Thread: Boxee for Windows Alpha

Boxee Street to prompt access to the Mac and Ubuntu belief system into good-looking Media Center. Now, PC users can use Boxee which has publicly released a free alpha version of Windows XP software, Windows Vista and Windows 7. Today I put the software side; I found my computer into a sweet and interactive television / radio / media player.

Boxee brings together open-source application service platform for online media, such as provided by CBS, hyacinth, MTV Company, Netflix, and Amendment 3, the World Bank and Boxee announced, together with its Windows version, new content, Digg, at present, the United States professional baseball Major League Baseball TV, Tumblr. Boxee is easy to install, because it is a portal. Film, has very attractive interface to fill the screen and is heavy on the blacks and grays. Main menu, which hide their left, until you mouse over it, your application instructions (Internet-based content, such as YouTube or CNN), the local media (the content on your computer, such as download songs or movies), browsing, and 'application-box', where you can download more application development platform. Main menu also report the time and the weather. If you watch easy to concentrate on in the media.

As I like it smooths design, I found annoying Boxee interface difficult to navigate my computer. Click to enter, I have the video (“position" of the rogue Flatts), I spent a few minutes to realize I need a keyboard shortcut to return to the main screen - or the cycle of the main menu. In general, I prefer keyboard shortcuts, but did not provide indicators on the screen Boxee, if necessary, the key command. There is no back button, or - so you must rely on the ESC key and the Backspace key to return to the front of you. I hope that Boxee progress to solve these problems, the final code from Alpha Software.

Video player is the main activity of Boxee, but it is not as stellar as I had expected. Video streaming services from a number of applications including the hyacinth, MTV Music, and World Bank sometimes stammer my office Ethernet connection. On the other hand, the video from the Apple movie trailers, for example, to play smoothly. Video of the system seems to fall into paralysis; when I move the mouse; video will pause or stutter. Similarly, the background to try to play the video at the same time looking for more application services platform, resulting in slower overall operation. Of course, if you use Boxee to meet its own as a TV replacement, in the issue of multi-tasking will disappear.

Music player services, such as Pandora and Last fm may sound fine, there is no detection of the music to skip or lag. However, I am a bit disappointed, unable to adjust their window, I only listen to music. Picture slide show application services such as Flickr and the overall situation to play well, and full-screen format is particularly effective for those applications.

Boxee is a social network integrated neatly, too. If you buy a Boxee, we recommend that you automatically receive and update them; you can browse Flickr albums and their performances at the same time. External social networking services such as Digg and Twitter allows you to automatically update your feed and recommended videos, music and pictures through Boxee platform.

Even in this early iteration, Boxee looks promising, and its attractive interface and envelope. Since the Boxee alpha stage for Windows is, it will be changing constantly for the developers received feedback. So far, it does not officially support 64-bit systems. I look forward to such issues as the video quality and lag time will further improve the progress of the software to its final form. In addition, my biggest frustration with Boxee is currently running in full screen format - a clear disadvantage for us who do not want to watch music videos while writing software reviews.