Plex always has been the Mac-friendly offshoot of XBMC. I've never considered using an Apple product for my home media center, so I've never really put much thought into it. Things have changed recently, however, and now the folks behind Plex have given the Linux community an awesome media server.

Installing the media server is fairly straightforward. Instructions are available at http://www.plexapp.com. The server application runs on a headless Linux server and is configured via a Web interface. After you've pointed Plex Media Server at your video collection, the real magic begins.

Fire up your Roku, any model, and search for the Plex channel in the Roku Channel Store. With some simple configuration, your Roku will be able to browse your entire media collection and stream HD video to your television. The responsiveness is incredible, and the video quality is astounding. I was expecting pixelated video with stuttering playback over wireless, but everything was smooth. Your local media behaves just like Netflix! For more information, check out the Plex Web site: http://www.plexapp.com.