From the early days of Boxee the CES Show as always been great for us. It’s a time for us to meet with partners, press and users and show off some our latest stuff. It’s also a time for us to party (but i’ll leave that for a different post…).
We already announced new device partners, Iomega which is building a Boxee-based NAS and ViewSonic which is building a Boxee-based HDTV, but these devices also need access to content, which is why we are excited to announce that we have a new partnership with CBS, Americas most watched broadcast network, and we have extended our partnership with VUDU to also include 3D titles.
CBS
We have signed an agreement with CBS that will give Boxee users the ability to purchase full episodes from CBS starting later this year. We are excited about the opportunity to work with a major network on offering premium content to Boxee users, as well as create new revenue opportunities for both sides. As part of the deal, users will have the ability to purchase hit CBS television shows both current (The New Hawaii Five-O) and old (hello MacGyver!).
VUDU + 3D
The VUDU service will soon be made available to Boxee Box users (it is already available on PC and Mac), but we have some more good news. VUDU just announced they’ll start streaming movies in 3D, which will also be available on the Boxee Box, so if you have an HDTV you will be able to enjoy the largest HD VOD library with the newest releases (as soon they come out on DVD) in the VUDU HDX format, and if you happen to have a 3D TV then you’ll be able to tap into a growing 3D movie library.
Boxee for iPad
We have been working the past few months on Boxee for iPad, and while it is not ready to launch we are giving people at the CES Show a sneak peek of the App. It enables you to access videos from your Watch Later list as well as from your Feed (stuff shared from Facebook / Twitter), and staying true to Boxee roots also enables you to stream videos directly to the iPad from your PC/Mac (without requiring you to sync).
You can watch videos on the iPad using the new app, but it only takes one click to send that video to your D-Link/Iomega/ViewSonic Boxee device. “Ze nice,” as we say in the office.
So 2 new devices from new partners, an iPad to accompany them all (including the Boxee Box by D-Link), and some great new content on its way. It’s going to be a big 2011 for Boxee and our users – and we’re happy to be starting the year off with a bang.
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Great news!!!
So along with the iPad App. it's possible to view a movie/file from a HD attached to the Boxee Box on the iPad?
Yes, but you'll need to run a Boxee Media Server on a PC/Mac to handle the transcoding (the Boxee Box can't transcode on the fly)
Please support Windows Home Server as well. Thanks.
+1 Windows Home Server Add-In for your Boxee Media Server is a must!
+2 for WHS
+3 for WHS
+4
+5
So the Boxee iPad app works just like the Plex iOS app?
Meaning it is not actually Boxee running on iOS, but 'only' a remote control application that can stream on-the-fly transcoded videos from Boxee running on PC/Mac/BoxeeBox, right? You have not ported the full Boxee to iOS.
And the other way around it only send the URL of a video from iPad app to tell Boxee running on PC/Mac/BoxeeBox which file to play? or does it support full AirPlay type streaming from the iPad to Boxee running on PC/Mac/BoxeeBox as well with the videos being located on the iPad like stuff you have recorded video the integrated camera?
Ouch! The main reason to buy the boxee Box is to have one neat Solution and no Need to Run a pc – so having to Set this up to Watch movies on my iPad will make the whole Thing useless. As many users already stated they have the same requirement / expectation.
Try to find a Solution to this, shouldn't be difficult to send the video via wlan to the iPad instead via HDMI to the TV.
Is the hardware to lame to handle the transcoding?
Will a NAS Running the boxee Media Server work – this Mighty Be a way to keep it overal quite simple.
Will the Boxee Media Server be PC/Mac only? No plans for releasing a Linux version?
What's a "Boxee Media Server"? Did something happen while I wasn't looking?
Yeah – exactly how many engineers do you have working on these 20+ "amazing! revolutionary!" products with the Boxee name on it at the same time? You should have the smartest, quickest, most efficient software engineers you've got working on fixing thumbnail caching, making your WebKit browser work like the Mozilla one did, and getting the video distributors that you had promised working on the platform. If DRM is an issue, blow off Hollywood and open up the box so that hackers can make the improvements to the firmware that you aren't.
I've been frustrated with the slow, slow, slow performance of the Boxee Box firmware for a very long time now – being your first venture into hardware, I'd think that you'd want to count a success before moving on to new hardware.
I don't want to hear about more ways to send you money when the thing I sent you money for isn't working as advertised. If you want me to get excited about the possibility of sending you more money, make Boxee Box worth the $200 of money I gave you for it.
Not to mention now free TV stations are now yanking their previous free online content/episodes to sell what was previously free. The also defeats the whole idea of online set top boxes. As soon as people show they are willing to spend money on something everyone tries to get in line to cash in. Naturally, I would expect vendors like HBO to try and capitalize on online streaming, but CBS, com'mon man.
Does this mean that videos from CBS.com will be unavailable for free streaming as happened with hulu?
This is up for CBS to decide
Damn!
Seems like the sort of thing that might have come up during the conversation.
The broadcasters have made content available on the internet for free (or with ads). Unfortunately, they are slow to realize that they will not get to choose how people watch this internet content (computer monitor vs TV screen). Avner is between a rock and a hard place. He has to play ball if he hopes to secure revenue-generating deals with the content providers.
Efforts are already under way to hack or jailbreak the Boxee Box. Why not? The software is open source … isn't it??
http://boxeeboxwiki.org/wiki/Main_Page
The content providers need to realize a paradigm shift is occurring. Their insistence on double-dipping (advertisements AND pay-per-use content) ensures that a viable fork of the Boxee software will come that they cannot detect as Boxee. The wheels are already turning.
What about the IPhone and Ipod touch??
The first build is just going to be for iPad. We will be looking to do iPod Touch and iPhone later on.
For people not at CES please show a video of thr iPad app!!
We will!
Will SP3 still be available this week as promised? Can't wait!!
Yes, that's still the plan
are will still getting videos of Vudu and Netflix up and running on the Boxee Box?
It's been a week… no update
Great lot's of work being done on other software platforms (iPad, I'll give you the other devices as being the same hardware for the 4100) yet you were not able to make dates that were used to sell product?
Let's face it you used Netflix promises to sell Boxee Box (yes you do sell it). These numbers let you show other vendors that your software platform is popular. You use this to secure deals with these partners to make money when they put your product in them.
How about you focus on the completion of the product that you have already sold and worry about the other work later. I look forward to watching Boxee Video's on my iPad but I can currently watch Netflix and I have VLC for everything else. What I don't have is Netflix in my bedroom because the $200 Boxee Box does not have it yet! I could have always plugged in my iPad via the VGA which is what I am doing now. I can't put this box to use I was promised and it is past the Return Period. Can we get some kind of Boxee Buy back plan if you don't make this revised date once again?
Not sure how they are using netflix to sell Boxee Box. They never once said Netflix would even be available before the Box went on sale, and once it did they said it wouldn't be available on launch.
Stevo…says: Not sure how they are using Netflix to sell Boxee Box.
I've had boxee on my laptop and ATV for year+, waited to pre order the box until i was sure netflix would be on it. It was announced in early November, at the NY party, that netflix would be included by the end of the year. I then bought the box from Amazon.
So to answer your question, I bought the box because Boxee said it would have Netflix. Hence, using Netflix to sell Boxee.
Hi Les,
We are as much frustrated as you are by the delay. Getting a 3rd party app like Netflix on Boxee is not pure development work, it's a partnership that involves multiple parties and requires a long process.
We want to get Netflix in your hands. We are doing our best to make it happen as soon as we can. It has nothing to do with todays announcements.
Avner
Hi Avner,
Just a question… Will the Netflix application provide access to the canadian Netflix as well or will it be only for US ?
no it won't at launch
Will boxee work with AirPlay on the iPad? will we be able to send video from the apple iPad video app to boxee (like you can to apple tv)
If boxee supported AirPlay it would be a huge feature!
Good Question, I would also be interested in a response on whether boxee with support AirPlay in the future.
You both will find the info here: http://jira.boxee.tv/browse/BOXEE-7624
Just vote / comment to support the attention for a quick fix.
Thanks!
I had no idea you could vote on new features for the boxee
"it's a feature"
For the love of your favorite diety get Netflix, Hulu+, and Amazon VOD working instead of making Boxee work on the iPad. Sheesh. Ridiculous…
Hi – great news all around – but I'm a bit confused –
Will the Boxee app for Ipad (and hopefully the iphone version when released) only work with the software boxee running on mac or pc?
Or can it be used to browse and launch content on a boxee box?
(mostly) great news for North Americans. But what about us europeans? I'm guessing that the CBS deal will only apply to boxee users in the USA. What about integration of spotify? european users have been asking for this for a long time.
But good to see that Boxee is spreading to more devices. Keep up the good work!
This all sounds great, with the exception that………
I have a boxee box, and i think it should be re-named the
Buggie Box !
Feeds/apps from the UK are useless, 90% are dead, the rest are stuttery low quality waste of time
Playing local files is ok IF, IF, IF you can get the boxee to find and check your local ex hard drive, i say ex hard drive, because if you hook up 2 ex hd's (baring in mind there are 2 usb's so it's not like i'm expecting something out of the ordinary) if you hook up 2 ex hard drives it only finds one
good for you boxx that your making tracks with cbs iomega or whoever, but how about fixing the box you've already sold so it actually works first !
well, im pretty happy with my boxee box. local files are played well and those online apps are just an addon for me.
to let you know. u can only use one hard drive without an own power supply !!! if you got more then one….an active hub is your solution!
When will the Boxee Box be available at US Best Buys? I need to use these BB giftcards I got for Xmas!!!
But that CBS deal is still only for the United States, right?
Nice MacGyver reference. The theme song is my ringer and alarm. The iPad thing sounds cool. As for the iPhone, maybe MacGyver more features on the remote app first before this streaming feature. Not complaining but more features on the remote app would great.
Great to see the deal was finalized with CBS.
Will the iPad app work as a remote control for the Boxee Box? That would be a great feature in the music department (listening to music without the need for the TV to be on).
That's what I'd love to find out!! Can somebody please answer that?
It doesn't sound like it will right away. There is already a boxee iphone app that works and an ipad app called boxee reemote that works quite well.
It doesn't quite 'work' in the sense that we need. What we want is to be able to play music WITHOUT having to go to the tv room, switch on the tv, etc – just to see what we're doing with the 'remote'. On an iphone or ipad, whichever, I should be able to select a playlist or an album, song, etc – without having to do all that….
Any word on a Boxee app for Android?
The era of free content is over, now that everyone's wallet has opened up. You should send this box back and just hook up a computer. The jockeying for online content is getting heated up and soon nothing will be free anymore. Corporate interests are all looking to cash in and you will pay. This is the beginning of the end of the final frontier, the internet. Obviously, you may not be willing to be an activist on this issue, but at least think twice and do your homework before paying for content online, because every time you do open the purse, we loose more previously free content.
Hahaha! Funny guy.
Engadget has some Boxee Box and Vudu coverage:
http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/06/boxees-unrelea…
Ok, Boxee for iPad is great, except I don't own one yet. Boxee for Apple TV (jailbroken) and iPhone would be awesome! Hint hint!
When will Vudu be available? Last week, you said it would come this week. Any word? If I can offer a piece of advice, it is this: Avner, you are amazingly responsive to your customer base. In fact, you are one of the most accessible CEOs I've ever seen. That said, even bad messages are preferable to no communication at all. If Vudu is delayed again, just let us know. Thanks to your team for trying to shoot for the best experience possible. I've enjoyed your product thus far and hope it'll only get better. Hope you remember all of your early adopters/evangelists as you take off and become wildly successful (as I know you will).
I second that!
I don't get the ipad streaming app.
First, you will need a server/boxee box that is always on. That's fine if you have a server, but i don't see a reason to have a boxee box turned on all the time. I think most people will turn it off when they dont need it. Just my opinion.
Second there is already a program for iphone/ipad that does these things.
The app costs like 4 dollars and it works like a charm, i can watch avatar 1080p.mkv from my server, over 3G to the phone/pad. It automatically matches the stream rate to your connection type. So if your on wi-fi you will get HD playback.
Guys i love your product, i wouldn't sell my boxee box for anything right now. But you need to use your time to refine the UI and existing features for the software that you allready have, and stop making new features all the time.
Have a great time at CES 
Is VUDU available in UK? please can regional availability be included in your posts.
It's not even available in the US.
It's the same old boxee marketing trick – they say "VUDU 3D" in the headline, but nowhere does it say boxee has vudu.
If you ask "where's vudu? the week has come and gone." they'll go all "oh, we're a startup, we pay our employees in farmville cash, give us some more time, mkay?"
So this Boxee iPad app works just like the Plex iOS app or?
Meaning it is not actually Boxee running on iOS, but ‘only’ a remote control application that can stream on-the-fly transcoded videos from Boxee Media Server running on PC/Mac/BoxeeBox, right? You have not ported the full Boxee to iOS.
And the other way around the iPad app only send the URL of a video from iPad app to tell Boxee running on PC/Mac/BoxeeBox which file to play? or does it support full AirPlay type streaming from the iPad to Boxee running on PC/Mac/BoxeeBox as well with the videos being located locally on the iPad like stuff you have recorded video the integrated camera?
Will the Boxee Media Server be open source, or closed source like Plex Media Server?
And… where's the firmware? Stop making promises you can't keep.
I've just bought boxee for iPad. As it is a paid app, i have the rights to say thats VERY buggy ! It crashes a lot, and the interface is VERY unresponsive until ruis version. Some ui work is needed too.There's some cluttered infos on screen like media share (file list) looks like a Linux terminal and some white ícone remain overdose the white text list (list of files). The "pinch" to go back and all gesture moves are unresponsive too. ;( The "now playing" image takes ages to shows sometimes… I would like to see more bidirectional information too, like a feedback from "what's" on the screen in some sextilha, a library view without tuins on ipad too, and things like that, sometimes i go away i took mg ipad to keep controling my media, música,movies for a brief short time. The plex app streaming is something VERY impressive too, in plex i can go to the kitchen and still vieweing my movie on iPad. Anyway…i hope to see more updates on that app. It's already nie but it could be much better ! Thks.
Thats not THE offical Boxee iPad app.
It's not even out yet till
Q2 2011. It's probably the reemote app you're Talking about.
will it be able to stream content from a NAS directly to the iPad or do we still need to turn the computer on?
Will it be able to stream content from a NAS without turning on a computer?
hha. nice point of view!
The app is well done, I wish it has more updates only…
nice point of view
hi!
Thanks for your valuable information sharing with us.
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