The Boxee Box Blog

What Do You Think Now?

Four months after we launched our beloved Boxee Box, we decided that it was high time to get some of your feedback.   Six months on and with tonnes of new apps, firmware updates, and generally cool enhancements – one of which was announced last week, we’re really keen to see how you’re getting on.  

Do you still prefer streaming local content or have the ever increasing TV, film and app libraries tempted you to consume more web TV?  Has the social and sharing aspect become more integral to your use? And would you still consider the Boxee Box’s vast file compatibility to be your “favourite thing” or have you been won over by its open source nature?  

To keep this nice and fair (and quick), we’re asking the same two questions - one which focuses solely on the type of content you like to watch and the other which looks at the Boxee Box features. 

Click here to take survey

Any feedback you can give would be greatly appreciated, and of course – please do feel free to add any further comments below!  

Updating The Boxee Box

Following on from last week’s rather exciting iPad announcement, we wanted to take the opportunity to update you on a few more changes to the Boxee Box.

Announced last week, Boxee Box 1.2 is the latest iteration of the Boxee Box firmware, and introduces a wealth of new features and enhancements, including:

Networking & File Playback

• Added support for Apple Filing Protocol (AFP)
• Added support for Network File System (NFS)
• Enhanced support for SMB/CIFS shares
• Added support for Boxee Media Manager
• Consolidated network shares under the server name

Interface

• Ability to filter premium content sources in library
• Reordered Apps library
• New “Featured Apps” section
• Updated App categories
• Support for seek within a video on first right/left click (when OSD is still not open)
• Seek forward is now 10 seconds instead of 5 seconds
• “Jump to letter” sidebar in libraries now shows current letter location

Browser

• Improved HTML 5 video support

Settings

• Resetting display settings leaves previous setting data intact
• Add support for HDMI output YUV422 and YUV444
• Add support for HDMI output 30 and 36 bit colour
• HDMI “Black Level” setting now RGB “High and Low”

For further information on these and the latest bug fixes, check out the full release here.

In addition to 1.2, there’s also been a rather cool development within Boxee Labs (Via @avner on the Boxee Blog): 

“We’ve also got something from the “wouldn’t it be cool if Boxee could..” department – one of our engineers has been playing around with AirPlay and we’ve included it as an experimental part of this release. When you click on the AirPlay button on your iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch you will now see your Boxee Box as one of the target devices!”

Not bad eh? As always, if you have any questions/comments, please share them below!

Appy Days: AOL HD

(Via Boxee Blog) 

A couple of weeks ago, we focused on one of our favourite home-grown apps, so this week we thought it only fair to look a bit further afield at the latest global Boxee app to come out of the US – AOL HD.  

As Andrew Kippen over at Boxee notes, “If you’re old enough, you remember the days when “the Internet” was synonymous with AOL. They ran a CD by mail outfit that could have covered the entire United States with shiny plastic discs.  With your “50 free hours!” you got mail!, a dial-up connection, and an incredible assortment of curated news, video, and audio.  They laid the groundwork for most of us to experience the Internet for the first time (although we’d been using BBS’ since 2400 baud).”

Come 2011 and AOL has transformed itself into a fantastic source of high quality video content – perfect for the Boxee Box! But apart from its incredibly slick and user friendly exterior, what can we expect from the new AOL HD app in terms of content (Via the Boxee Blog)? 

Translogic [Auto] - Check out test-drives, concept cars, supercars, interviews, automotive history lessons and behind-the-scenes footage from the world’s best car-makers including up and comers like Tesla.

Huffington Post Celebrity [Entertainment] - Watch celeb interviews from Cee-Lo, Kim Kardashian, and Fred Armisen.  Think Entertainment Tonight, for the web.

Engadget [Tech] - A huge repository of reviews, and opinions on the latest gadgets, gizmos, software, and all things tech.  It’s Mecca for technologists – we recommend daily viewings to keep up to date with Tim, Darren, and the rest of the electronics-laiden crew at Engadget.

The Interface & Sessions [Music] - Check out intimate concert performances and behind-the-scenes footage from big name bands like Train, Adele, TV on the Radio, Iron & Wine, and Gorillaz as well as indie groups like Manchester Orchestra, Battles, Foster the People, The Dodos, and Chk Chk Chk. 

Full CD Listening Party [Music] - Turn your Boxee Box into a music jukebox that plays full releases from all types of different artists from Vanessa Carlton, Electronica veterans Underworld, rapper Black Rob (as opposed to your friend White Mike), and NY’s post-punk plus pianos and pipes band Aficionado.

Moviefone [Movies] - movie trailers for the latest films & celebrity interviews.  Watch Leo talk about Inception, Will Ferrell discuss the intense physical training he went through to get in shape for The Other Guys, and Jason Bateman explain what it means to be inside Ryan Reynolds body.  

AOL Home [Home] - For all of us who need a little help around the home there’s a near-infinite amount of videos to help teach you how to cook (with Curtis Stone), fix things around the house (with Eric Stromer), keep yourself and kids entertained with crafts (with Kendra), and elevate your home decor game to the next level.  

Have you had chance to take a look? Let us know what you think!

Boxee for iPad

With the web offering such vast amounts of content to watch online, pulling all your media into one place can sometimes be a little bit of a pain. Enter Boxee for iPad. Launched today, Boxee for iPad essentially removes the pain points associated with content overload, by making it easier to discover, watch and share online video.  

(Via Boxee) 

Freely available from today, Boxee for iPad enables users to not only share videos with friends via a variety of channels including Twitter, Facebook, Google Buzz and Tumblr, but also bookmark those that you are keen to catch up on.  And the beauty of the iPad means that users can browse and queue content on the move - whether it be a TEDTalk, a YouTube video or the latest episode of your favourite BBC show, ready to stream direct to your HDTV via your Boxee Box once you’ve made it back to the comfort of your sofa.

(Via D-Link)

In addition, Boxee for iPad removes the converting/syncing process by directly streaming files from the Boxee Box user’s laptop/PC to the iPad over their home network. Nice and easy! 

Check out the full announcement here. If you’re planning to download the iPad Boxee App, we’d love to hear how you get on! 

Holograms – the latest threat for 3D TV?

(Image via Kit Guru)

Since CES 2010, the media has been awash with discussions around 3D TV – will it or won’t it be a success? We all enjoy the odd 3D film at the cinema, but when, if at all, will we have 3D in our living rooms?

The answers to these questions continue to be debated, however according to some, it looks as though 3D TV may have a potential threat.  According to a BBC Click report, a number of critics have highlighted that “too much 3D content or 3D where the depth of the image is too much” will result in eye strain and headaches.  The solution to these concerns? Holograms.  

And although holographic TV’s are currently still a very early prototype, critics suggest that once up and running, they will provide a much better quality than that of 3D.  But why? 

According to some recent MIT research by Michael Bove: “The difference between holograms and the type of 3D images becoming common in movie theaters is frequently overlooked, Bove says. During a screening of, say, the 3D version of Avatar, viewers on the far-left aisle of the theater see the same image that viewers on the far-right aisle do. That image may have depth, but it’s filmed from a single perspective. As a viewer moves around a hologram, however, his or her perspective on the depicted object changes continuously, just as it would if the object were real.” 

For more information on the mechanisms at work, check out BBC Click’s in-depth report here.  

With developers predicting the sale of holo-TV’s by the end of 2012, we still have a while to wait – however, we’ll certainly be keeping our eyes peeled over the coming months to see how the technology unfolds.

Appy Days: BBC iPlayer

(Via TechCrunch)

It’s been a while since we took a look at the latest and greatest in Boxee Box apps, so this week we wanted to devote particular attention to one of our all-time favourites – BBC iPlayer.  After a brief, but notable absence a couple of months ago, a brand spanking version of the app was launched last month and we absolutely love it.  Here’s why:

• Great content – with access to up to 7 days of content from all the BBC TV and radio channels, the Boxee Box iPlayer app is perfect viewing whatever the occasion; whether you’re catching up on the latest episode of your favourite show or looking to discover new content.  And with each channel and radio station offering a variety of themes and topics ranging from entertainment and lifestyle to children’s and religion, there’s something for all the family.   A content library that is incredibly hard to beat, particularly when enjoyed via your Boxee Box from the comfort of your sofa...  

• Quick – from loading the app to navigating within it, the Boxee Box iPlayer app is incredibly fast in processing all requests, thereby ensuring a smooth, high quality experience. 

• Intuitive – boasting a sleek yet practical layout, the iPlayer app is exceptionally easy to use.  With both TV and radio split by either channels or categories, whether you’re looking for a specific show or simply looking to find a particular type of programme, be it lifestyle, educational or comedy, the app’s layout and categorisation makes life very easy.  And with the home screen offering a rather snazzy automatic carousel wheel, the BBC’s top content comes to you! 

• HD quality - with the option to view a large proportion of content in HD, not only is the app itself incredibly sleek and high quality – the content itself is even more impressive. And with the likes of Coast and Blue Planet available to watch, the HD function really does enhance the viewing experience.  

Which Boxee Box apps are you loving at the moment? Let us know in the comments!

The Socialisation of the Internet: One Step On

(Via The Mirror)

The socialisation of the internet is nothing new.  With viewers regular tuning into the likes of Twitter and Facebook for social commentary to accompany their favourite shows - gone are the solitary days of TV viewing.   

And one particular BBC show has caused a great deal of online buzz over the past few weeks, The Apprentice.   Seeing the return of Sir Alan, 16 new contestants and 2 months of bragging, cat fights and priceless quotes – the show and its inevitable bunch of opinionated, “colourful” characters offer its viewers endless opportunity for comment and discussion.    

However, a columnist at the Independent has taken the idea of social TV one step further, by removing the TV from the equation altogether.   In an article entitled, “The Twit and wisdom of the Apprentice”, John Rentoul explains how he is an “avid” Apprentice viewer, but only via Twitter.  

“I enjoy The Apprentice as rich source material for a hobby of mine: collecting clichés. People on Twitter watch the programme and pass on gems mined from the mixture of business jargon and popular verbiage. Earlier in this series, a contestant said: "Don't tell me the sky is the limit when there's footsteps on the moon." Others have: talked about "capacity pockets" – I think it means spare time; said "there is no 'I' in team"; and discussed the concept of an "emergency biscuit". Last week Natasha wanted to make peppers "iconic to our brand". No wonder she didn't survive. 

This is the best way to watch the programme. It's true that you don't have a strong grip on what the tasks set for the contestants actually are, although I gather this can be quite difficult for those watching the audiovisual version, too.”

Perhaps a rather unorthodox way of consuming the content, however, one which certainly makes for an interesting read and serves to reinforce just how powerful the link between TV and social networks really is.  

Of course however, if you’re looking for the full audio-visual experience, be sure to tune into the next series via BBC iPlayer on your Boxee Box.  

Pitch Your Own YouTube Channel

With web series on the rise and an impending site overhaul, YouTube is rumoured to be on the look-out for budding video producers to feature in one of its 20 planned “channels".

Due to launch in January 2012, it has been speculated that YouTube’s “channels” will end up with “cable TV-like ‘verticals’ such as food, sports, entertainment, and will offer up consistent servings of audience- and advertising-friendly content.” And with competitive pitching due to start this summer, the stakes appear to be incredibly high (via All Things D): 

• YouTube will give you up to $5 million to create a branded “channel” for the site, which it will feature prominently.

• YouTube will sell ads against the channel, and will keep all revenue up until it recoups its $5 million outlay. After that, YouTube and the channel partner will split ad revenue, roughly fifty-fifty.

• Content on the channel will initially be exclusive to YouTube. But after the first year of a three-year deal, channel partners can distribute their stuff wherever else they want.

• Channel creators retain full ownership of all of their stuff.

Although it’s all currently speculative, according to Kafka at All Things D, winners are likely to be announced in August/September, so we’ll be keeping an eye on how this unfolds over the coming months.  

Europe Drives the Smart TV Revolution

When it comes to adopting the latest and greatest in technology, most people’s money would be on the US paving the way.  However according to Paul Tapp over at Intel, in the case of smart TV, we should be placing our bets a little closer to home. But why?  

“Well firstly as Europeans we’re used to receiving at least some channels free of charge. Sure, we may pay for some TV services, and when we do we expect them to be of a high quality; whereas in the US, nearly everyone subscribes to a pay TV service as standard. Americans are just more used to paying, and why would they question this, when this is the way it’s always been?

Meanwhile, our expectations that TV content should be available free of charge have been raised even further, thanks to an increase in broadcaster-led catch up services like UK’s BBC iPlayer and the German Mediathek services.

Europeans are also working hard to integrate these on-demand services with other national TV channels, radio stations and Internet content. YouView in the UK, MHP in Italy, and HbbTV in Germany and France, are all working towards building a common technical standard to bring together these fragmented services.

These are just some of the reasons that Europeans are currently more open to the possibilities of the smart TV revolution than our US counterparts. That said I’m sure it won’t be long before smart TV adoption in the US begins to keep pace with that in Europe. But in the meantime, let’s just enjoy our status as world leaders.” 

Check out Paul’s full post here.

Measuring Online Viewing Habits

The idea of TV as we know it has undergone a huge transformation over the past couple of years.  With the introduction of mobile TV, the rise in tablet PCs and of course connected devices such as the Boxee Box – we can now watch whatever we like, whenever we like, wherever we like.  

But how are these changing habits being monitored? Although current online services are monitored by their respective broadcasting providers (E.g. iPlayer and Channel 4OD) an objective, over-arching view of online behaviour remains to be seen...until now.  Last week, BARB (The Broadcaster’s Audience Research Board) announced its plans to launch a new web TV viewing meter.  Initially kicking off with a sample of 1,100 homes, equating to an estimated 2,500 people, BARB plans to monitor any online activity that occurs over and above general household viewing.  Thereby offering broadcasters a clearer view of audience figures across web, linear and on-demand viewing.  

Speaking of the plans Bjarne Thelin, chief executive of BARB said, “We will continually consider and verify the web TV measurement technique so that we can confirm the appropriateness of this approach for BARB. Following this initial stage we’ll evaluate the value of proceeding further and with the industry we will assess how this data can best be utilised and applied.  The prospect of a measurement which enables web-TV viewing to be examined alongside television set viewing, from a single source, will have a number of applications. It’s likely that the greatest initial learning’s will come from data aggregated over time.”

The software rollout will take place in 2012, following a year-long test project that was completed in May 2011.   

We’ll be very interested to see how the findings impact on broadcasters going forward.  With content providers and film makers increasingly looking to push their offerings online, will this data be the wake-up call that broadcasters need to get back up to speed?  Let us know what you think!