Boxee Box Set-Top Brings Web Video to TV

Boxee, the open source on-demand content software, currently in beta release, has unveiled their first hardware device. Made by partner D-Link, the $200 Boxee Box will be available by 2010 Q2. The device is a cube-shaped set-top with built-in Wi-Fi that connects to TV sets through optical, RCA, or HDMI cable, to enable 1080p display of content from the Internet and home networks. SD slots and USB ports let users attach Web cams, external storage and other input devices.

The Boxee software itself, which has versions for Windows, Linux and Mac OS X, has been updated for compatibility with Microsoft DirectX multimedia APIs. A 64-bit Ubuntu Linux installation is also under development. Queuing and apps options have been streamlined, TV shows are now organized by season and episode, and you can filter by whether freely available or not. The Boxee software beta is planned for opening to the public on January 7, 2010; it is currently available by private invite only, but intriguing screenshots have released on the Boxee Blog.