<s>
A	O
digital	B-Application
media	I-Application
player	I-Application
(	O
also	O
sometimes	O
known	O
as	O
a	O
streaming	B-Application
device	I-Application
or	O
streaming	B-Application
box	I-Application
)	O
is	O
a	O
type	O
of	O
consumer	O
electronics	O
device	O
designed	O
for	O
the	O
storage	O
,	O
playback	O
,	O
or	O
viewing	O
of	O
digital	O
media	O
content	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
are	O
typically	O
designed	O
to	O
be	O
integrated	O
into	O
a	O
home	O
cinema	O
configuration	O
,	O
and	O
attached	O
to	O
a	O
television	O
and/or	O
AV	O
receiver	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
term	O
is	O
most	O
synonymous	O
with	O
devices	B-Operating_System
designed	O
primarily	O
for	O
the	O
consumption	O
of	O
content	O
from	O
streaming	O
media	O
services	O
such	O
as	O
internet	O
video	O
,	O
including	O
subscription-based	O
over-the-top	O
content	O
services	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
devices	B-Operating_System
usually	O
have	O
a	O
compact	O
form	O
factor	O
(	O
either	O
as	O
a	O
compact	O
set-top	O
box	O
,	O
or	O
a	O
dongle	B-Device
designed	O
to	O
plug	O
into	O
an	O
HDMI	B-Protocol
port	O
)	O
,	O
and	O
contain	O
a	O
10-foot	B-General_Concept
user	I-General_Concept
interface	I-General_Concept
with	O
support	O
for	O
a	O
remote	B-Protocol
control	I-Protocol
and	O
,	O
in	O
some	O
cases	O
,	O
voice	B-Application
commands	I-Application
,	O
as	O
control	O
schemes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
services	O
may	O
support	O
remote	B-Protocol
control	I-Protocol
on	O
digital	B-Application
media	I-Application
players	I-Application
using	O
their	O
respective	O
mobile	B-Application
apps	I-Application
,	O
while	O
Google	B-Application
's	I-Application
Chromecast	B-Device
ecosystem	O
is	O
designed	O
around	O
integration	O
with	O
the	O
mobile	B-Application
apps	I-Application
of	O
content	O
services	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
digital	B-Application
media	I-Application
player	I-Application
's	O
operating	O
system	O
may	O
provide	O
a	O
search	B-Application
engine	I-Application
for	O
locating	O
content	O
available	O
across	O
multiple	O
services	O
and	O
installed	O
apps	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Many	O
digital	B-Application
media	I-Application
players	I-Application
offer	O
internal	O
access	O
to	O
digital	O
distribution	O
platforms	O
,	O
where	O
users	O
can	O
download	O
or	O
purchase	O
content	O
such	O
as	O
films	O
,	O
television	O
episodes	O
,	O
and	O
apps	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
addition	O
to	O
internet	O
sources	O
,	O
digital	B-Application
media	I-Application
players	I-Application
may	O
support	O
the	O
playback	O
of	O
content	O
from	O
other	O
sources	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
external	O
media	O
(	O
including	O
USB	B-Protocol
drives	O
or	O
memory	B-Device
cards	I-Device
)	O
,	O
or	O
streamed	O
from	O
a	O
computer	O
or	O
media	B-Application
server	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
digital	B-Application
media	I-Application
players	I-Application
may	O
also	O
support	O
video	O
games	O
,	O
though	O
their	O
complexity	O
(	O
which	O
can	O
range	O
from	O
casual	O
games	O
to	O
ports	O
of	O
larger	O
games	O
)	O
depends	O
on	O
operating	O
system	O
and	O
hardware	O
support	O
,	O
and	O
besides	O
those	O
marketed	O
as	O
microconsoles	B-Device
,	O
are	O
not	O
usually	O
promoted	O
as	O
the	O
device	O
's	O
main	O
function	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Digital	B-Application
media	I-Application
players	I-Application
do	O
not	O
usually	O
include	O
a	O
tuner	B-Device
for	O
receiving	O
terrestrial	O
television	O
,	O
nor	O
disc	O
drives	O
for	O
Blu-rays	O
or	O
DVD	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
devices	B-Operating_System
,	O
such	O
as	O
standalone	O
Blu-ray	O
players	O
,	O
may	O
include	O
similar	O
functions	O
to	O
digital	B-Application
media	I-Application
players	I-Application
(	O
often	O
in	O
a	O
reduced	O
form	O
)	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
recent	O
generations	O
of	O
video	B-Device
game	I-Device
consoles	I-Device
,	O
while	O
"	O
smart	B-Device
TVs	I-Device
"	O
integrate	O
similar	O
functions	O
into	O
the	O
television	O
itself	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
TV	O
makers	O
have	O
,	O
in	O
turn	O
,	O
licensed	O
operating	O
system	O
platforms	O
from	O
digital	B-Application
media	I-Application
players	I-Application
as	O
middleware	B-General_Concept
for	O
their	O
smart	B-Device
TVs	I-Device
—	O
such	O
as	O
Android	B-Application
TV	I-Application
,	O
Amazon	B-Application
Fire	I-Application
TV	I-Application
,	O
and	O
Roku	O
—	O
which	O
typically	O
provide	O
a	O
similar	O
user	O
experience	O
to	O
their	O
standalone	O
counterparts	O
,	O
but	O
with	O
TV-specific	O
features	O
and	O
settings	O
reflected	O
in	O
their	O
user	O
interface	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
2010s	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
popularity	O
of	O
portable	O
media	O
players	O
and	O
digital	B-Device
cameras	I-Device
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
fast	O
Internet	O
download	O
speeds	O
and	O
relatively	O
cheap	O
mass	O
storage	O
,	O
many	O
people	O
came	O
into	O
possession	O
of	O
large	O
collections	O
of	O
digital	O
media	O
files	O
that	O
cannot	O
be	O
played	O
on	O
a	O
conventional	O
analog	O
HiFi	O
without	O
connecting	O
a	O
computer	O
to	O
an	O
amplifier	O
or	O
television	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
means	O
to	O
play	O
these	O
files	O
on	O
a	O
network-connected	O
digital	B-Application
media	I-Application
player	I-Application
that	O
is	O
permanently	O
connected	O
to	O
a	O
television	O
is	O
seen	O
as	O
a	O
convenience	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
rapid	O
growth	O
in	O
the	O
availability	O
of	O
online	O
content	O
has	O
made	O
it	O
easier	O
for	O
consumers	O
to	O
use	O
these	O
devices	B-Operating_System
and	O
obtain	O
content	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
YouTube	B-General_Concept
,	O
for	O
instance	O
,	O
is	O
a	O
common	O
plug-in	B-Application
available	O
on	O
most	O
networked	O
devices	B-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
Interface	O
navigation	O
on	O
the	O
television	O
is	O
usually	O
done	O
with	O
an	O
infrared	O
remote	B-Protocol
control	I-Protocol
,	O
while	O
more-advanced	O
digital	B-Application
media	I-Application
players	I-Application
come	O
with	O
high-performance	O
remote	B-Protocol
controls	I-Protocol
which	O
allow	O
control	O
of	O
the	O
interface	O
using	O
integrated	O
touch	O
sensors	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Most	O
digital	B-Application
media	I-Application
player	I-Application
devices	B-Operating_System
are	O
unable	O
to	O
play	O
physical	O
audio	O
or	O
video	O
media	O
directly	O
,	O
and	O
instead	O
require	O
a	O
user	O
to	O
convert	O
these	O
media	O
into	O
playable	O
digital	O
files	O
using	O
a	O
separate	O
computer	O
and	O
software	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
2010s	O
,	O
it	O
is	O
also	O
common	O
to	O
find	O
digital	B-Application
media	I-Application
player	I-Application
functionality	O
integrated	O
into	O
other	O
consumer-electronics	O
appliances	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
DVD	B-Device
players	I-Device
,	O
set-top	O
boxes	O
,	O
smart	B-Device
TVs	I-Device
,	O
or	O
even	O
video	B-Device
game	I-Device
consoles	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Digital	B-Application
media	I-Application
players	I-Application
are	O
also	O
commonly	O
referred	O
to	O
as	O
a	O
"	O
digital	O
media	B-Application
extender	I-Application
"	O
,	O
"	O
digital	O
media	B-Application
streamer	I-Application
"	O
,	O
"	O
digital	B-Application
media	I-Application
hub	I-Application
"	O
,	O
"	O
digital	B-Application
media	I-Application
adapter	I-Application
"	O
,	O
or	O
"	O
digital	B-Application
media	I-Application
receiver	I-Application
"	O
(	O
which	O
should	O
not	O
be	O
confused	O
with	O
AV	O
Receiver	B-Device
that	O
are	O
also	O
called	O
Digital	O
Media	O
Renderer	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Digital	B-Application
media	I-Application
player	I-Application
manufacturers	O
use	O
a	O
variety	O
of	O
names	O
to	O
describe	O
their	O
devices	B-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
November	O
2000	O
,	O
an	O
audio-only	O
digital	B-Application
media	I-Application
player	I-Application
was	O
demonstrated	O
by	O
a	O
company	O
called	O
SimpleDevices	O
,	O
which	O
was	O
awarded	O
two	O
patents	O
covering	O
this	O
invention	O
in	O
2006	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Other	O
early	O
market	O
entrants	O
in	O
2001	O
included	O
the	O
Turtle	O
Beach	O
AudioTron	O
,	O
Rio	B-Application
Receiver	I-Application
and	O
SliMP3	O
digital	B-Application
media	I-Application
players	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
An	O
early	O
version	O
of	O
a	O
video-capable	O
digital	B-Application
media	I-Application
player	I-Application
was	O
presented	O
by	O
F.C.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
included	O
a	O
network	O
interface	O
card	O
,	O
a	O
media	O
processor	O
for	O
audio	O
and	O
video	O
decoding	O
,	O
an	O
analog	O
video	O
encoder	O
(	O
for	O
video	O
playback	O
to	O
a	O
TV	O
)	O
,	O
an	O
audio	O
digital	O
to	O
analog	O
converter	O
for	O
audio	O
playback	O
,	O
and	O
an	O
IR	O
(	O
infrared	O
receiver	B-Device
)	O
for	O
remote-control-interface	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
concept	O
of	O
a	O
digital	B-Application
media	I-Application
player	I-Application
was	O
also	O
introduced	O
by	O
Intel	O
in	O
2002	O
at	O
the	O
Intel	O
Developer	O
Forum	O
as	O
part	O
of	O
their	O
"	O
Extended	O
Wireless	O
PC	O
Initiative.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Intel	O
's	O
digital	B-Application
media	I-Application
player	I-Application
was	O
based	O
on	O
an	O
Xscale	O
PXA210	O
processor	O
and	O
supported	O
802.11b	O
wireless	O
networking	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Intel	O
was	O
among	O
the	O
first	O
to	O
use	O
the	O
Linux	B-Application
embedded	O
operating	O
system	O
and	O
UPnP	B-Application
technology	O
for	O
its	O
digital	B-Application
media	I-Application
player	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Networked	O
audio	O
and	O
DVD	B-Device
players	I-Device
were	O
among	O
the	O
first	O
consumer	O
devices	B-Operating_System
to	O
integrate	O
digital	B-Application
media	I-Application
player	I-Application
functionality	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Examples	O
include	O
the	O
Philips	O
Streamium-range	O
of	O
products	O
that	O
allowed	O
for	O
remote	O
streaming	O
of	O
audio	O
,	O
the	O
GoVideo	O
D2730	O
Networked	O
DVD	B-Device
player	I-Device
which	O
integrated	O
DVD	O
playback	O
with	O
the	O
capability	O
to	O
stream	O
Rhapsody	O
audio	O
from	O
a	O
PC	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
Buffalo	O
LinkTheater	O
which	O
combined	O
a	O
DVD	B-Device
player	I-Device
with	O
a	O
digital	B-Application
media	I-Application
player	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
More	O
recently	O
,	O
the	O
Xbox	O
360	O
gaming	O
console	O
from	O
Microsoft	O
was	O
among	O
the	O
first	O
gaming	O
devices	B-Operating_System
that	O
integrated	O
a	O
digital	B-Application
media	I-Application
player	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
More	O
recently	O
,	O
Linksys	O
,	O
D-Link	O
,	O
and	O
HP	O
introduced	O
the	O
latest	O
generation	O
of	O
digital	B-Application
media	I-Application
players	I-Application
that	O
support	O
720p	O
and	O
1080p	O
high	B-Algorithm
resolution	I-Algorithm
video	O
playback	O
and	O
may	O
integrate	O
both	O
Windows	O
Extender	O
and	O
traditional	O
digital	B-Application
media	I-Application
player	I-Application
functionality	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
digital	B-Application
media	I-Application
player	I-Application
can	O
connect	O
to	O
the	O
home	O
network	O
using	O
either	O
a	O
wireless	O
(	O
IEEE	O
802.11a	O
,	O
b	O
,	O
g	O
,	O
and	O
n	O
)	O
or	O
wired	O
Ethernet	O
connection	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Digital	B-Application
media	I-Application
players	I-Application
includes	O
a	O
user	O
interface	O
that	O
allows	O
users	O
to	O
navigate	O
through	O
their	O
digital	O
media	O
library	O
,	O
search	O
for	O
,	O
and	O
play	O
back	O
media	O
files	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
digital	B-Application
media	I-Application
players	I-Application
only	O
handle	O
music	O
;	O
some	O
handle	O
music	O
and	O
pictures	O
;	O
some	O
handle	O
music	O
,	O
pictures	O
,	O
and	O
video	O
;	O
while	O
others	O
go	O
further	O
to	O
allow	O
internet	O
browsing	O
or	O
controlling	O
Live	O
TV	O
from	O
a	O
PC	O
with	O
a	O
TV	B-Device
tuner	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
other	O
capabilities	O
which	O
are	O
accomplished	O
by	O
digital	B-Application
media	I-Application
players	I-Application
include	O
:	O
</s>
<s>
Play	O
,	O
catalog	O
,	O
and	O
store	O
local	O
hard	B-Device
disk	I-Device
,	O
flash	O
drive	O
,	O
or	O
memory	B-Device
card	I-Device
music	O
CDs	B-Device
and	O
view	O
CD	B-Device
album	O
art	O
,	O
view	O
digital	O
photos	O
,	O
and	O
watch	O
DVD	O
and	O
Blu-ray	O
or	O
other	O
videos	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Stream	O
online	O
video	O
to	O
a	O
TV	O
from	O
services	O
such	O
as	O
Netflix	O
and	O
YouTube	B-General_Concept
.	I-General_Concept
</s>
<s>
Video	B-Application
conference	I-Application
by	O
connecting	O
a	O
webcam	B-Protocol
and	O
microphone	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
2010s	O
,	O
there	O
are	O
stand-alone	O
digital	B-Application
media	I-Application
players	I-Application
on	O
the	O
market	O
from	O
AC	O
Ryan	O
,	O
Asus	O
,	O
Apple	O
(	O
e.g.	O
,	O
Apple	B-Device
TV	I-Device
)	O
,	O
NetGear	O
(	O
e.g.	O
,	O
NTV	O
and	O
NeoTV	O
models	O
)	O
,	O
Dune	O
,	O
iOmega	O
,	O
Logitech	O
,	O
Pivos	O
Group	O
,	O
Micca	O
,	O
Sybas	O
(	O
Popcorn	O
Hour	O
)	O
,	O
Amkette	B-Application
EvoTV	I-Application
,	O
D-Link	O
,	O
EZfetch	O
,	O
Fire	B-Application
TV	I-Application
,	O
Android	B-Application
TV	I-Application
,	O
Pinnacle	O
,	O
Xtreamer	O
,	O
and	O
Roku	O
,	O
just	O
to	O
name	O
a	O
few	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
devices	B-Operating_System
come	O
with	O
low	O
power	O
consumption	O
processors	O
or	O
SoC	B-Architecture
(	O
System	B-Architecture
on	I-Architecture
Chip	I-Architecture
)	O
and	O
are	O
most	O
commonly	O
either	O
based	O
on	O
MIPS	B-Device
or	O
ARM	B-Architecture
architecture	I-Architecture
processors	O
combined	O
with	O
integrated	O
DSP	B-General_Concept
GPU	B-Architecture
in	O
a	O
SoC	B-Architecture
(	O
or	O
MPSoC	B-General_Concept
)	O
package	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
also	O
include	O
RAM-memory	O
and	O
some	O
type	O
of	O
built-in	O
type	O
of	O
non-volatile	O
computer	O
memory	O
(	O
Flash	B-Device
memory	I-Device
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
HD	B-Application
media	I-Application
player	I-Application
or	O
HDD	B-Application
media	I-Application
player	I-Application
(	O
HDMP	O
)	O
is	O
a	O
consumer	O
product	O
that	O
combines	O
digital	B-Application
media	I-Application
player	I-Application
with	O
a	O
hard	B-Device
drive	I-Device
(	O
HD	B-Algorithm
)	O
enclosure	B-Device
with	O
all	O
the	O
hardware	O
and	O
software	O
for	O
playing	O
audio	O
,	O
video	O
and	O
photos	O
to	O
a	O
television	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
All	O
these	O
can	O
play	O
computer-based	O
media	O
files	O
to	O
a	O
television	O
without	O
the	O
need	O
for	O
a	O
separate	O
computer	O
or	O
network	O
connection	O
,	O
and	O
some	O
can	O
even	O
be	O
used	O
as	O
a	O
conventional	O
external	O
hard-drive	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
types	O
of	O
digital	B-Application
media	I-Application
players	I-Application
are	O
sometimes	O
sold	O
as	O
empty	O
shells	O
to	O
allow	O
the	O
user	O
to	O
fit	O
their	O
own	O
choice	O
of	O
hard	B-Device
drive	I-Device
(	O
some	O
can	O
manage	O
unlimited	O
hard	B-Device
disk	I-Device
capacity	O
and	O
other	O
only	O
a	O
certain	O
capacity	O
,	O
i.e.	O
</s>
<s>
1TB	O
,	O
2TB	O
,	O
3TB	O
,	O
or	O
4TB	O
)	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
same	O
model	O
is	O
sometimes	O
sold	O
with	O
or	O
without	O
an	O
internal	B-Device
hard	I-Device
drive	I-Device
already	O
fitted	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Digital	B-Application
media	I-Application
players	I-Application
can	O
usually	O
play	O
H.264	B-Application
(	O
SD	O
and	O
HD	B-Algorithm
)	O
,	O
MPEG-4	B-Application
Part	I-Application
2	I-Application
(	O
SD	O
and	O
HD	B-Algorithm
)	O
,	O
MPEG-1	B-Algorithm
,	O
MPEG-2	B-Algorithm
.mpg	O
,	O
MPEG-2	B-Algorithm
.TS	O
,	O
VOB	O
and	O
ISO	B-General_Concept
images	I-General_Concept
video	O
,	O
with	O
PCM	B-Algorithm
,	O
MP3	B-Application
and	O
AC3	O
audio	O
tracks	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
can	O
also	O
display	O
images	O
(	O
such	O
as	O
JPEG	O
and	O
PNG	O
)	O
and	O
play	O
music	O
files	O
(	O
such	O
as	O
FLAC	B-Application
,	O
MP3	B-Application
and	O
Ogg	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
most	O
media	O
players	O
have	O
traditionally	O
been	O
running	O
proprietary	B-Application
or	O
open	B-License
source	I-License
software	B-Architecture
frameworks	I-Architecture
versions	O
based	O
Linux	B-Application
as	O
their	O
operating	O
systems	O
,	O
many	O
newer	O
network	O
connected	O
media	O
players	O
are	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
Android	B-Application
platform	I-Application
which	O
gives	O
them	O
an	O
advantage	O
in	O
terms	O
of	O
applications	O
and	O
games	O
from	O
the	B-Application
Google	I-Application
Play	O
store	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Even	O
without	O
Android	B-Application
some	O
digital	B-Application
media	I-Application
players	I-Application
still	O
have	O
the	O
ability	O
to	O
run	O
applications	O
(	O
sometimes	O
available	O
via	O
an	O
app	B-Application
store	I-Application
)	O
,	O
interactive	O
on-demand	O
media	O
,	O
personalized	O
communications	O
,	O
and	O
social	O
networking	O
features	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
wireless	O
connection	O
can	O
be	O
established	O
between	O
the	O
media	B-Application
extender	I-Application
and	O
its	O
central	O
media	O
center	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
early	O
digital	B-Application
media	I-Application
players	I-Application
used	O
proprietary	B-Application
communication	O
protocols	O
to	O
interface	O
with	O
media	B-Application
servers	I-Application
,	O
today	O
most	O
digital	B-Application
media	I-Application
players	I-Application
either	O
use	O
standard-based	O
protocols	O
such	O
SMB/CIFS/SAMBA	B-Operating_System
or	O
NFS	B-Protocol
,	O
or	O
rely	O
on	O
some	O
version	O
of	O
UPnP	B-Application
(	O
Universal	B-Application
Plug	I-Application
and	I-Application
Play	I-Application
)	O
and	O
DLNA	O
(	O
Digital	O
Living	O
Network	O
Alliance	O
)	O
standards	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
DLNA-compliant	O
digital	B-Application
media	I-Application
players	I-Application
and	O
Media	B-Application
Servers	I-Application
is	O
meant	O
to	O
guarantee	O
a	O
minimum	O
set	O
of	O
functionality	O
and	O
proper	O
interoperability	O
among	O
digital	B-Application
media	I-Application
players	I-Application
and	O
servers	O
regardless	O
of	O
the	O
manufacturer	O
,	O
but	O
unfortunately	O
not	O
every	O
manufacturer	O
follows	O
the	O
standards	O
perfectly	O
which	O
can	O
lead	O
to	O
incompatibility	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
digital	B-Application
media	I-Application
players	I-Application
will	O
only	O
connect	O
to	O
specific	O
media	B-Application
server	I-Application
software	O
installed	O
on	O
a	O
PC	O
to	O
stream	O
music	O
,	O
pictures	O
and	O
recorded	O
or	O
live	O
TV	O
originating	O
from	O
the	O
computer	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Apple	O
iTunes	O
can	O
,	O
for	O
example	O
,	O
be	O
used	O
this	O
way	O
with	O
the	O
Apple	B-Device
TV	I-Device
hardware	O
that	O
connects	O
to	O
a	O
TV	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Apple	O
has	O
developed	O
a	O
tightly	O
integrated	O
device	O
and	O
content	O
management	O
ecosystem	O
with	O
their	O
iTunes	O
Store	O
,	O
personal	O
computers	O
,	O
iOS	B-Operating_System
devices	I-Operating_System
,	O
and	O
the	O
AppleTV	B-Device
digital	B-Application
media	I-Application
receiver	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
most	O
recent	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
AppleTV	B-Device
has	O
lost	O
the	O
hard-drive	B-Device
that	O
was	O
included	O
in	O
its	O
predecessor	O
and	O
fully	O
depends	O
on	O
either	O
streaming	O
internet	O
content	O
,	O
or	O
another	O
computer	O
on	O
the	O
home	O
network	O
for	O
media	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Television	O
connection	O
is	O
usually	O
done	O
via	O
;	O
composite	O
,	O
SCART	B-Protocol
,	O
Component	O
,	O
HDMI	B-Protocol
video	O
,	O
with	O
Optical	O
Audio	O
(	O
TOSLINK/SPDIF	O
)	O
,	O
and	O
connect	O
to	O
the	O
local	O
network	O
and	O
broadband	B-General_Concept
internet	O
using	O
either	O
a	O
wired	O
Ethernet	O
or	O
a	O
wireless	O
Wi-Fi	O
connection	O
,	O
and	O
some	O
also	O
have	O
built-in	O
Bluetooth	B-Protocol
support	O
for	O
remotes	O
and	O
game-pads	O
or	O
joysticks	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
players	O
come	O
with	O
USB	B-Protocol
(	O
USB	B-Protocol
2.0	O
or	O
USB	B-Protocol
3.0	O
)	O
ports	O
which	O
allow	O
local	O
media	O
content	O
playback	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
convergence	O
of	O
content	O
,	O
technology	O
,	O
and	O
broadband	B-General_Concept
access	O
allows	O
consumers	O
to	O
stream	O
television	O
shows	O
and	O
movies	O
to	O
their	O
high-definition	O
television	O
in	O
competition	O
with	O
pay	O
television	O
providers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Research	O
also	O
shows	O
that	O
even	O
as	O
traditional	O
television	O
service	O
providers	O
are	O
trimming	O
their	O
customer	O
base	O
,	O
they	O
are	O
adding	O
Broadband	B-General_Concept
Internet	O
customers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Nearly	O
76.6	O
million	O
U.S.	O
households	O
get	O
broadband	B-General_Concept
from	O
leading	O
cable	O
and	O
telephone	O
companies	O
,	O
although	O
only	O
a	O
portion	O
have	O
sufficient	O
speeds	O
to	O
support	O
quality	O
video	O
steaming	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Convergence	O
devices	B-Operating_System
for	O
home	O
entertainment	O
will	O
likely	O
play	O
a	O
much	O
larger	O
role	O
in	O
the	O
future	O
of	O
broadcast	O
television	O
,	O
effectively	O
shifting	O
traditional	O
revenue	O
streams	O
while	O
providing	O
consumers	O
with	O
more	O
options	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
a	O
report	O
from	O
the	O
researcher	O
NPD	O
In-Stat	O
,	O
only	O
about	O
12	O
million	O
U.S.	O
households	O
have	O
their	O
either	O
Web-capable	O
TVs	O
or	O
digital	B-Application
media	I-Application
players	I-Application
connected	O
to	O
the	O
Internet	O
,	O
although	O
In-Stat	O
estimates	O
about	O
25	O
million	O
U.S.	O
TV	O
households	O
own	O
a	O
set	O
with	O
the	O
built-in	O
network	O
capability	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Also	O
,	O
In-Stat	O
predicts	O
that	O
100	O
million	O
homes	O
in	O
North	O
America	O
and	O
western	O
Europe	O
will	O
own	O
digital	B-Application
media	I-Application
players	I-Application
and	O
television	O
sets	O
that	O
blend	O
traditional	O
programs	O
with	O
Internet	O
content	O
by	O
2016	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Since	O
at	O
least	O
2015	O
,	O
dealers	O
have	O
marketed	O
digital	B-Application
media	I-Application
players	I-Application
,	O
often	O
running	O
the	O
Android	B-Application
operating	I-Application
system	I-Application
and	O
branded	O
as	O
being	O
"	O
fully-loaded	O
"	O
,	O
that	O
are	O
promoted	O
as	O
offering	O
free	O
streaming	O
access	O
to	O
copyrighted	O
media	O
content	O
,	O
including	O
films	O
and	O
television	O
programs	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
live	B-Application
feeds	I-Application
of	I-Application
television	I-Application
channels	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
players	O
are	O
commonly	O
bundled	O
with	O
the	O
open	B-License
source	I-License
media	O
player	O
software	O
Kodi	B-Application
,	O
which	O
is	O
in	O
turn	O
pre-loaded	O
with	O
plug-ins	B-Application
enabling	O
access	O
to	O
services	O
streaming	O
this	O
content	O
without	O
the	O
permission	O
of	O
their	O
respective	O
copyright	O
holders	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
"	O
fully-loaded	O
"	O
set-top	O
boxes	O
are	O
often	O
sold	O
through	O
online	O
marketplaces	O
such	O
as	O
Amazon.com	B-Application
and	O
eBay	B-Application
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
local	O
retailers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
United	O
Kingdom	O
,	O
the	O
Federation	O
Against	O
Copyright	O
Theft	O
(	O
FACT	O
)	O
has	O
taken	O
court	O
actions	O
on	O
behalf	O
of	O
rightsholders	O
against	O
those	O
who	O
market	O
digital	B-Application
media	I-Application
players	I-Application
pre-loaded	O
with	O
access	O
to	O
copyrighted	O
content	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
January	O
2017	O
,	O
an	O
individual	O
seller	O
plead	O
not	O
guilty	O
to	O
charges	O
of	O
marketing	O
and	O
distributing	O
devices	B-Operating_System
that	O
circumvent	O
technological	O
protection	O
measures	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Later	O
in	O
the	O
month	O
,	O
Amazon	B-Application
UK	I-Application
banned	O
the	O
sale	O
of	O
"	O
certain	O
media	O
players	O
"	O
that	O
had	O
been	O
pre-loaded	O
with	O
software	O
to	O
illegally	O
stream	O
copyrighted	O
content	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
September	O
2017	O
,	O
a	O
British	O
seller	O
of	O
such	O
boxes	O
pled	O
guilty	O
to	O
violations	O
of	O
the	O
Copyright	O
,	O
Designs	O
and	O
Patents	O
Act	O
for	O
selling	O
devices	B-Operating_System
that	O
can	O
circumvent	O
effective	O
technical	B-Application
protection	I-Application
measures	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
on	O
1	O
June	O
2016	O
,	O
a	O
consortium	O
of	O
Canadian	O
media	O
companies	O
(	O
BCE	O
Inc.	O
,	O
Rogers	O
Communications	O
,	O
and	O
Videotron	O
)	O
obtained	O
a	O
temporary	O
federal	O
injunction	O
against	O
five	O
retailers	O
of	O
Android-based	O
set-top	O
boxes	O
,	O
alleging	O
that	O
their	O
continued	O
sale	O
were	O
causing	O
"	O
irreparable	O
harm	O
"	O
to	O
their	O
television	O
businesses	O
,	O
and	O
that	O
the	O
devices	B-Operating_System
 '	O
primary	O
purpose	O
were	O
to	O
facilitate	O
copyright	O
infringement	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
the	O
software	O
is	O
free	O
to	O
use	O
,	O
the	O
developers	O
of	O
Kodi	B-Application
have	O
not	O
endorsed	O
any	O
add-on	O
or	O
Kodi-powered	O
device	O
intended	O
for	O
facilitating	O
copyright	O
infringement	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Nathan	O
Betzen	O
,	O
president	O
of	O
the	O
XBMC	B-Application
Foundation	O
(	O
the	O
non-profit	O
organization	O
which	O
oversees	O
the	O
development	O
of	O
the	O
Kodi	B-Application
software	O
)	O
,	O
argued	O
that	O
the	O
reputation	O
of	O
Kodi	B-Application
had	O
been	O
harmed	O
by	O
third-party	O
retailers	O
who	O
"	O
make	O
a	O
quick	O
buck	O
modifying	O
Kodi	B-Application
,	O
installing	O
broken	O
piracy	O
add-ons	O
,	O
advertising	O
that	O
Kodi	B-Application
lets	O
you	O
watch	O
free	O
movies	O
and	O
TV	O
,	O
and	O
then	O
vanishing	O
when	O
the	O
user	O
buys	O
the	O
box	O
and	O
finds	O
out	O
that	O
the	O
add-on	O
they	O
were	O
sold	O
on	O
was	O
a	O
crummy	O
,	O
constantly	O
breaking	O
mess.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Betzen	O
stated	O
that	O
the	O
XBMC	B-Application
Foundation	O
was	O
willing	O
to	O
enforce	O
its	O
trademarks	O
against	O
those	O
who	O
use	O
them	O
to	O
promote	O
Kodi-based	O
products	O
which	O
facilitate	O
copyright	O
infringement	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Following	O
a	O
lawsuit	O
by	O
Dish	O
Network	O
against	O
TVAddons	O
,	O
a	O
website	O
that	O
offered	O
streaming	O
add-ons	O
that	O
were	O
often	O
used	O
with	O
Kodi	B-Application
and	O
on	O
such	O
devices	B-Operating_System
,	O
in	O
June	O
2017	O
,	O
the	O
group	O
shut	O
down	O
its	O
add-ons	O
and	O
website	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
technology	O
analyst	O
speculated	O
that	O
the	O
service	O
could	O
eventually	O
re-appear	O
under	O
a	O
different	O
name	O
in	O
the	O
future	O
,	O
as	O
have	O
torrent	B-Protocol
trackers	I-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
June	O
2017	O
,	O
Televisa	O
was	O
granted	O
a	O
court	O
order	O
banning	O
the	O
sale	O
of	O
all	O
Roku	O
products	O
in	O
Mexico	O
,	O
as	O
it	O
was	O
alleged	O
that	O
third-parties	O
had	O
been	O
operating	O
subscription	O
television	O
services	O
for	O
the	O
devices	B-Operating_System
that	O
contain	O
unlicensed	O
content	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
content	O
is	O
streamed	O
through	O
unofficial	O
apps	B-Application
that	O
are	O
added	O
to	O
the	O
devices	B-Operating_System
through	O
hacking	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
May	O
2018	O
,	O
the	O
Federal	O
Communications	O
Commission	O
sent	O
letters	O
to	O
the	O
CEOs	O
of	O
Amazon.com	B-Application
and	O
eBay	B-Application
,	O
asking	O
for	O
their	O
help	O
in	O
removing	O
such	O
devices	B-Operating_System
from	O
their	O
marketplaces	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
Saudi	O
Arabia	O
,	O
the	O
practice	O
of	O
using	O
digital	B-Application
media	I-Application
players	I-Application
for	O
pirated	O
television	O
content	O
first	O
became	O
popular	O
during	O
the	O
Qatar	O
diplomatic	O
crisis	O
,	O
after	O
Qatari	O
pay	O
television	O
network	O
beIN	O
Sports	O
was	O
banned	O
from	O
doing	O
business	O
in	O
the	O
country	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
pirate	O
subscription	O
television	O
service	O
BeoutQ	B-Application
operated	O
a	O
satellite	O
television	O
service	O
featuring	O
repackaged	O
versions	O
of	O
the	O
beIN	O
Sports	O
channels	O
,	O
but	O
its	O
Android-based	O
satellite	O
boxes	O
also	O
included	O
a	O
pre-loaded	O
app	B-Application
store	I-Application
offering	O
apps	B-Application
for	O
multiple	O
streaming	O
and	O
subscription	O
services	O
dealing	O
primarily	O
in	O
copyrighted	O
media	O
.	O
</s>
