Patriot Box Office

Wide file-format support; internal hard drive bay; HDMI cable included

Generic and clumsy menu; no Internet services; no DTS passthrough to receiver

With a street price of $100, the Box Office is competitively priced at the low end of the media-streamer spectrum. It won’t replace higher-priced alternatives, but its unique features and robust operation make it more than just a budget box.

Good build quality; Compatible with many media formats; Accepts a 2.5-inch HDD

Limited functionality; Bare UI; No Internet services/ widgets

The Box Office does function quite admirably at the task at hand after the few bumps and bruises initially getting it setup. It will play almost anything you through at it with great ease and even BD ISO's so Patriot says, although I never tested...