Boxee has grown up. It was just a few short years ago that the NYC startup was simply hawking beta copies of its innovative media center software. Then came the D-Link-made Boxee Box, which sold in limited numbers through Best Buy and several online retailers. But now, with the Boxee TV, the startup has pulled off something special (or devilish depending on your view of the retailer) and managed… → Read More
Meet the Boxee TV: A $99 TV tuner/DVR aimed squarely at cord cutters and casual cable TV subscribers. It packs a DVR with unlimited storage, dual ATSC/QAM tuners, and several key apps including Netflix, Vudu, Pandora and YouTube. But most important, it’s built with Boxee’s DNA, which guarantees a class-leading user experience.
The Boxee TV is the company’s third major product release. The… → Read More
Boxee just reinvented the box. The Boxee Box is no longer just a media streamer, thanks to the just-released Boxee Live TV. The little USB ATSC tuner integrates OTA HDTV and basic cable seamlessly into the Boxee Box’s menu system, and I found it’s as wonderful as it sounds. The little box is now the cord cutter’s best friend (if it wasn’t already). → Read More
SOPA protests are everywhere today. The Internet is collectively up in arms about the proposed legislation. Major sites are shut down, banners are everywhere, but that’s online. Boxee is taking the fight to living rooms.
Turn on a Boxee Box today and you’ll be greeted with three large black boxes that clearly state STOP SOPA. There’s no way to miss them. Featured videos generally occupy the… → Read More
Boxee Box owners, get ready for even more content. The SlingPlayer app is available for your downloading (auto-playing video warning) and ready to catch content slung from a SlingBox Solo or Pro-HD.
This simple app allows big things. When paired with the appropriate SlingBox, Boxee Box users will be able to remotely control and access a cable box, DVR or satellite receiver. This turns the… → Read More
Boxee Box owners who are also paying Spotify users, rejoice, for the two have been combined into one sweet music streaming app.
Boxee users with a Spotify Premium subscribers ($9.99 per month) can now enjoy on-demand access to Spotify’s millions of available tracks directly on their TV. → Read More
Talk about timely. Boxee’s Avner Ronen just posted the worklist for the next Boxee Box firmware, which is schuduled to drop in May. Among other fixes the browser is getting a major update that seems to address many of my concerns. Also, Boxee Box support for the iPad app is coming. May can’t get here soon enough. → Read More
I’ve thrown big props towards the Boxee Box lately calling it the best media streamer for cutting the cord. It’s a solid device that provides a memorable user experience. That’s rare these days but the Boxee Box nails it, which is why I give it so much credit. But it’s not perfect. I seriously believe that the pros greatly outweigh the cons. Still, there’s room for… → Read More
I hit a nerve. I seriously believe cord cutting is all about alternative services and not the hardware. Clearly others think different. My last post concerning the movement focused on three main areas with hardware only one small portion of the overall post. Why? All roads lead to Netflix and DLNA servers anyway. Nearly every box can run Netflix along with at least a dozen of other streaming… → Read More
Smooooooch! That’s Avner Ronen of Boxee Box wishing all the Boxee Box owners a happy Valentine’s Day with a big wet Netflix kiss. The streaming media service just hit box and will certainly makes some Boxee Box owner’s day with ability to browse the Netflix streaming catalog right from the box. Netflix was supposed to hit the Boxee Box by the end of 2010. That’s what the… → Read More
Sigh. The Boxee Box launched with much fan fair in November. At that time, the promise was Netflix and Vudu would hit the box by the end of the year. A major firmware hit the device in December, but the app support wasn’t included. New Years came and went and then suddenly, Vudu hit the box in late January with the fleeting promise Netflix would come by the end of the month. Well, it’s February… → Read More
Everyone likes the Boxee Box, even Viewsonic is adding Boxee inside their new TVs. It just that, most of the other streaming media boxes have Netflix — even Apple TV. When Boxee CEO responded to complaints about Boxee’s lack of Netflix he said, “[they] are working hard to get Netflix out the door.”
So what’s new with the update? Read on after the break. → Read More
A cryptic Tweet from Boxee points to a new firmware version rolling out in the next few hours, one that probably promises Vudu and Hulu content on what Matt calls “his favorite box.” Matt here: Nevermind John. He meant to say Netflix, not Hulu. → Read More
The Boxee Box is great, but not perfect. The company just rolled out the first major firmware update that address many of the common complants. Owners can now specify whether local or Internet files take precedent over the other, making for a much more user-centered feel. If you have a bunch of files stored on a NAS that are watched regularly, you’ll probably selecte the ”Mostly my own files.”… → Read More
While the interface wasn’t on our list of no-nos in our Boxee Box review, there’s always room for improvement. Boxee has announced in their forums that they’ll be updating the box’s firmware with a few changes that should make it smoother overall.
Here’s what’s going down… → Read More
With all the new Internet TV boxes and services sprouting this holiday season—from Google TV and Apple TV to the Boxee Box, Shufflr, and beyond—there is a lot talk about people cutting their cable cords and just getting all of their TV from the Internet. That is not going to happen anytime soon until the best TV shows and movies become available online at the same time as on TV, but the… → Read More
Welcome to Death/Star, a new show we are testing on TechCrunch TV. It’s a product review show with a twist. My co-host, CrunchGear editor John Biggs, and I give our opinions on three hot products. In the inaugural episode we cover the Android-powered Samsung Galaxy Tablet, photo-sharing app Instagram, and the Boxee Box.
To spice things up, we try to go beyond the traditional thumbs up/thumbs… → Read More
More and more households are cutting the cord and opting for legally or otherwise obtained content. This opens up a whole new world of potential holiday gifts! You could get your significant other any number of available media streamers to fancy HTPC remotes to even a subscription to various media services. But there’s no need to aimlessly wander the aisles of Amazon in search of the… → Read More
Sigh. This is getting a bit much. Turns out there isn’t much to watch on Google TV after all. Google TV is apparently viewed by big media as the devil, as the horned one himself and the only way to counter its/his takeover plans, is to disallow access/worship. And so, just like that, Viacom joined the ranks of News Corp, NBC Universal, Disney, and CBS in their stance of blocking the evil Google TV… → Read More
The Boxee Box is about the hottest media streamer ever made. It has issues, but it’s still really impressive and most of the bugs should be squashed soon. Anyway, Dell is hawking the Boxee Box for $200 like everyone else, but with the right coupon code, — V69?N67T203R2H — you can get it for $180 with free shipping. Yep, we love you. [via Dealnews] → Read More
Google TV is a mess. Apple TV is a joke. Using a Roku is about as exciting as cleaning my gutters. I like the Boxee Box, but my wife doesn’t understand why; she doesn’t get it and that says something. Downloading torrents or NZBs is time consuming and only a small portion of the population actually has the know-how and hardware to do it. Sorry. Cord cutting is a lost cause.
Listen, I’m all for… → Read More
This may seem silly to mention, but seriously, check out the official Boxee Box community for tips, tricks, and a fair amount of bitching. Instead of spending hours (or minutes) Google’n and searching random sites, this one forum should be able to answer most anything about the Boxee Box → Read More
Short Version The Boxee Box is here. I unboxed the device yesterday and have spent pretty much every moment since poking around and I’m impressed. It’s not the mind-blowing experience you get from the desktop app, but the dead-simple setup compounded with the clever dual-sided remote makes for a superb user experience. It’s still Boxee at the core and that’s all that… → Read More
Got a few minutes around 2pm EST? You might want to watch a livestreamed Boxee Box Q&A session hosted by the company’s CEO, Avner Ronen. Click through for the embedded video. → Read More
The Boxee Box is tiny. Most of the Internet knows that. But when compared directly to standard A/V devices, its tiny stature really sinks in. (ha) It has about the same footprint as a new Roku or Apple TV, but the sinking box design makes the actual space it takes up a bit larger. Still, it’s smaller than either one of the Google TV boxes and just about every other AV device. The same goes… → Read More
Oh boy. The Boxee Box is finally here. More to come later today. Drop your questions in the comments for me. → Read More
Tomorrow, the first shipments of the $199 Boxee Box go out to people who pre-ordered them. I got a preview demo today at Boxee HQ from CEO Avner Ronen. Check out the video. → Read More
The Boxee Box will hit retailers and livingrooms with in the coming weeks and because of Vudu, it will be a bit more versatile thanks to the addition of Vudu. The service provides 1080p movie streams with Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 surround sound for a reasonable $2 for two nights of viewing. This isn’t your average HD-lite movie, either. It’s a high-quality stream that will probably satisfy most… → Read More
Well, there she be, boys and girls. It’s the inside of the Boxee Box. Not much to see here besides the slightly chopped heatshink to make room for the trademark slanty design. Click through to the FCC if you need to kill a few more minutes. [FCC via Engadget] → Read More
Once upon a time, Microsoft backed a format called HD DVD and, well, that didn’t turn out so well. But the departure from focusing on high-density physical media early on might have forced Microsoft — and the Xbox team — to look towards digital downloads for future products. UK Xbox chief, Stephen McGill, seems to agree and recently stated to gaming site Xbox Achievements that “People… → Read More
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