Boxee Box Review
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Review of the Boxee Box by D-link
The Boxee Box is the new player in the streaming TV box market that features products from big players such as Google and Apple. With similar specs as the Google box, the Boxee Box has been quite aggressive with pursuing agreements with content providers as a way to stand out from the crowd and it offers some excellent features that make it unique as well. The software from Boxee also makes it the better choice than the Google TV box and it rivals Apple and in some ways improves upon the Apple TV box as well, especially in terms of being able to give users access to their own content.
Boxee Box Basics
The Boxee Box is made by D-Link, better known for their wireless routers and related technologies. It sports an Intel Atom processor similar to the one in the Google TV box as well as many netbooks and micro PC’s available. With 1GB of RAM and 1GB of Flash memory available, it is no speedster but thanks to the tiny operating system, the bulk of the RAM, memory and processor are available for creating a good viewing experience, rather than running the operating system as is the case with a netbook computer. The back of the Boxee Box has an HDMI output as well as R/L audio outputs, an optical digital audio output, 2 USB ports and a built in Ethernet plug as well. Internally, there is also a WIFI antenna as well giving users flexibility on how they connect their Boxee box to the internet.
Boxee Box Remote – The Real Prize
The Boxee box remote is what truly sets the Boxee apart from the competition in this market. The front of the remote is quite basic, with only a Directional pad, a play/pause button and a menu button. This is usable for playback of most files and while not a great replacement for a mouse while browsing the web, tolerable for most other tasks that the Boxee was designed for. This same arrangement is all you get on Google TV or Apple TV however, Boxee has made the back of the remote a separate interface and allowing users access to a small but functional QWERTY keyboard. Size wise, it is similar to many popular cell phones with physical keyboards and it makes everything from registering services to browsing the web dramatically easier. AppleTV will let you hook up a Bluetooth wireless keyboard but that is clunky; this works perfectly for all of the tasks the Boxee is designed for and is one of the gems of this system.
Boxee Box – Supported Services
One of the goals of the Boxee Box, as well as other set-top boxes in this market, is to provide TV via the internet to those who have the box. The challenge is navigating the myriad of different services that provide part of a cable’s listing of stations and gives users access to the newest shows in a timely manner. These services are available but can cost a pretty penny when they are tallied up. The Boxee is working on agreements with many providers to get content that other boxes won’t have access to. The Boxee currently is working on Hulu Plus and Netflix to get special access. For example, Netflix will give users HD which other set top boxes won’t have and Hulu Plus is a bargain at 10 dollars a month for the amount of TV it gives users access to. Vevo already works well for music videos and there are other services set to be released soon.
Boxee Box – Media PC?
One of the other reasons to consider the Boxee Box is how well it handles content. Whether that content is your own or something a friend made available for viewing through Boxee’s software, it can handle files that most other boxes cannot. The manufacturer claims that it will play virtually any file that has a three letter extension and everything that was thrown at it played and played well. From picture files to audio and video files that are even a problem on a PC without the right codec, the Boxee handled them quite well. The Boxee also handles Flash quite well meaning most sites with embedded video will play through the Boxee.
Boxee Box – Conclusion
The Boxee Box is a great bargain for those interested specifically in a streaming center for their TV. It has a few flaws, mostly revolving around not having all of its services up and running still but even with those it is a great choice for those looking for a small media PC for their television.