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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%
Public Cloudee beta blows in with desktop uploader, new web interface, iPhone 5 optimization
Boxee already has its fingers in quite a few video streaming pies, and now the company has launched the Cloudee service into public beta to let your store and share your own movies. The iPhone or iPod app allows clips to be uploaded and shared with a select group of pals, while permitting commenting and liking in a similar fashion to Google+. The company has also introduced desktop uploading software for Windows or Mac computers, along with a website so your can manage videos "with more than just your thumbs." In addition, the app is now optimized for iOS 6 and the iPhone 5, and lets you share footage with contacts and publish using Facebook or Twitter. All videos are now private by default and users will enjoy unlimited space to stock videos until Cloudee emerges from beta -- at which point, Boxee may require an upgrade to its premium service to add additional content. So, if you're interested in crossing the video sharing bridge while avoiding the trolls, check the source to see how to sign up.
Boxee's Early Access program is looking for a few good testers, dangles Cloudee preview
While Boxee's oddly shaped set-top box is still its main claim to fame, it's been testing a cloud-based video hosting / sharing service for several months in closed beta. We got a peek at Cloudee, which could evolve into additional features for the Boxee Box some day, back then but you could get your own peek as Boxee is recruiting new (US-based only, for now) blood for its Early Access program. According to the Facebook posting you could get to test some new things for the Boxee and Cloudee projects, so if you're a fan in need of storage and like living on the cutting edge, hit the source link for a shot at joining in.
Cloudee beta gets Boxee into the video sharing and cloud storage game
Media center software, a streaming set top box and a TV-tuning USB dongle -- Boxee already has a pretty decent amount on its plate. But don't think the company is done just yet. This isn't about products, this about an ecosystem, and the next step in building that out is Cloudee. At its heart Cloudee is a cloud-based video hosting and sharing service, not terribly dissimilar from YouTube at first glance. But, the vision here is more focused and more narrow than simply having a public space to post your viral clips and home movies. There is the ability to comment on and like videos, but sharing is focused on limited groups of contacts, borrowing some inspiration from Google+. After recording a clip it can be uploaded directly to Cloudee where you can organize your creations into collections, which can not only by shared but have multiple contributors. Boxee's Avner Ronen gave us an example of a recent company outing, where the whole staff contributed videos to a collection shared only internally. He explained that, "video is very specific, a special use case and it deserves its own treatment," something he thinks other services have fallen flat on. When asked about the future of the service he only said only that it will be a "big part of the boxee experience going forward, tightly integrated with Boxee Box." We can't help but hope this is the first step towards a cloud-based DVR service, which we felt was sorely missing from the launch of the Live TV dongle. %Gallery-156759% For now the service is in closed beta, with only an iPhone app available. During the testing period users will be provided with unlimited storage for free, but Ronen hopes to move Cloudee out of beta quickly and begin offering it on a freemium model. All users will get a limited amount of storage for free while more demanding uploaders can purchase unlimited hosting. Just how much free storage will be provided or how much the premium level will cost is still up in the air. Boxee plans to closely watch how testers use the app and decide how the best price and storage points before officially launching and expanding and opening up to other platforms like Android. Once our beta invite arrives we'll be back with a hands-on and you can sign up yourself by heading over to Cloudee.com.
