Sherwood is better known for its high quality audio equipment, but it has recently crossed over into the Internet set-top-box space mixing high quality audio and high definition internet TV.

As an amplifier the Sherwood box packs the goods with 700 watts of amplification, a pair of coaxial audio inputs, three HDMI 1.3 inputs, one Toslink input, and support for Dolby Volume, Dolby TruHD and DTS-HD Master high-res audio formats.

Hate those excessively loud adverts? Well the Netboxx also has Dolby Volume which eliminates volume fluctuations between channels, commercials and between Internet sites.

It also has an FM radio tuner built in.

So it’s got sound covered, but what can it play?

Internet TV

The Netboxx can connect directly to the internet via Ethernet or wireless connection and gives you access to a suite of online video content.

• Search and watch videos from the major video sites including YouTube, Daily Motion and Myspace.
• Rent and buy online movies to download from Cinema Now
• A variety of video and live stream from various websites.
• Shoutcast support for online radio.

PlayOn Support

That’s not a bad round-up of online video content to start with but the NetBoxx also supports PlayOn. For an extra $40 for the third party PlayOn service you can get access to Hulu, Netflix, CBS, CNN, ESPN, and Amazon Video On Demand.

The NetBoxx is designed for use with PlayOn and it works directly from the user interface on your TV.

While at CES 2010 I managed to get to check out the NetBoxx in action:

Revision3 also had a hands on look:

Local Media

With UPnP and DLNA support the Netboxx can play content on your TV from a variety of compatible sources in your home network. In plain English that means you can play videos, pictures and music off laptops, computers, and Network Attached Storage (NAS) on your home network.

It will also play media off a storage device you attach via USB.

It doesn’t play well with iTunes however which is typical of non-Apple media centers, and to play from a PC it uses the Windows Media Player library.

No Hard Drive or DVR

There’s no mention of a hard drive meaning you’ll need to rely on external storage devices for your media collection.

With USB hard drives been relatively cheap this is not a big deal, but it does mean there’s no DVR functionality. So recording your favorite TV shows from satellite or cable is out of the question with this device.

If you already have a DVR then the NetBoxx will hook up with it allowing you to play recordings off your DVR and give you much better sound quality through it’s amp.

NetBoxx Features Roundup

- Connects to the Internet without a PC for video, audio and media streaming
- Content available from You Tube, Cinema Now, on-line TV channels, Shoutcast “Internet Radio”, etc.
- Supports PlayOn to stream Hulu, Netflix, CBS, CNN, ESPN, Amazon Video On Demand and more from a local network
- Streams audio, video and photo media files from a local network direct to the receiver
- High-performance audio/video in a new, highly compact form factor
- HDMI 1.3, Dolby and DTS Lossless Audio for the highest quality sound
- Dolby Volume eliminates volume fluctuations between channels, commercials and between Internet sites
- High-efficiency “Green” Ti digital amplifiers

■AMPLIFIER SECTION

• Power output, stereo mode, 6 Ω, THD 0.5%, 1 kHz | 2× 100 W
• Total harmonic distortion at -3 dB, 6 Ω, 1 kHz | 0.5%
• Input sensitivity/impedance
Line (CD, AUX, VIDEO) | 200 mV/47kΩ
• Signal to noise ratio, IHF “A” weighted
Line (CD, AUX, VIDEO) | 100 dB
• Frequency response
Line (CD, AUX, VIDEO), 20 Hz ~ 70 kHz | +0, -3 dB
• Bass/Treble control, 100 Hz/10 kHz | ±10 dB
• Surround mode, only channel driven
Front power output, 6 Ω, 1 kHz, THD 0.7 % | 100 W / 100 W
Center power output, 6 Ω, 1 kHz, THD 0.7 % | 100 W
Surround power output, 6 Ω, 1 kHz, THD 0.7 % | 100 W / 100 W
Surround back / ROOM2 power output, 6 Ω, 1 kHz, THD 0.7 % | 100 W / 100 W

■DIGITAL AUDIO SECTION

• Sampling frequency | 32, 44.1, 48, 96, 192 kHz
• Digital input level
Coaxial, 75 Ω | 0.5 Vp-p
Optical, 660 nm | -15 ~ -21 dBm

■VIDEO SECTION

• Video format | NTSC
• Input sensitivity(=Output level), 75 Ω
Video (Composite(normal)) | 1 Vp-p
Component video (R-Y signal) | 0.5 Vp-p
(B-Y signal) | 0.5 Vp-p
(Y signal) | 1.0 Vp-p
• HDMI connector | 19 pin

■FM TUNER SECTION

• Tuning frequency range | 87.5~107.9 MHz
• Usable sensitivity, THD 3%, S/N 30 dB | 9 dBf
• 50 dB quieting sensitivity, mono/stereo | 20.2 / 45.3 dBf
• Signal to noise ratio, 65 dBf, mono/stereo | 70 / 65 dB
• Total harmonic distortion, 65 dBf,1 kHz, mono/stereo | 0.8 / 1.0 %
• Frequency response, 30 Hz~15 kHz | ±3 dB
• Stereo separation, 1 kHz | 30 dB
• IF rejection ratio | 70 dB

■GENERAL

• Power supply | 120 V ~ 60 Hz
• Power consumption | 120 W
• Dimensions (W× H× D, including protruding parts) | 430 x 72 x 306 mm(17 x 2-7/8 x 12 inches)
• Weight (Net) | 4.58 kg (10.1 Ibs)

The Pros

• Great audio support
• Good selection of online content, especially with PlayTV
• Share media on home network via DLNA or UPnP
• Easy to use user-interface
• FM Radio support

The Cons

• No hard drive
• Only 720p HD
• Expensive
• No DVR functionality
• Not Mac or iTunes friendly.

The Bottom Line

The Sherwood retails for $650 but you can pick it up on for under $600 on eBay (see auctions below). Also bear in mind the additional $40 one-off cost for the PlayOn service for the extra

I’ve got mixed feelings about the device, I wonder if it would be better to buy the Monsoon Volcano and get a decent amplifier separate – then you’ve almost got everything the Netboxx can do and more, including a DVR. You’d just be missing the PlayOn support (which is a big deal for Hulu fans), but the Volcano may add that as an app later.

The ideal situation for the NetBoxx would be if you don’t care about cable TV (so don’t need a DVR), use windows PCs, and want awesome sound quality and lots of online TV. If you already have a DVR then the NetBoxx would also be a great choice to boost your sound and brind internet TV to the living room.

Available on eBay:

Sherwood R904 N Nettbox 71 Receiver with internet US $130.00   Auction Ends: 29d 13h 51m Make it yours…

Also See:

• The PopBox HD – An low-cost internet TV set top box.
• More internet TV set top boxes on WebTVWire
• More Sherwood products on eBay

The player launched at the incredibly low price of just $99, and allowed users to stream movies and television from Netflix to their TV using the Instant Viewing feature. It’s been a sales success, with the device already hard to come by.

However, demand for the boxes is likely to increase even more with the news that the box is going to soon be compatible with more content providers than just Netflix, and these are going to be high-profile names.

New Content Partners

According to CNET, Roku’s vice president of consumer products, Tim Twerdahl, has stated that more content partners are coming, but refused to name names, which has obviously lead to huge amounts of speculation.

YouTube would seem to be the first, and most obvious target. The Google-owned company has been looking at new ways of making some revenue of late, and this would provide such an opportunity. Plus, it has already partnered with other hardware-makers of late.

Then there is Hulu, which is a possibility, but would be a strange choice for a box which is trying to make you buy content, seeing as the service offering premium content completely free.

Another possibility is Amazon Unbox, though some think the chances are not good seeing as it is a direct competitor to Netflix, but if it were to happen, it would be a massive coup

Digital Trojan Horse

As Venture Beat argues, the adding of new content partners could turn the purchase of the Roku box from a cheap treat in to a kind-of trojan horse designed to persuade consumers about the ease and possibility of digital content.

This is what has happened with the Playstation 3, which was used by Sony as a trojan horse to get Blu-ray accepted as the high-definition format of choice in the DVD war.

PS3 & Xbox 360 Netflix Support?

Speaking of the PS3, there is speculation that the console will start to support Netflix’s ‘Watch it Now’ feature soon, with an announcement possible at this month’s E3 conference. Microsoft could also follow suit with the Xbox 360.

Whoever it is, the fact that a set-top box available for under $100 could soon be carrying multiple streams of online video content has got to be good for the uptake of digital content amongst more than just technology geeks and early-adopters.

Related Ad

Buy an 160Gb Apple TV Box on Amazon