Roku streaming video player ups the ante with budget, "XR" versions

One of the best values in home video just got a little better with the addition of two new models: a slightly pricier version with improved Wi-Fi and a USB port, and a slightly cheaper flavor that only does SD. Also: New streaming Roku channels coming soon.

Roku, which makes the $99 streaming Roku Player for Netflix, Amazon Video on Demand, and MLB.tv, today introduced the $129 Roku HD-XL, which adds 802.11n support for speedier Wi-Fi connections (provided you have a compatible Wi-Fi router, of course) along with a USB port for "future use." Roku hasn't specified what that future use might entail, but it could mean the ability to plug in an external USB drive for viewing existing video files (and hey, DivX support wouldn't hurt).

Also new today: the Roku SD player, a bargain $79 model that only has composite video and analog stereo outputs for standard-definition outputs. (Yes, the SD version still does Wi-Fi.) 

Both of the new models have their pluses and minuses (the HD-XL might be the ticket for those who need an extra bandwidth boost for HD video—although the extra $30 is kinda steep—while the cheaper SD is a solid choice for those without an HDTV), and both come in pretty much the same small, lightweight housing as the original.

But for my money, the $99 Roku HD player still makes for the best buy. You get access to upwards of 17,000 streaming Netflix movies and TV shows, all for free (as long as you're a Netflix subscriber; the cheapest subscription level is $8.99), as well as the ability to rent and purchase any of the thousands of videos on Amazon's Video on Demand. Then there's the new MLB.tv channel, good for viewing live and on-demand Major League Baseball games (some in HD) for paid MLB.tv subscribers (subscriptions are $20 a month or $35 a year).

I've had the Roku HD-XR for a few days now and I'm pretty happy with it. Navigation over the on-screen menus and compact remote control is simple, and video quality was solid; indeed, I had no trouble getting HD video over my middle-of-the-road broadband connection. If I didn't already have an Apple TV ($229, ouch), I'd probably pick up one of these things for myself.

Finally: look for some interesting new content on Roku in the coming weeks via the soon-to-be-launched Roku Channel Store. Expect channels from Revision3, TWiT TV, Mediafly, Blip.tv, and Motionbox ... and there's also chatter about Pandora and Flickr, although nothing official on those last two yet.

Related:
Roku Web site