Battle of the Video Boxes: We put the leading set-top video boxes to the test (L to R: Apple TV, Vudu, and Netflix's Roku) vs. Blu-ray. Who emerges victorious? Photo by Apple/Vudu/Roku

We live in interesting TV times. DVD players are as common as toasters. Basic Blu-ray players offer high-def flicks at prices we can (almost) afford. And now, if you can’t bother to go to the store or wait for a disc to arrive, you finally have some enticing download options.

The biggest news, of course, is the recent arrival of Roku's streaming Netflix Player, which is finally giving the company a service to match its name. The Netflix Player joins two other on-demand boxes: Vudu, which premiered last September, and Apple TV, which got upgraded to a movie-playing box in February. So, what’s the best way to go?