pcmagnetwork logo
Subscribe!

Media Hubs & Receivers

  FIND PRODUCTS
Narrow your search for
Media Hubs & Receivers:


Price
 
Company
Philips Electronics N.V. (6)
Roku LLC (5)
Sling Media (5)
Avid Technology Inc -- Pinnacle Systems Inc (3)
Linksys (3)
Show more...
 
Ethernet Interface
Yes (60)
No (7)
 
Networking Options
802.11b (20)
802.11g (19)
802.11a/g (5)
802.11a (2)
802.11n (2)
Show more...
 
Hard Drive
No (32)
Yes (15)
 
Supports MP3
Yes (56)
No (11)
 
Supports WMA
Yes (40)
No (21)
 
Shows Photos
Yes (30)
No (23)
 
Plays Internet Radio
Yes (30)
No (15)
 
Shows Video
Yes (39)
No (14)
 

New Search

PC Magazine Media Hubs & Receivers Product Guide Add PC Magazine Media Hubs & Receivers Product Guide RSS feed to your feed reader so that you don't miss another headline!

  • Add to My Yahoo!
  • Add to Google
  • Add to My MSN

Roku SoundBridge M500

REVIEW DATE:04.15.05

Roku SoundBridge M500

Ratings

EditorVery Good

Read Editor Review

Rate This Product

REVIEW

By Bill Howard

Roku offers three music-only hubs under the name SoundBridge. All neatly mesh performance, style, and functionality, but the company's top-of-the-line streaming music player runs $499.99. If your primary interest is playing the widest variety of online and locally ripped music affordably, the new entry-level SoundBridge M500 may be a better bet. For $199.99 (direct), the M500 provides the same superior feature set, but with a smaller, less dazzling display.

red arrow Read the Roku SoundBridge M500 full review

Company

Roku LLC

http://www.rokulabs.com

Spec Data
  • Price as Tested: $199.00 Street
  • Ethernet Interface: Yes
  • Networking Options: 802.11b
  • Hard Drive: No
  • Supports MP3: Yes
  • Supports WMA: Yes
  • Shows Photos: No
  • Plays Internet Radio: Yes
  • Shows Video: No
  • Has On-screen TV Display: No
  • Rips CDs: No

Bottom Line

Roku adds a relatively affordable entry-level digital audio hub with an LCD. For music-only playback, it's close to flawless. But if you're in for $200, you may want to up the ante $50 for its near-twin, the SoundBridge M1000, with a vacuum fluorescent display.

Pros

Plays virtually all music formats (including protected WMA). Hassle-free operation. Stylish looks and uncluttered remote. Wired and wireless Ethernet, and optical, coaxial, and analog outputs.

Cons

No photo or video support. So-so display on unit, and no output to the TV display. Remote lacks dedicated buttons. High-end audio cables are hard to connect.

Info Centers
 
Special Offers
Free White Papers
View all White Papers >
Click here to list your White Papers >
 
Buy It Here
StoreStore RaingBase PricePrice
Check Prices From All Stores
Enter your zip for prices with tax and shipping.
Your zipcode will only be used to calculate applicable state tax and ground shipping charges.		Enter your ZIP code:
 
newsletters

Get PCMag.com's FREE email newsletters delivered to your inbox.

It's easy, just follow the steps.

Want more? Check out our other newsletters here.

Manage your newsletter subscriptions here.

1. Make your selections:

Daily News Alert
Inside PCMag.com
PCMag.com Small Business Update
PCMagCast Update
Productwire: First Looks Update
Security Watch
Tech Saver
Tip of the Day
Utility Library Update
What's New Now
PCMag Announcements

2. Select email format:

3. Enter email address:

Subscribe to PC Mag
Subscription Help | Renew | Give a Gift
Featured Offers
FREE UTILITY:

Free utility finds the fragmentation that's crippling your network!

New Disk Performance Analyzer for Networks 2.0 takes the guesswork out of tracking networked system performance. This revolutionary utility scans networked systems' performance from one single access point. It equips administrators with an arsenal of performance data, so they can zero in on systems' fragmentation and slows.

Don't let low-functioning systems go unnoticed. Get Disk Performance Analyzer for Networks 2.0 free now!

>> brought to you by Diskeeper
MUST READ WHITE PAPERS:

Check out the latest briefs and white papers from PC Magazine's Partners.


NoteWhen 3: Clear the Clutter. Version 3




NoteWhen 3: Clear the Clutter. Version 3 adds many features that you, our subscribers, have been asking for. You can now:

• Send notes by e-mail, including Gmail or secure servers
• Synchronize notes with notes from other machines
• Lock notes to prevent further editing
• Archive notes, taking them out of the list without deleting them
• View scheduled events on a bigger calendar showing note titles
• Make NoteWhen portable for flash drives
• Export notes to HTML, RTF, Text, or CSV
• Print a list of notes

Download Now: NoteWhen3Setup.zip
PCMagCast
PC Magazine's live, online events make you more productive at work, home, and on the go. Best of all, they're FREE!

Featured Event:

Mobile Wireless Broadband: Optimizing Wide Area Networking and WiMax
Thursday, December 4, 2008 2pm ET - Sponsored by Lenovo Need the convenience of a constant connection? Find out how to choose and use cutting-edge technologies for ubiquitous mobile broadband networking. Register today.

See all PCMagCasts >>
 
More Free PCMagCasts:

On-Demand Applications: Easy Ways for Your Business to Work Online
Sponsored by Dell Sb360
We walk you through the best on-demand offerings and what they can do for your business. Attend now.

Virtualization: How Small Businesses Can Save Money and Boost Efficiency
Sponsored by Dell SB360
This course delves into how server strategies at small businesses can be optimized with virtualization, and how multiple operating systems can be efficiently deployed on single systems for networked use. Attend today.