following a flurry of interest from device makers during CES we posted a survey asking people whether and what they’d like to see in a boxee box. the response has been great, ~ 10,000 people filled the survey.
we realize that for boxee to appeal to the mainstream consumer it needs to run on a device rather than on a computer. our goal will be to get boxee running on existing devices (e.g. Game Consoles, Internet-connected TVs, Net Gen Set-top Boxes, BluRay players, NAS devices) as well as on dedicated boxee boxes that could be offered by different hardware makers.
following are the results:
how much would you be willing to pay for a boxee box?
- 41% up to $199
- 24% up to $299
- 12% up to $99
15% would not buy a box and rather wait for boxee to come to their TV/STB/Game Console. 8% are happy to stay with their current setup.
so 77% of the people answering the survey are interested in a dedicated boxee box.. will send these results to all the CE makers that stopped by our booth at CES..
which one of these features would you most like to see in a boxee box?
- 38% none. keep it simple
- 20% each for CableCard and Over the Air (OTA) Tuner support
- 14% a big hard drive
- 9% BluRay
my interpenetration of the results is that a boxee box should come in a basic configuration, and should have a robust add-on architecture that will enable users to add features to their box based on their needs. i am personally happy to see OTA generating the same level of interest as CableCard..
in case you want boxee to run on your game console, which one would you like us to support?
- 38% XBox 360
- 32% Wii
- 30% PS3
no surprises here. XBox and PS3 definitely have the horsepower to run boxee (the Wii does not support anything beyond 480p, but could be a great platform for boxee), but the challenge here is on the business side. we will need the support of Microsoft and Sony in order to offer boxee on their systems..
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Thanks for sharing the results… So, any insight if we'll be seeing a Boxee branded box in the near future?!
depends how much traction we'll get with device partners..
It looks like you guys have a great opportunity to (continue to) create a best-of-breed software product that provides a fantastic user experience, and then license that to the CE companies. Sounds like a business plan to me!
yes, we hope we can work with a few partners over the next couple of years.
I would buy a Boxee box in a heartbeat. I've been considering buying an AppleTV for the sole purpose of putting Boxee on it, but the lack of Netflix compatibility is making me reconsider. If a Boxee box were available that did Netflix, I'd definitely buy it!
Me too! Looks like when my future MBP will be serving as my boxee box in the next couple of months – which is sad since I won't be able to surf the web at the same time as I watch video
Remember, you can always buy a Mac Mini for this expressed purpose instead of an Apple TV.
Tell Microsoft that I would buy a remote for the Xbox 360 if they put boxee on it
. (true story too)
This hasn't been mentionedmuch as far as I can tell and was not included in the survey. I would like Boxee to keep a web based front end. I think it would be a great aggregrator for various media sources and offering a web front end will allow us to have acces at all times to this wonderful content.
i'm surprised more people don't want bluray! with the trend of the bluray players offering netflix/etc, i'm surprised this box doesnt attack it from the other angle – a reasonably priced bluray with a focus on web content.
blu-ray is a still born technology. we want high quality digital content, and are willing to pay for it (well, at least the electronic components and screens to watch it on/through)!
Please promise that if you do create a "BOXee box" (or eeBox? Box^2? BoxeeBox? Boxeeox? BoxBee? oxBee? ok, enough…) you won't abandon the open-source, install it on anything aspect. I'd love to see a commercially viable Boxee device or gaming-console integration, but I'd hate for that to spell the end of the ability to install this on any capable hardware. Not that I think you would do that to us, but I had to say it. Keep up the great work, and thanks for sharing the results with us!
no worries. boxee is committed to open-source and all that comes with it. we will not abandon it.
Everyboy's Theater launched in Japan today on the Wii via its Wiiware platform.
Nintendo is also going to launch its own ad supported streaming video service later this year also .
http://www.nintendofanboy.org/viewm.php?m=252
So how do we put more pressure on Microsoft to allow Boxee on the Xbox?
I would love to have Boxee on my Xbox and would make the Xbox the center of my home entertainment. Right now its for games and netflix streaming.
I don't own a 360, but I do own an original xbox with XBMC. Given that Boxee has its roots in XBMC, and that XBMC has its roots in the xbox mod community, it would be quite a coup if Boxee got Microsoft to accept it as legitimate software for the 360. I'd love to see it, but I think that one is a serious uphill battle.
Uphill almost impossible battle. The Xbox is Microsofts attempt to take over the living room. Its a good product (I am not a fan of Microsoft products) but a Xbox with Boxee would be amazing.
I would pay to run Boxee on my Xbox.
XBMC runs on the original Xbox just fine
So should Boxee
Yes, XBMC runs on the original XBOX just fine. Maybe Boxee could too. I'm not sure. But the survey asked about the 360. In any case, I think they are talking about getting it on there as officially sanctioned software, and that is what I am referring to. I don't think MS would want to play ball with anyone who's software has even a remote relationship to the MOD community, even if the software in question is totally above board. I think that would be too bitter of a pill for them to swallow. Technically, I doubt it would be too much of a problem. But as a matter of business, I don't see it happening. I'd be happy to be proven wrong.
I agree, MS will never put Boxee on their consoles. Not that I don't think it would be a move in their best interest. Its just that Boxee, being such an open platform, would allow anybody to display content on their console, that you just happen to own. Rather some fat cat at MS probably rather sell is own super duper idea to his boss about how Internet TV should work on a console, and how MS can keep the whole thing in house. The fat cat will form his team, get his attaboys from above, and then watch it fail like all other half baked attempts MS has made at Internet TV and Media Centers.
To be killer, I think that it should act as a DVR as well (if it did have the cable card etc). However, I believe that Boxee has always been a way for people to avoid paying for cable fees. Now, if boxee can display high def streams from the networks – if they offered it, I would most def consider this. But some networks at the time don't offer high quality streaming video unfortunately. Anything above 199 may seem like a lot to a customer if they don't see a dvd player, hd, or cable input (ie barebones) box.
Would a boxee box stop development for appletv, macs, pcs? since those are free?
most of the networks are starting to play with HD streams, Fox, ABC, CBS, etc. are all offering HD versions for some of their full episodes.
if/when a boxee box will come out it will not mean the end of development for other platforms.
interpenetration?
Good plans for the box. Be weary of the survey results, however, as you're not necessarily polling the target audience of a dedicated box.
Think about it. Who uses boxee today? Mostly nerds like me who like to tinker with their media center and are early tech adopters. I found myself second guessing the answers to those questions. Would I pay $200? No. But that doesn't mean it's not worth it. I mean, I'd rather build my own box and play in Ubuntu. That's not the general public.
If you can license your software to 3rd party manufacturers so that you can focus on the software development rather than revenue generation, that sounds like a great model to me.
Also, some bonus comments to the direction questions: Blu Ray isn't gonna make it long term. Neither is cable as we know it. Keep focus on where tech will take us, not where it is now. DVR and Disc functions are overdone and will be outdated sooner rather than later. Focus on digitally distributed viewing and you have few competitors and a future-ready model.
Thanks for great software, I can't wait to see new versions (as well as start developing add-ons).
If the stages of the Boxee Box Product life cycle are 1-5, 1 being Alpha testing and 5 being where xbmc currently is, I probably wouldn't adopt a boxee untill stage 4. Most NERDs probably wouldn't because we have to see where its going. But if you can get Mom and Grandma to buy it then you'll succeed.
Wii Logic.
The thing I would like from a boxee box is the ability to be upgraded. Give me a 2 gig SSD for the OS. Let me open the bugger up and put a new one in when it gets full. Give me USB ports on the back and front so i can add new media if i need to. Give me a remote and/or Wiimote control.
Give me the basics + hdmi and we'll be happy.
For me, the biggest thing is a range of choices. Some people want a box so full of features that it weighs as much as an Xbox, while others just want something light and simple. To the best of my knowledge, no one else is offering such choices. I think that this will help Boxee's continued success.
I hope for a dedicated Box. I currently use my PS3 with PS3 Media Server or TVersity. It is a first generation PS3 + Quadcore PC(Q9450), so the power consumption is High, probably 350-400 Watt per hour. Also the fan noise
I would rather have a good Network Mediaplayer with boxee and External NAS. So power could be in the 100W range.
I know, there are Mediaplayer out, but there more or less rubbish, if you want play more than SD Streams. Thanks to Sigma Design and other cheap chip maker. I want play Gundam 00 HD, without trouble.
All I want, is a powerful and flexible hardware platform. Currently I think, the most attractive Hardware is the Intel CE 3100 Solution. Give it 1+GB RAM & Flash, and it is King of the Hill. Yahoo Widgets on TV looks good.
I don't see either Microsoft nor Sony accepting Boxee, that's sad but it's true. If you think about it, it's a business model that they want to keep control, so they get all the money.
I hope someone port xbmc core to PPC one day and we can run in our hacked consoles, like we do today with ATV. Otherwise, it's not gonna happen.
Apple should revamp ATV with an integrated nvidia 1080p ion decoder, and ffmpeg should add support for that. IMHO, that's the best world scenario.
Or boxee should partner with nvidia to distribute a boxee branded version of their box. with an esata port (sorely missing from the mini IMHO), it would be the perfect device.
Basically what I'd want is a Popcorn Hour that runs Boxee. Barebones, configurable. Let me decide if I want a local HD or a NAS configuration. The ability to record TV (CableCard) would be great, but I don't think the Boxee folks will be able to do that in any sort of reasonable price range, unfortunatly.
After seeing the results I'm a little surprised. Why would people be willing to pay up to $199 for a box without any added features?
Personally, i would like to get rid of all the clutter in front of my TV. I've already got rid of my DVD player because of Boxee, so getting rid of my cable box is the next step.
$99 will be a weaker box, so we will have to make compromises. with $199 i think we can retain the existing experience
Well, whatever price range you go with it has to be able to play 1080p content! i can't wait to get rid of my AppleTV and get Boxee on a better and cheaper box.
Actually, you have to fix the music feature before i can switch…
Please include a 1080p HDTV tuner card in this box. I think, especially with the DTV transistion happening what now looks like around June, you guys have a great opportunity to sell these box. Also it would be great if you guys sold "modules." For example, more storage module that you could stack to add more storage or the bluray module to add a bluray player, etc. Just be sure to stick several usb ports on the back. This way you can make a lot of people happy, so when someone just wants the barebone they can get it or if someone wants a bluray player they just buy the core unit and bluray unit.
Also a word of advice; don't make the boxee box that color green. Instead, make it white like a mac with the box logo or just a jet black like every other electronic device. Personally, I would prefer a brushed aluminum case, but that might push it out of the price range.
One last thing, please don't make the remote Infra Red. Instead, make the remote Radio Freq or bluetooth. A lot of people, including myself, like to hide all of their media equipment out of site so an IR remote would be useless. Thanks for great work!
i agree. 1080p, modular, black box, RF or Bluetooth. a winner.
I don't know if you've looked at specifics, but http://www.pchdtv.com has a great 1080p tuner card and is open source. I use it myself and it's great. The price will go down with bulk, but this feature alone I would pay $100 for.
In terms of the remote, please make it very simple. I would much rather have it look like the apple remote than the media center remote with 50 buttons. The thing I like about boxee is that you can do almost everything with 6 buttons (up, down, left, right, select, menu), so, for example, rather than having numbers on the remote I would rather just hit a button and see my channels and select from there.
PS3 can run Boxee via Linux with no help from Sony.
never tried, but i don't think so.
Why wouldn't you think so? It's PPC, which would have to be developed, but that doesn't require Sony's help. There are several Linux distros that work on the PS3. Not sure why you'd think it wouldn't work. Boxee developers often seem stuck in a box. The social media center concept was thinking outside the box, but it seems many other things are stuck inside a tiny little box with no creative problem solving.
I have heard it is possible to run Boxee on the PS3. Could you point me in the right direction to see how? Let me know.
I second Jon Duenas on this one. Apple TV would be all I need if it would do Netflix streaming, but without it there's no way I'd buy one.
So that means a Boxee box would have to be around the same price point to be viable ($199). Any higher and you could just get a Mac Mini and have a whole computer.
Don't see the need for a CableCard system. The whole point here is to circumvent the cable companies. They still get a check from me for the internet access. Most people running a STB probably aren't in the market for this type of device, IMO.
Personally wouldn't care to see Blu-Ray either due to the price, but a normal DVD player would be nice. Let this box replace your DVD player with all the streaming functions and the ability to pull files off the network and you're looking at the ultimate living room device. Make sure it's got HDMI and it'd stop using my FitPC Slim with Ubuntu!
(It'd assume that as long as it has enough USB ports you could just use an external DVD player though, no? That would be acceptable as well.)
It would be great to have it on the wii, and with the hombrew channel, installation would be easy.
My thought would be to buy a $300 eee box with Linux on it and install Boxee. At least, that's my thought. Not sure how Boxee makes money in that case though
and I don't have a spare $300 right now. I also don't have a spare $199 for a Boxee Box, sadly 
But if I did, I'd be thinking more like dropping an extra $100 for a more versatile device. But that's just me.
How about an iPhone app? I've got Joost, by itself, on my iPhone. I'd just about pee myself if I could have all of the programming Boxee delivers on my iPhone. I even use the Boxee remote for Jailbroken iPhones (which is awesome except for the black buttons–they're hard to see). Keep up the great work, guys!
I think Wii would fit best to boxee. Too bad there is hardware limitations.
I'm curious what percentage of people answered that they didn't want yet another box…. That was a preliminary question to the game console question.
You don't need the support of Sony to run boxee on the PS3. You also don't need to install linux on the PS3.
All you need to do is include a DLNA server with boxee (check out TVersity) which can stream video to the PS3.
For those that are interested, this also works with the XBox360.
TomP
Is your '.' key sticky? Half of your sentences end with 2 periods; it's very distracting.
Avner,
You havent answerd the first question of the 4
what is your hardware solution for watching digital media at home?
What %s do you see on this one from your users ?
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