(Credit: Sherwood)The Sherwood NetBoxx is an interesting hybrid product. It combines the accessibility of a midrange AV receiver with that of an Internet media streamer. So in addition to connecting various AV devices like Blu-ray players and game consoles, the NetBoxx can retrieve audio, photos, and video off the Internet and play them on your TV.
The NetBoxx can grab content from YouTube, Cinema Now, online TV channels, and Shoutcast. With the help of PlayOn, users can bring in additional media from Hulu, Netflix, CBS, CNN, ESPN, and Amazon Video On Demand. If you connect the receiver to your home network, you can share content locally from other computers or a NAS (network attached storage) device.
The NetBoxx itself is actually an impressive piece of hardware. The 7.1-channel receiver can take up to three HDMI 1.3 and two component video inputs with support up to 720p. On the audio side there is room for one optical and two coaxial digital audio inputs. Two USB ports (one on the front, one in back) also let you playback media off a portable hard drive.
While it may seem the NetBoxx is the ultimate all-in-one media center hub, it'll run you $650 when it goes on sale this month. Yamaha offers a similar product within the NeoHD series, the Yamaha YMC-700. It adds networking capabilities--though not as in-depth as the NetBoxx--for around $800.
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