Think inside the Boxee ~ The Geek Mill

Boxee is a cross-platform free HTPC software program with a ten foot user interface and social networking features designed for the living room TV. In normal you and I speak, basically, the interface is usable up to 10 feet from source (ie: Your HDTV) making this one of the best Home Theater PC applications currently out there, and not only that, if you already have a PC lying about and you are interested in the software, the lovely people over at Boxee let you download it for free on the following systems: Windows, OSX, Linux and Apple TV - cant ask for more than that can you!

Now, before I carry on with this post / review, I need to let you know that I love this software and use it literally everyday, whether it be for Films, Tv shows or something as simple as checking up with my friends and family on Facebook and Twitter, therefore, this may come across as a biased review BUT I will give the downsides where needed.

The guys responsible for Boxee started way back in the early part of 2004 where they joined the XBMC (another HTPC application) open source program and decided to break away and start their own application. Seven years on, they have not only started, they are well on their way to being a booming company, with offices in New York and Tel Aviv.

Now enough background....onto the review.

When you first turn on Boxee you are greeted with a user friendly 'Homescreen' (see below) where you can navigate straight to the section you need, whether it be Movies, TV Show, Music etc..This is what I would call the main hub of the software as it gives you, the user access to wherever you need to go.

When navigating through each section, ie: TV Shows or Movies section, it will scan all your hard drives, SD cards and network sources and put the files into the associated libraries. When accessing the Movies or TV Shows, Boxee will look up every single file and access the IMDB database and pull down the associated artwork AND Film / TV Show information - it even drills down to episode level and gives you a detailed description of what each episode is about as well as a brief overview of the 'show'. It will also search the internet for 'subtitles', so if you are watching a foreign film OR are hard of hearing, then you can ask Boxee to get get you the appropriate language subtitle for your Film / Show. It really is a very clever piece of kit.

You can see above and below the artwork that Boxee automatically adds to the users content and also the description of what the 'selected' data file is on the right hand side.

The next area that is very much worth a mention is the App screen. Here you will find apps relating to Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, NHL Game Center etc... the list goes on and on and you can also add to them from your own personal collection. Boxee really feels that it isn't just a 'media' piece of software, it feels more like a 'Sociall' 'Family' piece of software that when stuck in the Living Room, the whole family can very much enjoy, whether it be, Music, Tv, Youtube or simply browsing the web on Boxee's built in web browser.

Last but very much not least, is the settings page. Why am I reviewing a settings page you may ask? I'll tell you why, its because from here, you can control EVERYTHING from here, what folders you want Boxee to scan and when. You can also setup your network, the 'look' of your software and most importantly, audio settings (if you listen very carefully right now, you can hear all the audiophiles ears prick up), you can select the type of audio being played, whether its digital or High Definition audio etc..

Before I finish my post, you will notice I have only discussed this as literally a piece of 'software'. Boxee is very much more than this. Boxee is an entertainment system and the Boxee developers realised this and also realised that non tech savvy people were missing out on the experience. They therefore hooked up with the guys over at D-Link (more commonly known for bringing us network solutions) and offered up the well thought out clever name -'Boxee Box'. This box is literally the size of a small box...(without my technical notes next to me, this is all you are getting on a dimensions level), it plugs directly into your TV via HDMI or Composite and offers up exactly what the software I have reviewed above does. What's more, the Stand alone version comes with an IR remote which doubles up as a qwerty keyboard on the flip side of the remote (Handy for online browsing etc...). I have personally not used the standalone Boxee, but if it is half as good as the software mixed with Media PC, then Boxee / D-Link are onto a real winner. You can pick up the Boxee Box for as little as £190 here.

Here are a few promotional shots of the Boxee Box and remote