We have released a new version of the Boxee Box firmware. Your Box will update automatically within the next 24hrs or you can manually check for the update by going to Settings>System>Update (this is the update we tried to get out last week, but had to pullback after we received initial critical bug reports). Our apologies to those who had issues with the previous version and thank you for your patience (and that of your significant other).
As always there are many bug fixes and in this case lots of work on the Boxee Browser, but the big news in this release is VUDU (VUDU is available only in the US).
VUDU on the Boxee Box means: access to the largest selection of HD movies on-demand, new releases (same day as DVD), thousands of movies available for rental at $2 for 2 nights (in standard definition). We are psyched.
The VUDU HDX format on the Boxee Box is a match made in geek heaven! (that normal people will appreciate, too). Video is 1080p HD at 24 fps. Sound is Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 surround. It takes advantage of some crafty engineering from VUDU dubbed TruFilm™ which optimizes the encoding, transmission and display of HDX movies on 40-inch HDTVs and larger screens. It’s kind of hard to believe this stuff is coming over your Internet connection.
Invite some friends over. Rent an HDX movie. You are guaranteed to gain new respect for your geekness and pass the crucial WAF test.
VUDU is offering every new user who signs up on the Boxee Box a $5.99 credit towards a first rental/purchase. Take advantage of it!
We’ve heard from many of you about Netflix as well – we are working on it and will post another update next week on the subject.
Here are the firmware upgrades included in today’s release:
Enhancements:
- Settings to control de-interlacing and video filters configuration
- Support for language selection in subtitle/audio
- Forced subtitle automatic selection during MKV file playback
- An option to ignore the prefix in the sort order for movies/albums/artists which start with ‘The’ and ‘A’ (big one!)
- Enhancements to Browser performance
- Browser opens in lower resolution to allow easier reading of text
- Browser is zoomed into Video by default for non auto full screen websites
- Direct launch of website when defining full URL in the search bar
- Preselecting the current chapter when opening chapter selector for MKV/BluRay
Bug Fixes:
- HTTPS support for the browser
- 4:3 Videos Stretched to 16:9
- MKV Chapter Time is Displayed Incorrectly
- Audio dropouts in DTS-HD audio
- Improved WTV support
- 3gp playback errors
- Improve BluRay titles loading time
- Allow larger subtitles time offsets
- Audio re-buffering when entering commercials in TV episodes.
- Viewing “Info Menu” while watching 24hz videos cause temp reversion back 60hz
- With playlist over 999 items, track numbers overlap repeat icon in OSD
- TV Shows no longer show as watched and can’t set to watched/unwatched
- Crash at manual resolve if the user rapidly presses the menu/back button whilst the OS tries to apply details to files in a folder
- When choosing from search suggestion list -> update the search editbox
- Embedded fonts ignored on MKV playback with embedded SSA/ASS subtitles
- SSA/ASS Subtitles position and font
- Overlapping text when network settings changed
- Empty state for App Favorites appearing for empty third-party repository
- Crashing while resolving metadata for movies from UPNP
- Listview mode is not preserved when returning from an artist selection
- In certain cases video freezes when selecting play after pausing
- Playing a video and after several times of pausing and skipping the video freezes and audio continues
- Boxee remembers wrong PGS subtitle track in MKV file after leaving and then resuming playback
- All subtitles (PGS) appears as ‘unknown’ for some BluRay titles
- Crash when attempting to identify media via UPNP
- Some .mkv and .m4v files with 2.35:1 AR are playing back vertically stretched to 1.78:1
- Hang and video freezes or black screen when Pause Resume and or seeking FF/RWD during playback
- Hang on WMV Stream Seeking
- Crashed on shutdown and restarted automatically
- Scrolling in Files Browse list results in partial control of Files menu and also crash
- SMB credentials are not saved on reboot
- When deleting an item from the watch later list the focus location of the last item is not remembered
- Music tracks which are longer than an hour appears as “01:00:…” on the OSD
- Rear channels on AAC 5.1 are not played properly w/ LPCM 5.1 out
- Prompting user for credentials that are not used in accessing shares
- Can’t access network share due to Window Live on Windows 7
- large flash videos stop playback when reaching Boxee file system limit
- Reconnecting to disconnected shares disables selection in the Movies database view
- Subtitles is disabled in the playback OSD for local content
- No video only audio while playing certain m4v files
- Flash video audio drops out for long length online videos
- Disconnects from OSX SMB sources
- Occasional loss of focus on main menu
- Unidentified files in File Source with “Movies” in path name are being identified as a title called ”Movies”
- Crashed on shutdown and restarted automatically
- Scrolling in Files Browse list results in partial control of Files menu and also crash
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Watch my first movie on vudu and it looked great for the exception at one point were the movie started to buffer and the screen went completely red and had to restart the boxee. The one thing I would say needs improvement is being able to rewind and fast-ward on vudu.
Avner, I don't think anyone here doubts that you have the best of intentions, but what you are doing constitutes lying at best and fraud at worst. Quit setting self-imposed deadlines and then fail to meet them! You're setting the deadline, be realistic! So Monday is the end of the month. You promised Netflix by the end of the month. Another lie, and your credibility may be irreversibly damaged. Tell us what is or isn't happening and if it's going to be March, for eff's sake, just say March, not 'end of February' to buy yourself a month to put off saying that it's going to be even longer. I'm a salesguy and if I did what you are doing, I would be ostracized or fired for displaying the worst stereotypes of a salesperson, which my company prides itself on NOT displaying. Do something original and tell the daggone truth.
Question for the people angry about Netflix: Do you realize you can get all of the Netflix content via the Navi-X app? Obviously, I would prefer a full Netflix app, but since I discovered Navi-X I am much happier with the Box. I can now watch anything I want, as well as live TV (i.e. sports) for free. Pretty sweet.
I definitely agree the PR surrounding Netflix is terrible, but until it comes out there is a pretty solid work around via Navi-X.
Respectfully, we are not "angry Netflix people". We are consumers who were sold a bill of goods and trusted the words of the company president and spokeperson. We do not want to use the backdoor to get to Netflix. We want an app with HD capability that works. I suppose we shouldn't really whine too much until tomorrow comes and goes with no announcement. Then again, why does Avner repeat the same mistake and leave us hanging until literally the last minute??? Bold prediction. The blog will state tomorrow that they tried right up until the last minute to get it out by the 31st, but there are still a few bugs to work out. Then they will promise that it will be out within the next two weeks. Oy.
Shut up stupid!
Shut up stupid
Um, is all that Navi-X content legal??? NO!!!!
I smell a Rat
I agree, I think most people w/ a boxee box probably have other methods of streaming (video game systems, tv's, bluray players etc). The frustration comes from the fact that as an emerging technology we would like realistic time lines. All the OTT products (google tv, boxee, apple tv) are really being sold on potential, and we are wondering what we can realistically expect boxee to deliver.
I agree, judging by their track record at this point they should really under promise and over deliver rather than what they're doing now, over promising and under delivering.
Avner Ronen – Please update us on BoxeeBox and Netflix today.. Its the last day of january..
Thanks
They're just going to edit your comment to say "Please tell me about puppies and rainbows."
Boxee has no interest in honesty or transparency with their customer base.
Hey dude
NetFlix actually works on the "Boxee software" – Just not on the Boxee Box… – So that means that it's actually not a lie that it doesn't work – It just doesn't work on the BoxeeBox and thats what we really want..