few years.
23 Panasonic DMP-BD55
The Panasonic DMP-BD55 is the best standalone Blu-ray we've tested and it's a good choice for those with older receivers, but most people will get the same performance out of the cheaper DMP-BD35.
24 Sling Media Slingbox A/V
The Slingbox A/V is the best way to stream your home TV programming to an increasingly wide variety of broadband-connected computers and smart phones.
25 Apple TV (160GB)
With its enhanced iTunes video offerings, PC-free operation, and a lower price tag, the updated Apple TV is a compelling Internet-enabled entertainment device for the living room.