Still-in-beta Boxee TV to Replace Cables

The price of cable and satellite TV has been steadily rising and the need of the hour is a device that brings all aspects of media together. The still-in-beta Boxee (News - Alert) TV set-top box can be the answer to all the maladies, which can take TV viewing to the next level. It is a device that combines over-the-air live TV broadcasts, DVR functionality, and web apps into a single home theatre solution.

The Boxee operating system is based on the open source XBMC and has a DVR feature and supports over-the-air HD channels via a TV tuner. One can record one’s favorite TV shows, as long as they’re freely available over the air. Boxee TV set-top box has many Web apps including Vudu, Vimeo (News - Alert) and Netflix.


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Boxee TV set-top box has a distinct advantage over Apple (News - Alert) TV and Roku, as neither of them supports Live TV recording for playback. TiVo indeed is the leader of the DVR realm but it is not free; it requires a subscription to use its scheduling service. Boxee aims at giving an entertainment solution in a cost effective way by integrating different channels.

With the help of this device, you'll be able to watch content across multiple devices - do not forget Boxee's companion smartphone app. Boxee hasn't forgotten about your personal media library and you will be able to watch your 1080p Blu-ray rips collection with ease. You can watch movies, music, TV shows, family videos, photos and more.

Boxee has seemingly launched a full-scale assault against the traditional cable model. It is imploring users to upgrade to new home theatre entertainment system. You can “watch more free TV” and "stop spending money on stuff you don't watch" says the device's packaging. They aim to get the market section which would easily opt for low cost entertainment as there is lot of content that can be viewed for free. People would then not spend extra for content they do not watch.

But it will take time to be in the markets as a lot remains to be done. Currently it is in the Beta state and Boxee TV has been currently crashing several times a day. And TiVO’s DVR service is still very popular and easy to use, so it will be a hard competition to beat. In the days to come we can expect to see Boxee upping its UI game to compete. It is trying to make everyone cut the chords of their cable connections for good.