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Boxee Cloud DVR to shut down following Samsung deal, goes dark July 10th
If you're like us, you were wondering what impact Samsung's acquisition of Boxee would have on Boxee's Cloud DVR service. Unfortunately, we don't have good news. Boxee is shutting down the service on July 10th, and customers will lose access to their TV recordings at the same time. We're not surprised by the move, but it effectively shuts the company down within the space of a week. When Boxee's apps, the Boxee Box and the Live TV add-on are either gone or on their way out, there aren't really products left to offer -- it's all Samsung from here.
Jon Fingas07.03.2013Boxee Cloud DVR reaches the San Francisco Bay Area in beta
Boxee Cloud DVR has been active in only eight markets since its inception as Boxee TV, but it's at last time for the platform to spread its wings. As of now, Boxee's live TV recording service is up and running in the San Francisco Bay Area in beta form; owners just need to update their firmware to start uploading shows. While the company hasn't outlined its plans for other markets just yet, its target of 26 cities by the end of 2013 means that other areas shouldn't be far behind.
Jon Fingas04.25.2013
Boxee TV becomes Boxee Cloud DVR, adds free 'Basic' DVR service
Following the trend of everything accentuating its connection to the "cloud," Boxee has rebranded its new box as the Boxee Cloud DVR. GigaOm reports the company made the shift to emphasize its DVR features as a differentiator from other $99 set-tops like those offered by Roku and Apple. Other than the name change and a website redesign, one other new tack is a free "Basic" service package. Buyers still get the "All-access" $10 service tier free for a month upfront on a trial basis, which has unlimited storage and playback across different devices. Once that runs out however, they can opt for basic service where cloud-stored DVR recordings are limited to 5 hours of monthly playback on the box itself and expire after 90 days. While the DVR service's availability is still limited to eight markets, the plan is to expand to 26 by the end of this year. Once it rolls out to more areas and the DVR features come out of beta, we'll see if buyers are ready to give this second attempt at blending online and OTA video a shot.
Richard Lawler04.09.2013
Boxee TV update brings DLNA access, on device DVR management and more
Boxee's second box is getting a fresh round of updates, as GigaOm points out software version 2.1.0.7781 has been detailed and is rolling out. It includes features that appeal to classic Boxee fans like support for DLNA rendering that lets it browse and play files from PCs or other devices on the same network and DMR that lets users push media to it from apps like Skifta. For more traditional viewers, the update also brings a standard TV guide users can pull up by selecting "TV" on the home screen, the ability to schedule and manage DVR recordings from antenna on the box itself (previously only possible via webpage for the still-in-beta feature), notifications for upcoming recordings and even 3D support in the Vudu app. Boxee co-founder Idan Cohen joined us at Expand and mentioned some of the other updates the team is working on, we'll see if oft-requested features like the ability to pause live TV are added any time soon. Hit the source link for the full list of changes, current owners should see the new software arrive over the next few days.
Richard Lawler03.27.2013
Boxee TV web app gets autocompleting searches, revamped recordings view
When there's a sea of shows to dig through in Boxee TV's web interface, finding one won't always be easy without knowing the exact name. A range of updates hitting the servers should put an end to the guesswork while throwing in a few extras at the same time. The freshened portal brings an autocompleting search box that should speed up finding shows in the guide and, eventually, cloud DVR recordings. Viewers with a load of archived episodes aren't left out to dry, either -- the recording viewer now stuffs TV shows and movies into a more compact grid view, and offers a quick recording override if there's suddenly a more important show in the same time slot. While deeper, firmware-based updates are still on the way, it's nice to have the web update as a prelude.
Jon Fingas02.05.2013
Opera confirms its Devices SDK is behind Boxee TV's HTML5 apps
It's been available since last month, but browser-maker Opera has only today confirmed that it's Opera Devices Software Development Kit is providing the backend for the Boxee TV's HTML5 apps. Those already include the likes of YouTube, Spotify and Vimeo, but Opera says one of the big advantages of Boxee using the SDK is that future apps built with it will be able to be easily ported to the Boxee TV -- no word on any big additions just yet, though. Boxee's COO Tom Sella also notes that using the SDK "enabled us to add a lot of apps to Boxee TV without a lot of effort on our part." If that sounds a bit familiar, it's because it largely echoes Opera's promise from last year to provide smart TV and set-top box makers with an easy-to-deploy solution filled with cross-platform apps. You can find the full announcement after the break.
Donald Melanson12.19.2012
Boxee TV hits Walmart aisles today, flashes more apps, guide webapp and 3 months free DVR service
Launch day has finally arrived for Boxee's second hardware effort and now we're finding out even more about it. As we heard yesterday, the $99 Boxee TV will be a Walmart exclusive at retail (also available via Boxee's website), however early adopters in the holiday season can also expect a three month period to try out the "No Limits DVR" for free, plus a discounted service rate of $9.99 (normally $15) for life, three months of free Netflix access and a $5.99 Vudu credit. After the holidays, buyers can still expect free DVR trials, but there's no details on exactly what is in store. The list of supported apps has also grown, with Spotify, MLB, TED, Wall Street Journal, Accuweather and Boxee's own Cloudee joining the previously announced Netflix, Vudu, YouTube, Pandora and Vimeo on day one. Finally, we've got our first look at the HTML5 webapp that serves as a guide and second screen remote control. For owners of the original Boxee Box, the company posted in a blog entry (the link appears to be down at the moment) that all back end support will remain running "for the foreseeable future" and an updated Flash Player is on the way. The bad news is that due to a lack of updates from Intel, it will not be able to upgrade the Netflix app for access outside the US and Canada, and agreements with premium content providers prevent opening it up for root access. The project has evolved a long way, from XBMC spinoff with a focus on support for locally stored and streaming video, then moving to a set-top box, offering OTA live TV viewing, and now its latest incarnation as a more conventionally shaped box built for OTA and ClearQAM channel viewing with the possibility of easier cable access in the future. We'll be reviewing the new hardware soon, potential buyers (especially in New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Philadelphia and Washington DC where they can access the Cloud DVR) can check out the galleries for one last look or hit the link below to try out Boxee's take on the future of TV viewing.%Gallery-169943%%Gallery-168416%%Gallery-168415%
Richard Lawler11.01.2012
Boxee TV heads to Walmart shelves in time for the holidays
Boxee has some fairly grand plans for its Boxee TV set-top box, and it's now set to get a sizeable boost from the biggest retailer around. According Bloomberg News, the device will be available at more than 3,000 Walmart stores in the US starting tomorrow, where the retailer is also said to be setting up displays to demonstrate the device and provide marketing materials. As Bloomberg notes, the deal comes at a fairly critical time for Boxee, which sold some 120,000 devices in the past year compared to 1.4 million Roku boxes and 5.3 million Apple TVs. It also comes on the heels of another attempt by Boxee to win over customers, with it announcing just a few days ago that that it'd be handing out free Boxee TVs to some early adopters.
Donald Melanson10.31.2012Boxee hands out free Boxee TVs to its most eager cloud DVR fans
If you like the idea of the Boxee TV, you'll be glad to hear that Boxee is handing units out like so much Halloween candy... as long as you live in the right areas, that is. Those who've signed up for product notifications and live in the cloud DVR coverage areas of Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Washington, DC can get a free Boxee TV just by filling out a survey. They'll even have the privilege of getting their units ahead of everyone else. Boxee hasn't said if any new sign-ups will qualify, though it can't hurt to try the source link and potentially get a welcome treat.
Jon Fingas10.28.2012Boxee TV delivers dual-tuners and cloud-based DVR for $99 November 1st
The Boxee Box -- that sucker had a ton of hype behind it, but things don't always work out. After two years of fighting Roku, Apple TV and, to a lesser extent, Google TV for market share, Boxee has drastically rethought its approach. The $99 Boxee TV marks a new chapter for the company with a focus on live TV and a streamlined consumer experience. Baked right inside the matte plastic case is a dual tuner capable of pulling in unencrypted basic cable channels and over-the-air HD broadcasts. There's a slick guide to help you navigate but, most importantly, the slimmed down software sports DVR functionality. The Boxee TV has no internal storage, however, instead all your recordings are stored online in a "No Limits" DVR. For $15 a month you'll be able to save as many shows as you want and watch it on your TV or on your computer, tablet or phone through an HTML5 webapp. The DVR service will be rolled out to New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Philadelphia and Washington DC to start, with other markets set to come online in 2013. %Gallery-168415% %Gallery-168416% The selection of apps is not quite as robust as it is on the legacy Boxee Box, but CEO Avner Ronen has settled on a quality over quantity approach. Netflix, VUDU, Pandora, YouTube and Vimeo will come preinstalled on the Boxee TV and other apps will follow. But we wouldn't expect to see Know Your Meme or PornHub on there anytime soon. The company has also moved from Intel to a Broadcom SOC. Some of the other losses might be a little harder to swallow for fans of the original hardware. The streaming options for locally stored media are much less robust and, while there's DLNA support, many other networking protocols have fallen by the wayside. The beloved QWERTY remote has also bitten the dust, replaced with a much simpler device that sports dedicated Netflix and Vudu buttons. Even the distinctive "sinking cube" design has been replaced with a basic rectangle that's barely distinguishable from other settop boxes. You can sign up for more info at the Boxee site where you'll also be able to preorder the Boxee TV ahead of its November 1st launch.
Terrence O'Brien10.16.2012
Boxee TV streaming / OTA set-top box and DVR pics leak out
If you've been wondering "what will Boxee do next?" there appears to be an answer. A tipster has sent The Verge pics of a new set-top box, still built by D-Link, that ditches the original's angular design for a more conventional shape and integrates live TV tuning support as well as DVR capabilities. There's no word on the storage capabilities, but the box advertises an included antenna and remote (lightly refreshed, losing the QWERTY keyboard) and implores owners to "stop wasting money on stuff you don't watch." Boxee's healthy support for internet content, both streamed and locally stored, is still intact and a survey suggests support for viewing content on mobile devices. Not mentioned? Cloudee integration or any cable TV support, encrypted, ClearQAM or otherwise. There's a few more pics beyond the source link, we'll start updating our CES watchlist now.
Richard Lawler10.08.2012
Viewsonic abandons plans for Boxee-powered TV
You may have suspected that something was up after Viewsonic failed to meet its promised "early Q2" ship date for the Boxee-powered TV it showed off at CES, and you would have suspected correctly. GigaOM is now reporting that Viewsonic has indeed ditched its plans for the device, apparently due to a combination of high costs and a lack of interest in Smart TVs from customers. It is still keeping its options open for further down the road, however, noting that it will "stay involved with the various technology developments and consider them in the future as they become available."
Donald Melanson09.08.2011