Smart Home Blog

As it was announced before yesterday night the Beta version of Boxee was demonstrated for Boxee fans in Brooklyn and online viewers. It’s planning to be in public on Russian Christmas – Jan 7th, 2010. However, you may see the screenshots of new UI and read about novelty on the Boxee blog. Additionally you can ask invitation to test Boxee beta before its public release. Just add here your email, desire OS and Boxee user name is so.

From the first glass I like new media management system, especially immediate access to the content without going through an App. Queue looks also very useful with possibility to add new episodes for favourite TV Shows. For sure, sharing of what your watching with custom message which can be viewed by your Boxee, Twitter or Facebook followers is really cool. This is a social media center isn’t it?

Using DirectX with DXVA for Windows instead of OpenGL will allow to playback HD content (even flash) on nVidia Ion nettops with Atom processors. That’s great, but I prefer VDPAU support for graphic acceleration under Linux. Hope it’ll be added soon (for XBMC is already done). Official support for Snow Leopard and Ubuntu Karmic can be also counted as plus of the Boxee Beta.

Tonight at 7pm ET the beta version of Boxee is going to be released in Boxee Beta Unveiling in NYC. If you won’t participate that even in Brooklyn you may watch watch a live broadcast on Boxee web site or install the Boxee Beta Unveiling App, powered by Livestream and Cliqset, on your Boxee box.

The beta version of Boxee will include a new user interface, improved navigation, possibility to search TV Shows and Movies, a user controlled Queue, shortcuts and more. Stay tune!

Recently announced Boxee widget for Mac OS Dashboard looks cool to control your Boxee box from laptop. But what should do Linux and Windows users? Wait till somebody port it? No, you can run the widget even now using Kludgets – cross-platform open source widget engine. Except Mac OS Dashboard widgets it supports Yahoo’s Widget Engine, Microsoft Gadget, and Google Desktop, and Opera Widgets (with its excellent Twitter client!). So, just install the Kludgets (there is version for Linux and Windows on its site) and add Boxee Mac OS X widget there as well as other desired ones.

[via Lifehacker]

This simple dashboard widget for Mac OS X allows to control your Boxee box remotely from your laptop over local network. It offers following functions: navigation, playback and volume control. Internally the widget uses XBMC HTTP API and works fine with Boxee Alpha 0.9.14.6992. You may download it here.

Finally Boxee decided to produce their own box thanks to partnership with a CE company. They don’t give any other information about the partner or the specs of the device. Well, I don’t know is it good or not. Because personally I don’t see a big reason to have a Boxee device. It’s so easy to buy some inexpensive nettop like ASUS Eee Desktop or Acer Asparevo and install desire OS with Boxee there. Or, for example, recently announced nettop Myka already includes Boxee together with XBMC and Hulu Desktop. Moreover, Boxee can be easily installed on any PC or Apple TV and it doesn’t need some special knowledge.

In any case, let’s wait till Boxee box will be shipped. Maybe it’ll be cheap to promote Boxee. But I’m afraid that we’ll get just another nettop with Boxee logo on the front side.