In the last year Boxee has gone after the media center world with a vengeance. What’s surprising is that they’ve been quite successful while remaining in just an alpha stage. That is, until December 7th, when Boxee rolls out an official beta release. The new version promises several enhancements like; a new user interface, better navigation, search functionality for TV shows and movies, improved shortcuts, and more.
Boxee has tackled online video like no other, and it’s a great choice if you’re looking to bring your web watching experience to the living room. Then, of course, there’s always the option to drop your cable bill for good. I’m a big fan of Boxee, the software and the platform, so I’m very excited to see what’s coming down the pipes on Dec 7th. Plus, the official Beta launches at CES on January 7th.
If Boxee is able to deliver on its beta promises, and the content and platform developers continue their support, I see big things ahead for Boxee. It provides unparalleled access to your favorite media while allowing developers to build upon it with its open source platform. The unique thing about this architecture is that it allows content providers to build their own “channel” (via Boxee Applications) on top of the existing platform. Which means that the real content providers (movies studios, TV networks, record companies, and the like) are able to build a distribution channel that they have complete control of, and integrate it into the Boxee experience while enhancing their own branded one. Currently, ABC, CBS, MTV, Foo Fighters, and several other mainstream media outlets and artists provide their “application” for access. Not to mention offerings from Hulu, Netflix, YouTube, Pandora, Last.fm, Facebook, Apple, Revision 3, and many more. In addition, independent developers, content providers, and publishers alike all have the opportunity to build customized apps to their hearts content.
The quality is also fantastic, though obviously dependent on the compression ratio of the source and the users streaming capabilities. But, Apple seems to have resolved this quite well. In addition to being able to play video in standard definition, the Apple Movie Trailers Boxee App offers both 720p and 1080p HD options for the best possible streaming experience with the best possible quality. The best of which, true HD at 1080p, looks phenomenal. But, to really enjoy it you’ll at least a 6.5 Mbps connection, otherwise the buffering will drive you mad. Although with a 5 Mbps connection the 720p option looks great, with no buffering hiccups. While the streaming architecture in the current alpha release isn’t quite up to par with that of the new Xbox update, it does prove to be very promising, which is another reason I have high hopes for this beta release. If Boxee continues to evolve down its current path, it could own the road of free, open-source media center applications. Additionally, (with all the above coming into fruition) I believe that within the next three years, Boxee could actually become a viable mainstream distribution channel for all those involved.
For Developers
Boxee API Documentation
boxee allows you, the developer, to create applications to extend its content and functionality. Whether it’s local or web-based we hope you’ll turn boxee into exactly what you’ve always wanted in a media center (and share it with the rest of us!). With that in mind we’ve put together this document to help you get started building apps for boxee. If you’ve got questions please feel free to search our forums. Applications can be downloaded and installed from the Boxee Applications Directory or from 3rd party repositories using the Boxee client from the App Box menu.
Application Types
- Boxee Feeds - Boxee supports vieweing of RSS documents that are generated either statically or dynamically by a web server. This type of application provides limited functionality of lists of items. For a richer experience, please consider using Boxee Applications (see below). Please read the specification of the recommended Boxee RSS format
- Boxee Applications - Boxee Applications enables developers to build their own content portals and media applications on top of the Boxee platform. Example of Boxee Applications include: Pandora, Netflix, CNN, BBC iPlayer, and more. Applications are developed using a set of APIs in Python and GUI XMLs. Learn how to write your own application by following our first Building Your First Boxee App post.
- XBMC Plugins - Plugins are written in Python and are executed by the Boxee client at run-time. They allow showing lists of content, similar to RSS, with the main difference that they are dynamically generated by the client. Boxee has not made any modifications to the XBMC Plugins, therefore for documentation of how to write plugins, please visit the following sources:
Get more info at the Boxee for developers site.
UPDATE (11/12/09):
Boxee announced today that it has inked a deal with an undisclosed hardware manufacturer to develop a set-top Boxee Box.
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