Cost | What to Enjoy | Features | Video | Sales Info | Press Releases | Editor’s Assessment
Cost: Free to download (only runs on Mac and Linux)
What to enjoy:
Dubbed the Social Media Center, Boxee not only provides access and playback for a wide array of video and music, but also allows users to rate content, which could then be shared on various supported social networks (Twitter, FriendFeed, etc.). Boxee serves as your computer’s media player, being able to support the playback of various media files, as well as CDs and DVDs.
So, how do you get Boxee running on your TV? Boxee is still in Alpha release (Mac and Linux users are the only ones with first dibs), and can only be downloaded onto your computer, but a set-top box release is in the works. There are also plans to license their software to third-party vendors including other set-top box manufacturers and cable companies. However, for the time-being you can take your Mac or Linux-running PC, and hook it up to your TV (most TV’s today come with VGA ports, so you can use it as a monitor). Boxee is also available via Apple TV.
Third-Party Features:
On top of being your media player, Boxee primarily is a hub of all social media content that you can find online. This includes music, video, photos, RSS feeds, and podcasts. Boxee grabs the feeds of various media providers and collects them in one single engine. Content providers include Last.fm, Pandora, Netflix, YouTube, MySpace Video, Flickr, as well as video from TV network sites (CNN, Comedy Central, ABC, MTV Music, etc.); and more will come. Also included is a BitTorrent client, enabling you to download legal trackers (however, the insidious of us could easily hook-up third-party plug-ins to enable all trackers).
What can’t you get with Boxee? Primarily, it does not support DRM files”files protected by Digital Rights Management. This includes iTunes downloads (prior to Apple going DRM-free earlier this year), and downloads from MSN Music and Audible.com.
The big site not found on Boxee is Hulu. Both companies are in the midst of a battle and the much-ado, which really is about nothing more than the right to display content, can be found here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.
Sales Info & Figures:
Video Business (08/13/2009): Boxee streams in $6 million for funding – “Internet TV software startup Boxee — which is hoping to score partnerships with cable and media companies — closed $6 million in financing led by venture-capital firm General Catalyst, with participation by prior investors Spark Capital and Union Square Ventures.” {Read more}
Editor’s Assessment:
Boxee’s software makes accessing the web’s video content extremely easy and convenient. With an easy to use iphone and android application and an interface that my mom even says is simply, Boxee leads the pack in video content management.
