Alright, I finally plugged in my XBOX after months of other distractions and down came a big update. After the update I noticed that there was a link for NetFlix in the menus…interesting and exciting. Well as you might have noticed from my previous posts I have been in search of the right media player for a while. I have used a Windows PC with 3rd party software (JRiver MC), Windows with media center (WMC), and of course my Apple TV with the Boxee. 

The only one I could stand was the Apple + Boxee. And even though Boxee is still in Alpha, it is a crap load better than using WMC. It is the integration of video sources like Hulu that really make it great + the ability to view my local media makes it indispensable. If you couldn’t tell yet, my goal is to get as much media as possible to my TV with the least amount of BS.

I also like to have a variety of media sources like internet based as well as my local media files. Just video though, audio is all handled by my Sonos. Anyone who knows the Sonos, knows I am not in the market for a new audio streamer as I already have the best. I love it so much I am gonna name my first born Sonos. But where is the Sonos for Video? 

OK so I still don’t have that all in one solution I am looking for. I don’t believe there is a way for me to play my local Xvid – DivX files via the XBOX MC (I haven’t looked yet), but NetFlix on the XBOX is awesome. Go online, and drop something in your ‘Watch Instantly’ queue and it immediately populates on your XBOX, ready to play on your TV, in HD in some cases. It is quick and easy and it doesn’t even take long to buffer on my shitty Time Warner connection. Well worth the $8.95 a month for so many high quality movies and tv shows sent right to my XBOX. Yesterday I watched 11 episiodes of Jericho and the movie FEDS with Rebecca DeMornay, and I have about 100 things after it in the queue including the full seasons of about 10 other shows.

Well worth $8.95. Plus I still get movies sent to my house if it is not available for instant streaming, like Ed and his Dead Mother. A classic for any fan of Steve Buscemi or the walking dead. (sitting in my mailbox now!) 

So I guess I am going to mess with my XBOX to see if I can get it to play movies requiring codecs, I am sure there is hack around by now. If I can make that happen, it has a chance of being my perfect media player. Oh and if you don’t want to mess with your XBOX for movies, Roku makes a box for $99 that will pull down NetFlix instantly in the same way; sans all the Microsoft gaming malarky.

Sonos has released it’s own remote control software for the iphone. A couple of weeks ago I reviewed the Zones for iPhone application. Now let’s check this one out!

This is a great free application! (although the Sonos system comes at a price) If you have a Sonos and an iPhone this app is indispensable.

And think about this, a 1st generation iPod Touch is under $200 used, instead of one Sonos remote for $399, get 2 iPods and put this free application on them.

Update: I am finally blanking and restoring my firmware 1.1.1 iPhone 2G. Now that I have a 3G and the app store, I don’t need a jailbroken 2G. I will be using it as a Sonos remote from now on!

The Sonos music system is one of the coolest things ever made. It can play music from your archive, Sirius, Rhapsody, Napster or Pandora in any room of your house. Play the same song in all of the rooms or a different one in each. The Sonos is an amazing and versatile system, but one thing it isn’t is cheap. The remote alone is $399. I really want a second remote for upstairs, but don’t want to pay $399 right now. The solution? Zones.

Zones is a Sonos remote control application for the iPhone. Although it is not perfect yet, it is functional and only $14.99. Still that is priced on the high side for an iPhone application. But the idea of having a Sonos remote integrated into something I always have in my pocket made me take the plunge.

I am impressed with the functionality so far. It runs very smoothly, and like the Sonos, setup is effortless. It is missing a couple of core functions for now, but there are work arounds. Take a look at the video below to the see the rest of the review.

Click to purchase in the App Store