Boxee 1.5 rolls out to Boxee Boxes today and Boxee Live TV tuners have begun shipping! Order one now for your Boxee Box!
With the addition of Live TV, the Boxee Box holds the distinction of being the only mainstream set top box that blends both over the air (OTA) broadcast TV with Internet content (over the top or OTT). We believe the OTT+OTA combo is the best way to get the most entertainment while paying only for the stuff you want to watch.
If you missed our earlier posts on Live TV / Cutting the Cord, and our Facebook integration – the gist goes something like this: the way we want to watch video has drastically changed over the last 10 years. We want to devour seasons all at once. We want to watch the same video on our TV, tablet, phone, and treadmill. We want to be able to watch in our homes, on an airplane, in our offices, and wherever else we might end up. We want to bookmark things for later. We want mainstream shows along with stuff from the web like TED, WSJ, and FunnyOrDie.
The web has given us this freedom. Cable TV has not. The web has made it easy and affordable to find what you’re looking for and enjoy it wherever you’d like. Meanwhile cable’s pushing the same boring interface and charging you even more for it ($75 / month on average) while you’re really only watching 14% of the channels you’re paying for. There’s a percentage of the population that’s realized this and decided to cut the cord and get rid of cable.
Boxee Live TV is a perfect alternative to cable for them.
Live TV Features
Way better than just plugging the included antenna into the back of your TV, Boxee Live TV kicks it up a notch with:
- Social Channel Listings – We’ll show you what’s on, what your friends are watching, and how many people total are watching a show as you flip through channels.
- Sharing – Share the traditional Boxee way on Facebook, Twitter or Tumblr AND you can now passively share to Facebook using our Live TV Timeline App – turn sharing on and whatever you’re tuned into will post to your Facebook ticker automatically. It’s easy to switch off too so your friends don’t need to know about your addiction to HSN.
- Edit Channels - Quickly hide channels from your lineup that don’t speak your language or have pissed you off with bad programming decisions like taking Arrested Development off the air. Easily rename WNDHCTA 7.2 to NBC.
- All-In-One Interface – done watching a show on broadcast, easily jump into more episodes from the web. It’s the best of both worlds all on the same remote.
While Live TV does not currently have DVR functionality, we’ve heard your feedback and are examining if we could provide it. We’ll make an announcement later this year about DVR support if we can make it happen.
Boxee v1.5 Features
Here’s what’s included in the latest version of Boxee (check out pictures here):
- New UI look and feel
- Improved search
- New library screens with simpler filtering
- Browser Pop-up management
- Rotten Tomatoes integration
- On-Device Social Account Pairing
We’ll stagger this release over the next 72 hours like we’ve done in the past so you might not get the update until later this week. Want it right away, check out these instructions in the forums on how to get it.
You can read the full release notes here.
Enjoy and let us know what you think of the new UI after you’ve played with it!
Cheers,
Team Boxee
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How about you beef up the media player as well? Like shuffle all songs in your library. Live TV is a great idea but I think there are still some interface issues with boxee that should be adressed before this. This is much of why I haven't switched from the AppleTV. I bought a boxee box when it first came out and returned it a few days later to get the AppleTV which was $100 cheaper. I love what you guys are doing I just wish the interface was more fine tuned.
Also can you put some kind of backlighting on the remote or glow in the dark ink? I mean seriously.
I bought AppleTV and I returned in 20 hrs, why? 3 reasons
1.- iTunes mandatory….I don´t like iTunes.
2.- A few video formats, I have a lot of DVD´S in my backups, and other formats, that AppleTV doesn´t play.
3.- Apple ID mandatory, for networking and YOUR CREDIT CARD to get the Apple ID. COMMON!!!
Boxee Box, just plug in, wireless password and you are done!! all kind of format!! great speed. NO ID, no CREDIT CARDS NOTHING!! just ENJOY!!
Good luck with AppleTV
Love these features , super interested!!
The video mode custom set-up doesn't work anymore, how i can revert back to the previous version?
The video mode custom set-up doesn't work anymore, how i can revert back to the previous version?
where can I get that ziggy stardust Boxee shirt? that is whats up!!!!
love the new update… thanks for all the hard work – my only feedback is that I don't like that selections are now outlined (instead of highlighted green). I have to pay way closer attention to the tv to make sure that my selection has been selected.
also:
YES to dvr functionality (this would definitely put me over the edge on canceling cable)
PLEASE make a backlit remote. PLEASE
Helluva job!! I like how the update looks refined but doesn’t lose the boxee identity…I would still like for you guys to add themes though
Oh and yep I would soooo pony up for a backlit remote with a dedicated .com button.
I am looking forward to finally getting my live tuner, however I have not heard my tuner has shipped. It has been 3 days since I ordered it. What gives? I can't find a contact phone number? Very poor customer service.
Like the new UI. Much easier to navigate around. Keep up the good work.
Damn! Sorry to say this but this must be THE buggiest update since the "legendary" 1.0. I just really don't understand how is it possible to screw up something that's been on the market for a good 1.5 years this badly! Ever since the update I'm having the following issues: 1) After playing local video files the menu SFX spike up and down, very annoying. 2) The opensubtitles search function doesn't work, AGAIN, neither does the "local subtitle" search function. 3) Sound on some movies comes out scrambled / garbled when using SPDIF / optical out. 4) Boxee gets stuck midway though browsing the menus and keep on showing a big boxee logo for a few seconds before going black and then the logo comes up again before another switch. 5) Boxee refuses to shut down… after switching boxee through the main menu the video output swithches off leaving the screen black but the Boxee icon stays on for minutes before having to power down manually with the main switch on top of the box. So yeah, this is a seriously dissapointing update to say the least.
This is really a waste, my tv can already use an antenna. I don't see the point. How about something useful like more internet based services.
It's a pitty to see "The issues with 3TB hard drives, HD Audio dropouts, and Flash have not been addressed in this version. They require a complete overhaul of our Intel SDK and are planned for the coming months. " which you know alredy for many months and leaving customers upset about their Boxee Boxes.
Hi, Have they shipped yet? I'm just wondering because I pre-ordered and have not got it yet.
Thanks,
K-
Any chance of getting these features on the Iomega TV w/ Boxee? We're miles behind and need to catch up!
Actually, most important for me would be iPlayer and Spotify apps. Thanks!
I just received my Live TV dongle today. After a scan, it only lists US channels (mainly from the Buffalo area and all reasonably good quality). I'm in Canada (GTA) with a line of site view of the CN Tower. I should be able to receive OTA transmissions from CBC, CTV, Global, and CityTV. Am I doing something incorrect? Has anyone else been able to pick-up Canadian channels? Thanks.
I find that the antenna is too weak to pick up 2 out of the 3 channels that are in my area. Are there any bigger/stronger/amplified antenna alternatives that are recommended?
I have 2 boxee boxes, they both updated a week ago. The boxee that was our main device does seem to lockup occasionally and has to have the power cycled with the button on the boxee. Tonight I came home and found that the boxee somehow defaulted and was at the setup screen. After setting it up I checked out some of the menus and it locked up hard. I cycled the power and now it stops at the loading screen and the Boxee logo on the box flashes Green Red Red over and over. I have had this boxee for 1.5 years and as a customer I am feeling quite ripped off. Sure I put in a tech support request and I expect to get help in a day or 2, but come on, this should not be happening. We should not be forced to upgrade unless we want to and if we do upgrade, then the upgrade should be bug free or at least stable enough that the product works.
I would suggest using the boxee box TV in Brazil. We have the Brazilian Digital TV that spread to several South American countries. Is there a website with the OPEN system. The name of the system and http://www.ginga.org.br/en swing – I think you guys will have more success with booxee tv
I still want one, though.
Glad to see that the 5 minutes+ shutdown bug is fixed. Good work.
Great alternative to cable ? this piece of shit doesnt even have dvr functionality. A 20$ antenna can do the same thing hooked up to the tv.
ALso where the fuck is our hulu and amazon vod support? ITS BEEN OVER A FUCKING YEAR
Yeah! Let the cord-cutting begin… in North America…….. We just love our cords here in Europe… NOT!
WANT. DVR.
I'm in the same boat as most users. We currently have three MCE machines in the house and all are able to watch any broadcast TV as well as pausing, recording, etc. There is also an ease of use in spending 2 minutes to record all the series that we watch (including PBS/Kids programs) and at any point instantly playing it without waiting.
Until the networks provide better online methods and people don't have to illegally download theirs shows, I feel like DVR is an absolute must have.
I'd switch to boxee if the tuner offered DVR (and I'd even pay the $50 for the tuner and another $100 for an external HD).
does anyone knows how many channels can I get here in Toronto (Canada)?
So damn cheap. Thanks guys!