69
Boxee
Released June, 2008
The Pros:Works with many formats out of the box. Provides a great interface to many online video sources. Application-based system means that there's always new content sources available.
The Cons:A lot of the applications are focused on US users, meaning they don't work at all outside of the US. Limited customization options. Issues with automatic scraping, and difficult to fix their mistakes.
Boxee is a new type of media center software that has a collection of audio/video and social networking features. Developed by Boxee Inc., the program is based on the Xbox Media Center and can be used on Windows, Linux and Mac OSX.
Like Microsoft's media center software for the Xbox 360, Boxee allows users to watch videos off their network and gives them access to videos from online sources. Some unique features include obtaining video reviews from professional review websites, take part in the software's own social network and use other services such as Twitter and navigate through the software with your iPhone. To add a personal taste to the software, there is also the option of using customized skins to change the user-interface. With media center software being scarce, Boxee is full of features geared towards sharing and watching video and audio.
Features
- Unique social networking component
- Audio/video playback
- Digital picture/image display
- Add-on plugins
- Built-in BitTorrent client
- Personal customization and skins
User Reviews (5)
Pros & Cons
-
4
Works with many formats out of the box
-
3
Provides a great interface to many online video sources
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3
Application-based system means that there's always new content sources available
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3
Very easy to organize your own local movies
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3
Streamlined interface that is focused on media playback
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3
Ongoing and active development means it's going to keep improving
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3
Some really great applications are already available
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2
Social connectivity features let you get recommendations from friends and tap into the Boxee community
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2
Hardware accelerated video decoding
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2
Hardware accelerated flash video
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1
Handles movie subtitles in a really slick way allowing for many different languages
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1
Free Boxee iPhone remote app available that works well
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1
Interface looks fantastic on large HDTVs using VGA/HDMI inputs
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1
Share your media over boxee network, facebook, twitter, buzz, etc.
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4
A lot of the applications are focused on US users, meaning they don't work at all outside of the US
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3
Limited customization options
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3
Issues with automatic scraping, and difficult to fix their mistakes
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2
Really bad "home" screen that focuses on the social nature of the system but doesn't provide much value
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1
Feeds could be way better. Can't unfollow the boxee staff, they clutter it up
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-1
Interface can be clunky to use, especially with a mouse
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-1
Awkward to use with local/network media
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-1
Still buggy which means crashes and freezing
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