Just as promised, the Windows alpha of Boxee media center software is now open to all, but that's far from the only big announcement made, so hang tight for a second. MLB.tv has been added as a partner, allowing subscribers to catch games live and even in HD within the Boxee interface, as well as other new and upcoming integration with Digg, Tumblr and Current. Speaking of the interface, there's a new look (pictured above) to separate internet and locally-hosted content more clearly, and among the more granular tweaks Jaunty Jackalope support is official and Ubuntu users can enjoy 1080p playback via NVIDIA hardware acceleration. Check the blog for all the details including one more that probably only we can appreciate, it's now officially "Boxee" with a capital B, so the grammar police can set their weapons back to stun.

Drooling over boxee on other platforms but haven't been able to nab an invite to the Windows alpha? De-stress, CEO Avner Ronen announced the plan is to open things up starting June 23. Other things touched upon at the Connections digital entertainment conference Wednesday included his belief that TV is going the way of the internet and that tech giants need to just let it happen, and the company's potential to make money from its media streaming platform, possibly from content providers for pushing their shows, collecting a fee from for-pay add-ons in an application store, or licensing boxee to hardware makers. Don't worry too much about a money grab on the way anytime soon, with a zero-dollar revenue goal for the year. In the meantime, chill and check out a preview of the Windows version and an example of how it can work as a simple Windows Media Center plugin.

[Via Download Squad]

Good news, Vista Media Center PC users will soon find a new option under the TV+Movies tile, as Netflix Watch Instantly streaming access is added directly to the interface. The soul crushingly bad news? A post on The Green Button informs that this does not apply to Media Center Extenders, so cheapskates hoping to get around the Xbox 360's Gold Xbox Live subscription requirement are still going to need those plugins and workarounds. This should go over much better than the InternetTV beta 2, but we're disappointed Microsoft's vision of TV on Your PC (as pointed out on its accompanying blogs, videos and assorted paraphernalia indicates) doesn't allow users to stretch their PC back to the TV at will. 'til that changes, check the gallery and after the break to see what awaits in Media Center once the update rolls out over the next 48 hours.

Update: We checked with Microsoft, and confirmed that, at least for now, this streaming only includes the same content as the browser experience - so no HD. As far as Windows 7 and / or RC1 support? No word yet.
[Via The Green Button]

Gallery: Netflix on Vista Media Center

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For years now, those in power at the top of the CableCARD chain have told you that installing your own CableCARD within your own HTPC was simply impossible. "OEM or bust," they said. It's a good thing they're wrong, isn't it? Over at Engadget HD, we've assembled a guide that explains how to get your existing media center PC to play nice with a dedicated internal CableCARD tuner, and the whole process just might be easier than you've ever imagined. Give it a look right here.

We'll be totally honest here: we love TiVo. TiVo DVRs of every vintage are scattered throughout the Engadget editorial ranks, and Series3 units are our preferred hardware for HD Netflix streaming and Amazon's nascent HD Video on Demand service. And, well, using a TiVo is just fun in a way that no other DVR ever is -- those booping noises still provoke smiles all around.

But here's the thing: it's been ten years since TiVo first introduced the Philips-built HDR110 at NAB, and while the company's name has since become synonymous with time-shifted digital video recording, it's not because its products have achieved runaway success. In fact, it's the exact opposite: most consumers choose to get by with awful cable- or satellite-company DVRs, and TiVo's only just barely pulled a full year of profitability, two factors that have kept it firmly on deathwatch since 2005. Not only that, but while TiVo might have pushed the DVR into the mainstream, it hasn't meaningfully innovated since -- apart from HD output and the aforementioned streaming services, you'd be hard-pressed to tell a brand-new TiVo HD from an original unit by using it for five minutes. Worse, the entire DVR category's essentially remained stagnant as well -- one study found that the average DVR-enabled family records just 15-20 percent of the TV they watch, a startlingly low number by any measure.

So look -- it's not working, guys. We're happy that Comcast is now offering the TiVo interface in certain markets as a paid option, and we'll be pleased as punch when those long-promised new DirecTiVo units ship out, but the simple fact of the matter is TiVo can't continue to rely on the same strategies and ideas that haven't worked for the past ten years. What TiVo needs is a new plan -- and we've got five simple ideas that might help kickstart the company and the DVR market for the next ten years. Read on for more.

Today we reintroduce Entelligence as a new column by technology strategist and author Michael Gartenberg, a man whose desire for a delicious cup of coffee and a quality New York bagel is dwarfed only by his passion for tech. In these articles, he'll explore where our industry is and where it's going -- on both micro and macro levels -- with the unique wit and insight only he can provide.

Here's a riddle. Why was a $300 PC with a Pentium III CPU, an 8GB hard drive, 64MB of RAM, 10/100 Ethernet, a DVD player, and an NVIDIA graphics chip considered a killer PC system in late 2001? The answer is because it wasn't a PC -- it was the original Xbox. In recent years, Microsoft has evolved the Xbox quite a bit. No longer is it a PC system with N-1 technology -- it is now a targeted and focused piece of engineering that is state of the art and optimized for games -- but importantly, a lot more than games. It's the Xbox that will likely be Microsoft's beachfront into the digital home, and it will be the Xbox which furthers Microsoft's role in the digital home beyond the PC.

Let's be honest, getting a CableCARD to work with Windows Media Center is far, far, far from a smooth process. Thankfully, the Media Center Integrator Alliance -- this sort of the things is its bag, naturally -- are set to show off a Digital Cable Tuner Diagnostics tool at next week's Electronic House Expo. It'll provide all kinds of information on your tuner and CableCARD, including modulation type, format, frequency, carrier, PCR Lock, encoding level, and authorization -- and if all that goes way over your head, there's an option to export the data to XML and send it to someone who can help. No word on when we'll see an official release, but no matter what, it won't be soon enough.

A number of you bemoaned the fact that MSI's WindBOX lacked an oh-so-necessary HDMI port, so maybe the better option for you is an LCD mounted Eee Box 206. Yep, the HD-minded mini PC was set up here in Hannover, with one of the units hosted up nicely on the rear of a flat-panel monitor. The fit was flush and the connections were easily accessible, so those looking for a nice, if not underpowered media center should definitely give this one a glance. Speaking of glances, you do cast some right now in the gallery below.

File this one in the category of "Oh, no they didn't!" Sadly, it seems they really have. DirecTV has sent out an email stating the following: "DirecTV has suspended the development of the HDPC-20 tuner project that was designed to integrate DirecTV service into Windows Media Center after assessing the impact of missing the August 2008 release of Windows Media Center update and considering timing of the next release." The note goes on to say that both the satcaster and Microsoft understand that folks are clamoring for an easy way to get DirecTV content on the PC, and that both companies are "continuing to explore ways to integrate DirecTV service with Windows-based PCs in the future." And to think, that hands-on we got late last month just might be the last you ever see of this promising little box. Why... just, why?

[Via Gearlog, thanks to everyone who sent this in]

2009 isn't even here yet (at least on the right coast of Planet Earth), but Okoro's being exceptionally proactive by announcing that its '09 OMS-LX100 is already shipping. The system, which is a revamp of the original that popped out in 2006, is situated in the outfit's "low profile" range of HTPCs, and it brings to the table a 2.2GHz Core 2 Duo E2200 processor, 4GB of DDR2 RAM, a front-panel display, optional 7-inch touchscreen, dual-layer DVD writer, up to 2TB of HDD space, NVIDIA's GeForce 9300 with 512MB of RAM, an ATI Digital CableCARD tuner, 7.1-channel audio output and an OTA HDTV tuner. Power users can certainly push the $1,725 base configuration well north of two large should they choose, but good luck explaining that to the SO.

[Via eHomeUpgrade]

The crew over at Engadget HD was part of a tour of the Microsoft eHome lab and was lucky enough to catch the un-announced DirecTV HDPC-20 in testing. Unfortunately Microsoft wasn't ready to announce any new products and even reminded everyone that things in the lab don't always make it to market. But despite this, we still have our hopes up that we'll one day soon be able to watch DirecTV HD on Windows Media Center.

Blusens hit the scene in a big way last October, but for whatever reason, we haven't heard from 'em since... until now, that is. The Blu:Brain Home Entertainment Device features a somewhat misleading name, as there's (regrettably) no built-in Blu-ray drive to speak of. What it does have, however, is a remarkably sexy shell, twin digital TV tuners (DVB-T), a removable internal hard drive, Ethernet / WiFi connectivity and a USB port. Essentially, this here box can serve up all sorts of multimedia (high-def content included) via HDMI, though word on the street says it won't even be available to order until 2009.

[Via Gizmos]

If you were curious as to which manufacturer would begin utilizing those fancy Core i7 chips first, we highly doubt Niveus Media came to mind. Granted, it isn't first to the punch per se, but Intel's latest will help power some of the 2009 line of media servers. The passively cooled Rainier, Denali Limited Edition (rear pictured after the break) and the rack-mountable Pro Series have all been upgraded with niceties like HDMI 1.3 and Seagate's Pipeline HD hard drives. You'll also find the G45 Express chipset, SSDs and support for eight CableCARDs scattered about, though pricing won't be disclosed until we get closer to the Q4 release date. More specifications are listed after the jump.