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How-To: XBMC 11 the XBMCbuntu way
For all intents and purposes, the original Xbox, with its NVIDIA GPU, 8-10GB hard disk and custom Pentium III processor was a high-end PC for its time -- albeit, one that connected to a television. What Microsoft didn't realize back then, though, was that when you put that kind of hardware in the hands of hackers and enthusiasts, it's only a matter of time before people start doing more than just playing Halo. Fast forward to 2003, the year the Xbox Media Center was born. Nowadays, it's simply referred to as XBMC, since it runs on more than just your Xbox. In brief, XBMC is an open-source software solution that enables a plethora of media streaming capabilities on all sorts of devices. What once was limited to the original Xbox, can now be put to use on everything from a bare-bones Linux desktop to an Apple TV. In this how-to, we'll show you how to build a simple XBMC setup using XBMCbuntu. Catch us after the break for the full step-by-step.
Boxee Mac media player reaches end-of-life with new version
The Boxee project has come a long way from its humble origins as a fork of the Xbox Media Center, bringing easy video playback and a couch-to-screen UI to the Mac, then later to Windows and Ubuntu, and now to the company's own dedicated Boxee Box hardware (soon to support live broadcast TV). There's a solid ecosystem of app developers making themselves at home with Boxee. The company is releasing version 1.5 of its desktop app for Mac, Windows and Ubuntu this week, featuring many of the improvements that will be appearing in the Boxee Box firmware early next year, but there's a caveat. This will be the final release of Boxee's desktop build; future development efforts will be focused on the Boxee Box hardware and on tablets like the iPad. The 1.5 version will be available for download on Boxee's site through the end of January 2012, which gives the Boxee team a bit of time to take down the "roll your own" section on the Boxee site. For Mac HTPC devotees who will now be looking for a Boxee alternative, the Plex project is also partially built atop XBMC, along with a proprietary server component; there's even a Plex iOS app available so you can watch on iPad. Of course, the parent XBMC app is still going strong, and a beta build of version 11.0 Eden came out just last week. Both Plex and XBMC are also now supporting jailbroken Apple TVs for playback. Plex requires an Intel Mac running 10.6 or higher, while XBMC continues to support PowerPC Macs along with Intel models. [via GigaOm]
Motorola NYXboard surfaces from the dead, XBMC reclaims it (update)
Seven months ago, Motorola unveiled a dual-sided, QWERTY-laden TV remote control: the NYXboard. It was never heard from again. Today, we've learned why -- the open-source community will be selling a version specially redesigned to control your XBMC rig. The folks at Pulse-Eight -- a startup with roots in the XBMC community dedicated to designing hardware -- tell us they actually talked Motorola out of bundling the remote with set-top-boxes in favor of a nefarious plan. Simply put, they want you to be able to purchase an IR and RF remote that natively supports XBMC for a penny under $60 this June. While we don't have any real pictures of the unit quite yet -- just the renders you see above and below -- developers say it will work with installations on Mac, Windows, Linux and the original Apple TV on day one, and will actually turn off the side of the remote that's face down to avoid accidental inputs. You'll find the NYXboard up for pre-order now at our source link, with the first shipments slated for around June 27th. Then again, you might want to wait, as we're told there are more surprises in store: a second version that can control the Apple TV 2, and a secret method which would allow the remotes to control your home entertainment center without pesky line-of-sight infrared. The best laid plans and all that... but it sounds like Logitech's Harmony may finally get some competition. Update: The situation's a bit tricky, but the XBMC Foundation (a non-profit entity) wants you to know that hardware vendor Pulse-Eight (a for-profit venture) isn't actually part of their group -- Pulse-Eight was founded by an XBMC team member and produces hardware targeted at the XBMC community, but apparently isn't funded by (nor directs funding towards) the XBMC foundation itself. %Gallery-120486%
XBMC comes to the iPad
We were politely asked to keep quiet about this until today, but here's the truth: XBMC now runs on the Apple A4, period. As in, there's no reason why you can't install that shiny new Apple TV 2 version of the media center software on your jailbroken iPad or iPhone 4 too. Find instructions at our more coverage link... then give the hackers and developers a cheer.
Sigma Designs announces direct XBMC support for wild next-gen streamers
XBMC might be most famous for spawning Boxee, but the original project is still going strong -- and it just got a big boost from Sigma Design, which will support it directly on its new TV streamer SoCs. Sigma chips are already used in streamers like the Popcorn Hour and WDTV Live, so we'd expect to see similar products make use of XBMC directly in the future -- just another sign that the connected TV space is growing by leaps and bounds. Sigma's demoing its XBMC port here at CES, we'll let you know when we go check it out. PR after the break [Thanks, Chris]
XBMC bids farewell to its progenitor: the original Xbox
After seven years of development, the Xbox Media Center team says they'll no longer support the console that gave the project its name. We can't blame 'em: the writing's been on the wall for years now, and 733MHz will only carry you so far. If you can't live without your chunky horizontal monolith, don't despair -- you'll still find lingering threads of code being woven at our more coverage link, and you can always lend a hand yourself if updates aren't as quick as you'd like. Don't let that keep you from pouring out your sorrows in comments, though. We're sure Boxee, Media Portal and Plex already have a tear in their eye. [Thanks, bgjz]
1080p support coming to the Apple TV
The crew over at XBMC have made the Apple TV a little more useful in our eyes. Up until now the Apple TV has failed to playback any 1080p content because its internal chips weren't up to the challenge -- a limitation that not even the most efficient codecs could fix. With a little help from the Broadcom Crystal HD BCM970012 PCIe Mini Card, XBMC can now play back 1080p videos with ease. The bad news is the little card sells for $69 and requires the same space as the built in 802.11N WiFi adapter, but as long as you don't mind dropping the cash and Wifi, this seems like a pretty solid solution. We can only assume that thanks to close ties between XBMC and Boxee, that Boxee will be next, but in the meantime give this a try and let us know how it works out.
XBMC "Camelot" update brings lots of new features
Just in case the gifts you got from your family last week didn't float your boat (no kidding, I got a Yakov Smirnoff DVD -- I love my parents, but they're not the best gift givers in the world), here's another fun present to unwrap. The folks at XBMC released a brand new version on Christmas Eve, and it's available as a free download right now over on their website. XBMC is the open source app that started off as "Xbox Media Center" (designed to be run on the original Xbox hardware), but has now blossomed into a full-featured media center that is usable on your Apple TV or Mac. Thanks to an app, you can use your iPhone as a remote as well. The new version 9.11, a.k.a. "Camelot," has far too many new changes for us to list in their entirety here, but there's a revamped (and good-looking) user interface with increased skinning capability, updated support for different subtitles and video formats, new movie database scrapers for picking up information, and specifically in Mac OS X, support for the very popular Logitech Harmony Universal Remote. The devs say they're excited to get this one out the door, if only because it means they can move on to bigger and better very soon. Kudos on the release (during the holiday season!), and if you're an XBMC fan, have at it! [via Engadget]
XBMC on OS X releases version .1
Those following the XBMC (a.k.a. Xbox Media Center, although they'll probably need a name change soon, considering all the platforms they've jumped off to) development for the Mac have some good news coming to them: the release has reached version .1.It's still as shaky as these things come, but new to this version are fullscreen support, "bleeding edge" ffmpeg libraries, and a regular FPS in video playback. It's still not anything the average user should be running, but as I said, for those interested in following along with the development, it should be welcome news.The download is available from the wiki, and we're told it's now super simple to install (though actually running stably may be a little tougher) -- just drag into your Applications folder and cross your fingers. Thanks, Yuval!Update: They got that name change: here's the new site.
