Cold weather forces us to spend most of our time indoors, so it looks like a great idea to have a digital media receiver in your house to keep you and your family entertained with movies and videos. There is but one question that remains, however and that is, which digital media receiver? As in the case of many other technological products the available devices offer different benefits in exchange of different prices.

Roku 2 XS is the best deal you can find this holiday season if you were to compare it with other similar products like Apple TV and other streaming players. Roku 2 XS is now sold at only $89 even though it is one of the best generations that the company has produced so far. Based on our most recent research, the best prices you can find at present are available on Amazon. The online retailer makes great offers, especially around the Christmas holidays, so we strongly advise you to keep a close eye on their website.

The device is capable of rendering high-definition videos of up to 1080 HD and is compatible with all types of TVs, according to the American company. Moreover, you can download as many iOS and Android apps as you like because unlike Apple TV, this streaming player does not require a jailbreak to be used at its full potential. It works with 2 AAA batteries and it can be easily stored due to its small dimensions (3.3 x 3.3 x 0.9 inches; 2 pounds).

The real advantage comes from the fact that Roku 2 XS gives you access to a large number of channels. Based on developers’ declaration, customers will receive the signal of at least 600 channels of various categories, such as, music, TV shows, movies, sports and many more.

Although Roku 2 XS is a little bit more expensive than the rest of the models produced by the consumer electronics company, it, nevertheless, guarantees additional features. This is the first Roku generation of streaming players that has a built-in wireless and wired Internet connectivity, which we think is a good justification for the slightly increased price.

Pros
1. Wide variety of streaming video and audio services
2. Cross-platform search
3. Wireless and wired Internet connectivity

Cons
1. Slightly overpriced compared to what it can do
2. No You Tube and Spotify channels
3. Does not offer the same tight integration as other devices in the same range