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Digital Content: Where is Boxee Today?
Learn more about streaming media at EHX Spring 2010, Orlando, Fla. Digital Media is one of 6 key focus areas of the New Opportunities Show.
The winner was an unknown called Boxee, a content aggregator so comprehensive that Hulu was a mere subset of its offerings (until Hulu pulled the plug).
Boxee was perhaps the first company to combine IP-based video from Hulu, CBS, Joost, Netflix, YouTube and scores of other content providers in a single user interface. On top of that is a social networking element so users can recommend shows to their friends.
If 2009 was a momentum-building year for Boxee, then the new year promises to be a technology-building year for the company. Here's what's on tap:
Universal Search
The problem with aggregating so much content is that it's hard to develop a universal search function that will mine the metadata from the respective providers.
Hulu does a nice job of it, but Boxee aggregates far more content.
In the new Boxee Beta, the search function is there. Enter "CSI," for example, and Boxee will list the relevant episodes, regardless of where they live on the network or in the cloud.
It's not entirely comprehensive just yet, but it's a start.
"We looked to CBS.com, Netflix, the WC, Hulu and a couple of other sources – essentially figuring out what's available on all of the mainstream sites – and then we added Netflix," says marketing VP Andrew Kippen. "Hopefully we'll add others."
Currently, the new Boxee version searches only for full TV episodes and full movies in order to narrow the search; however, the service does incorporate a Clicker.com app "that replicates a lot of their functionality, like keyword search, actor, and director."
Clicker is yet another content aggregation site that ranks right up there with Hulu – it's a good thing because Hulu doesn't like Boxee -- and even incorporates Netflix.
Neither Hulu nor Clicker incorporates content that is on the home network.
Additional Boxee Features
In addition to the search feature, Boxee is offering some other compelling features to the new version:
- Queue: Users can add shows to their queues and watch them later.
- Bookmarklet: If you stumble across some interesting online content outside of the Boxee environment, you can still add it to your queue.
- My TV: Subscribe to TV shows, and Boxee automatically adds new episodes to your queue
D-Link: First Boxee Hardware
Since its launch, Boxee has been relegated to PCs and Macs. It has not been incorporated into CE devices and does not have a dedicated streaming device, a la Roku.
That will change in 2010 as Boxee brings on D-Link as its first hardware partner.
The Boxee Box by D-Link is a WiFi-enabled cube with an SD slot and Boxee built in. It is expected to retail for about $200, about double the price of similar products from Roku and several manufacturers of streaming Blu-ray players.
Boxee wanted a hand in the first product to bear its brand, but the company didn't want to go it alone, as Vudu did, for example.
"We wanted to provide a box that was inexpensive for consumers but came under the backing of a very strong brand," Kippen says. "D-Link was the first hardware choice because of their great distribution. They are a leading network distributor worldwide with an expertise in the home and small business market."
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Article Topics
News · Product News · Video · Digital Media · Networking · Clicker · Digital Content · Boxee · Streaming Media ·About the Author
20 Comments
So, I’m looking at the picture of this little device and thinking that there’s an industrial designer somewhere that needs to go back to school. Yes, I like when products look cool. But, when that form destroys function (like being able to put anythign on top of the box…or integrating it in a rack easily…or not taking up significantly more vertical space than in needed…or requiring too much packaging) it’s silly.
Does anyone think that this physical design makes more sense than a simple, clean box?
Picky, I could not agree more! How much money went to pay industrial designers for this nuisance? How will it fit, physically, with my media furniture and other black boxes?
I’d like to see Mid Atlantic make a rack face for this one!
Interesting that the first likeness I’ve seen to Crestron’s WorldSearch is coming from the other end of the market.
Actually, virtually all the mass CE marketers are developing and/or implementing similar solutions.
Crestron’s ADMS with World Search is still one of the best I’ve seen, most notably because it aggregates content from online, the home network, and connected Blu-ray changer.
Also, it caches the metadata on the server so search results are almost instantaneous. It’s not searching the Web every time you enter a term.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t include NEtflix, but it does use Amazon.
There are several other features that Boxee and other services are implementing that are pretty worthwhile:
- TV watch list (adds new episodes to your queue)_
- Social networking (share your faves with friends)
What is your experience with any of these services? I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Integrators should be the content pros. That’s what consumers want.
All of this will be sorted out in the digital content track at EHX spring.
“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Integrators should be the content pros.”
Couldn’t agree more, but could use some help - CEPro is my main news source I don’t recall seeing coverage on all those other devices with similar functionality in/coming to market!
(I just slightly, as I could hav missed something and besides understand that CEPro can’t cover everything. Still… 
CM, you called me on it. We’ve done a bunch of stories on the subject, but haven’t done a face-off among the products and services. Researched it extensively at CEDIA and promise to have a better grasp after CES.
Fantastic, looking greatly forward!
Hmm, while you’re in a holiday gift giving mood, any chance you could do a piece where automation vendors put their best foot forward with solutions and pricing against specific reference requirements (i.e. mid-size house with 8 zones audio, 30 lighting loads, 3 hvac zones?) I know this is rife with challenges to produce an apples to apples comparison, but, boy, I bet many would find it useful.
That hardware box the most idiotic fricken design I have ever seen in my life.
I like the possibilities of Boxee running on a cheap linux or windows embedded device (that IS stackable or rackable) with an IR port in the back and posted IR codes - especially discrete ON/OFF commands.
Working with Crestron and some other control systems we can use the ethernet communications rather than IR, so having discrete commands for “MOVIES”, “MUSIC”, “PHOTOS” would be great in the protocol/module or IR command list.
Pair this up with one of the cool new palm sized wireless keyboard/mouse devices (like the logitech DiNovo mini or the EFO HTPC remote and your set.
The design of the box is idiotic beyond belief. DOA for most integrators till they come up with a normal rack mountable device.
We have built an open source Crestron module to control the boxee. It has support for directly opening any of the screens like “My Photos”, “My Apps”, etc. Plus it can directly open the Pandora, Netflix, etc window. Feel free to contribute here:
Tom ... please drop me a line. I’d love to learn more. jjacobson at ehpub dot com
What are the dimensions? Would it fit on a MA media shelf?
Re the design of the boxee. Its shape was intentional so that it could not be stacked or mounted. It is a submerged cube. It is meant to represent the systhesis (or morphing) of all boxes below boxee into boxee. There will be “just one” box ee (get it…)
It’s running a great OS (as mentioned alreadY)
It has a bunch of really good algorithms (for @39 cent stamp, no that is not an interesting name for a bit map, it’s code. Not UI stuff, but real code that does real work and provides real value)
It is an open platform that “real” programmers will adopt and leverage in mass…
It will be extended to do/be all things CE/Computuing/Other
It will be aquired by Google and that will be the google footprint into home server market (with the android and chrome as mobile and desktop clients)
It will be the rage of CES and will make other black boxes look stupid
It will seriously challenge and/all content aggregators on the market for just $300
It validates the cloud approach/ASP approach for content Mgmt and control
It will fly right over the heads of 99% of CI’s (rack mentality - like old mainframe guys)
It will be remotely managed both in/out of band
It will eventually take over your PC (ala X11 - don’t even ask @39 Cent stamp, i don’t have the energy to explain what it does for u)
It will eventually take over your game console
It will pull great high Def content from the ether or from a NAS/Storage.
It will be the Borg (he he… boxee… like the borb cube) of CE, HA and Media Services
@Good Troll… well that is interesting. Looks like they may very well do what MSFT and others have failed at. And it’s open source and a software download, so you do not even have to use a Boxee box (just get a any cheap 1U pc and mount it if you have to then just run the software on ubuntu 32 bit). Or if you must just run it on a Windows 7 HTPC, like the Dell ZIN0.
p.s there is no such thing as a good troll… that’s just crazy
Yes, it’s all about the software, isn’t it? Either the manufacturers of the equipment thought that or it went completely over 99% of the designers heads.
This looks like a consumer grade box that they’ll try to market to CI’s. Since 99% of us won’t get it (to fit in our racks because it was designed by engineers) Good Troll can become VP of Sales and get it offered in Costco and Wallmart, where it will take over the world! BWAHAHAHAHAHA!
All your Droids are belong to us!
@BigPapa - That’s pretty funny and a good clean rib’n. Once the droids learn how to mount TV’s and install speakers it may be at 100% with or without Big Box… Wait, that’s what Best Buy and Walmart are doing now sans the droids. U must admit that Boxee is a very interesting innovation and that the future of “media systems” (not the dead one, the future one, e.g. media services) is open, software driven and computer centric running on commodity hardware that earns CI’s little revenue.
re Boxee and the rack, The rack will always be there, but it will shrink. look at the trend of hardware virtualization in the IT world. Feature/Function/Service and content are up in the computing world, but the hardware is shrinking/being consolidated. U cannot deny it’s coming to Cedia component space also… sooner or later. And it may very well be running on a single Boxee 1U blade in the new mini rack that uses less power and now has a back panel bus to HDMI switches or just good old all IP (hmmm 15 months ago people said NO WAY to IP distribution)...
re Boxee and media services, I think that in the CI space, when it becomes more about services vs. stuff in the rack, u may very well see the emergence of recurring revenue from helping people collect, organize and manage content vs. trying to come up with a “Google for personal media content” which requires very sophisticated software and to some degree some AI. I think trying to build a better mouse trap for a consumer is never as effect as hiring an exterminator to get rid of the pests for you. CI may very well morph into that role, i.e. doing what Boxee, AMDS, or others try to do for you. My guess is that customers like spending premiums on people services vs racks of hardware, software, PC’s, wires, etc… So let’s make the stuff a commodity (which is my point) and the services a premium. My point back in 09/2008 when I took a shot at Cedia was simply that this is what happen in the IT world and I think the same will happen here. Just a thought. In the 15 months since I made that point it appears that much has occurred to support that trend (both in timing and market/product developments).
Lastly, my grand papa, jerry bisceglia from Harrison, NY once told me that “It’s not the instrument, it’s how it’s played, your audience and signing from the heart that matters”. I think that applies here as well. Focus on the services not the stuff… Be passionate about the content and client, not the rack…
Who is Jerry Bisceglia? I don’t find what he’s saying to be particularly wise, more common wisdom if anything. News of the decline of the CI industry has been greatly exaggerated yet again by somebody who does not seem to understand the CI space, in this case by somebody who does not understand it’s our services that set us apart, not ‘stuff’ or equipment racks. These services we provide include validating hardware, and software, from differing manufacturers with disparate visions and goals, who all think they really understand the market, industry, and consumer. Included in this service from us dinosaur CI’s is the validation process of manufacturers who think their next black box or software program is the coolest thing since sliced bread, or, the ever omnipotent ‘game changer.’
I don’t know who ‘these people’ are that said ‘no way to IP distribution.’ Most circles I run in have been waiting for years for solid TCP/IP distro. Not to mention the completely short sited premise to make hardware a commodity and services a premium: how has that worked out for the IT industry, or the clients? What has it done for either party?
I’d lay off the fanboi’ism and let the product do the talking. After all, if it’s just the SW and services, Walmart can sell it preinstalled on their cheapest PC’s, with an HDMI cable to their $300 40” LCD with $199.95 installation. Then the customers will have Walmart to service these systems, or they will call somebody in India to troubleshoot the SW.
Yikes… No program guide for cable/broadcast/VoD on ADMS. That hurts a lot but similar to Boxee as it does not support “live” cable/broadcast TV content (at least yet).
I think that the step in the right direction is similar to what is built into Media Center re VoD is the NetFlex and Zune on Windows 7 (though i have not actually seen/used the latter).
IMO content management should be done from a rich UI at the user desktop or tablet which is exactly where Apple will be going. Look for a robust content manager on their tablet, that is the logical content management (not physical), like search, taxonomy, meta data via a cloud service and local software on the tablet. This will NOT host the actual content, but it will spider out logic to fetch content for a queue (either store and forward or on a cloud service, ala MetFlex watch now queue).
An example of this is how you can use your Windows 7 latop to sit next to and work with your mate to find great Neflix content to watch over the weekend, and to “add to a queue”. U then can watch the content on your media extender (xbox). Or, you can do the same for Media Center where you can queue up content. The 10 foot UI is ok for this, but the best UI is at the desktop. That will be the case for Apple and the tablet. U will use it to find, schedule, fetch, queue and schedule access to content.
So for Crestron, my question is have they split out the ADMS solution so that you can fetch, browse, play and sort content form the 10 foot ui, but actually manage content and search logic (like spiders, schedules, reports, organization, etc..) from the rich UI of a network connected PC or MAC. Or from a WWW based portal? Or can you only access all the functionality from the ADMS 10 foot UI?
Again, i want to get my hands on the Crestron tool to check it out myself. I am not a dealer so that may involve jumping through hoops, hopefully they have a MSFT VHD, or virtual PC running the software that I can access remotely or as a demo on line.
I see the Boxee screen capture shows the movie “Ghost in a Teeny Bikini.” Any service that includes that flick in its library must be very thorough.