TechSevens

Boxee for Windows

Earlier this week Boxee announced the alpha release for their media software on the Windows platform.  I have been using this software for some time on Linux and my MAC.  It is by far the slickest UI for accessing media on your TV.  Boxee is a free, open-source software platform that integrates personal media with Internet media along with social networking. boxee’s social networking component allows users to share information about what they’re listening to or watching with other Boxee users or friends on social networks like twitter, facebook, etc. Boxee is designed for your TV and use of a remote control. To get Boxee on your TV you’ll need to first connect your computer to the TV screen. You will most likely need an DVI/VGA to HDMI cable (but it depends on the specific input/output on your computer and TV). Boxee is based on the Award winning open-source project XBMC, and also incorporates the XUL framework (which is the basis for the Mozilla browser).   I have been using XBMC on my modded Xbox for a long time now.  When I came across this software I was amazed and I can now load it on my Windows laptop and move it anywhere.  Here are some of the details with this release that were posted on their official blog.

We have a few exciting announcements today.

#1 – Boxee for Windows
We are finally releasing a public alpha of boxee for Windows. We are looking forward to getting feedback from PC users, so we will be ready for beta later this year.

Boxee is now available for Windows, Mac and Ubuntu users, and our goal is to keep the 3 platforms in sync as we release updates and upgrades.

#2 – Major League Baseball

We are excited to announce a partnership with Major League Baseball (MLB.com) to offer MLB.TV Premium to boxee users.

MLB.TV Premium on boxee means you can now watch thousands of baseball games, live and on-demand in HD (where available). on top of that, MLB.TV Premium offers DVR functionality to pause and rewind a live game. MLB.com represents a big step for boxee as we hope this is the first of many different live sports offerings we can bring to you. We hope other sports follow MLB.com’s lead of giving fans a choice of how they enjoy watching their favorite teams….

#3 – New navigation layout

We have changed the navigation in boxee to be more streamlined. There is a clear separation between Internet and Local media, so it is clear where you can find your local media and where you can access apps like Netflix, MLB, Pandora, etc.

In the new version you will see:
Applications, which has all the Internet content.
Local Media, which lists all the media on the computer and the local network

#4 – Digg

Digg constantly drives traffic and conversations around the web.  They are doing the same for video, and it seems like a perfect fit for a boxee experience.

Over the past few weeks we have been working with Digg to create a ‘Digg for TV’ experience, where you can see the most popular videos, as well as what is up and coming.

A future release will also enable users to Digg stuff directly from boxee.

#5 – Tumblr

We love Tumblr at boxee. We thought enabling users to stream music and view slideshows from the people they are following on Tumblr would be a cool experience on boxee, so we worked with them to build it.

We will continue to work with the Tumblr team and you should expect more Tumblr features on boxee soon.

#6 – current_

Current works with a young adult audience to create and distribute great content that is relevant, informative and inspiring. They use a two-way approach to media, and combine Citizen Journalism and viewer participation with professional, rich content to create a unique viewing experience.

We think it’s a great fit for Boxee. The Current app includes the participatory movie review show (The Rotten Tomatoes Show), the weekly media-focused variety show (infoMania), the original documentary series (Vanguard), and the half-hour animated series (SuperNews).