The Boxee Box - Like XBMC, but more Boxee - The Something Awful Forums

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Inspect Your Gadgets > The Boxee Box - Like XBMC, but more Boxee

VERTiG0: Jul 11, 2001; go move over bro

Anybody else still having cover art not show up at all? I don't get any of them anymore, and it's really pissing me off. It's been like this for over a month now, and the latest update didn't fix it.

# ? Jul 4, 2011 23:17

Adbot: ADBOT LOVES YOU

# ? Apr 26, 2024 08:33

Misanthrope: Jun 10, 2001; QUACK QUACK QUACK QUACK QUACK

I'm actually having some audio sync issues ever since the latest patch came out.

Usually exiting and resuming the video fixes it up, but it's the first time I've noticed it since the update came out.

# ? Jul 5, 2011 17:49

Nall: Jun 26, 2000

Misanthrope posted:

I'm actually having some audio sync issues ever since the latest patch came out.

Usually exiting and resuming the video fixes it up, but it's the first time I've noticed it since the update came out.

This happens to any video that I pause, since last patch.

# ? Jul 5, 2011 19:51

Corb3t: Jun 7, 2003

After looking at dozens of media center boxes on AVSForums, it seems that the Boxee Box has the best UI. Before dropping $150+ on one, I do have a couple questions.

If I attach a drive to the Boxee via USB, does it allow me to access that drive from another computer to write/read on it? This is a major need because I want to add/remove content easily.

Is the Boxee Box compatible with Logitech Harmony remotes? If so, does it work well without the QWERTY?

Would you buy a Boxee Box again, if given the chance, or would you hold out until the next revision? It seems like most media centers suck - the vast majority have terrible UIs.

Corb3t fucked around with this message at 01:28 on Jul 6, 2011

# ? Jul 6, 2011 01:16

deong: Jun 13, 2001; I'll see you in heck!

USB drive access was just discussed, but the box can be set up as a samba share.

Not sure about the Harmony remote, but I know you can use an ir dongle, so I'd think yes. Others will chime in.

As to buying it again. Yes. I think its the best plug and play media center out there. I'd say XBMC is better, but you've got to tinker etc. This just works, and the boxee box is such a nice package for it all.

# ? Jul 6, 2011 04:12

Straithate: Sep 11, 2001; Bow before the might of the Clarkson!

I am so annoyed with the Boxee Box right now... After having it work perfectly since the moment I got it on release day it now likes to randomly switch the default resolution to NTSC, it freezes after it has been on for any extended period of time and it randomly drops out of whatever it is doing to a Boxee logo and then "Logging in..." and then to the home screen. I don't know what to do at this point but I'm on the verge of throwing it in the garbage and getting something else.

# ? Jul 6, 2011 07:42

TraderStav: May 19, 2006; It feels like I was standing my entire life and I just sat down

deong posted:

USB drive access was just discussed, but the box can be set up as a samba share.

Not sure about the Harmony remote, but I know you can use an ir dongle, so I'd think yes. Others will chime in.

As to buying it again. Yes. I think its the best plug and play media center out there. I'd say XBMC is better, but you've got to tinker etc. This just works, and the boxee box is such a nice package for it all.

I have two. :-D

Plug into TV, set up shares, enjoy!

# ? Jul 6, 2011 13:36

deong: Jun 13, 2001; I'll see you in heck!

Straithate posted:

I am so annoyed with the Boxee Box right now... After having it work perfectly since the moment I got it on release day it now likes to randomly switch the default resolution to NTSC, it freezes after it has been on for any extended period of time and it randomly drops out of whatever it is doing to a Boxee logo and then "Logging in..." and then to the home screen. I don't know what to do at this point but I'm on the verge of throwing it in the garbage and getting something else.

Are you connected HDMI -> DVI by chance? Try this firmware update. I had to do a factory restore to resolve my looping issue. The update failed on my box, and would constantly try to reupdate, so would loop, and loose its resolution.

# ? Jul 6, 2011 14:25

Straithate: Sep 11, 2001; Bow before the might of the Clarkson!

deong posted:

Are you connected HDMI -> DVI by chance? Try this firmware update. I had to do a factory restore to resolve my looping issue. The update failed on my box, and would constantly try to reupdate, so would loop, and loose its resolution.

I'm not, but gently caress it, I'm going to update it anyhow.

# ? Jul 6, 2011 17:06

deong: Jun 13, 2001; I'll see you in heck!

Straithate posted:

I'm not, but gently caress it, I'm going to update it anyhow.

Do a factory restore before updating, it'll wipe all your settings/thumbs etc.

# ? Jul 6, 2011 17:09

Straithate: Sep 11, 2001; Bow before the might of the Clarkson!

I did a manual update to the other version earlier this week when I first started having these problems and a wipe and it did absolutely nothing, so.

# ? Jul 6, 2011 17:15

Corb3t: Jun 7, 2003

So I got my Boxee Box all set up and I'm more than happy with it. Granted, I did have a few issues that I'm still trying to work out (HFS+ formatted permissions for SMB), but the interface is hands down better than anything else out there.

My girlfriend and I are already thinking about picking one up for the bedroom (where we don't have cable). Has there been any chatter about a new Boxee Box coming out any time soon?

# ? Jul 9, 2011 07:23

VERTiG0: Jul 11, 2001; go move over bro

Doubtful there will be a new box for at least a year, if not more. There's no reason when it already plays back pretty much everything, I figure.

# ? Jul 9, 2011 13:49

Corb3t: Jun 7, 2003

VERTiG0 posted:

Doubtful there will be a new box for at least a year, if not more. There's no reason when it already plays back pretty much everything, I figure.

Amazon support would be nice.

# ? Jul 9, 2011 13:51

Internet Explorer: Jun 1, 2005

Or a better loving remote, Jesus. I have no idea who did any user testing for those. You can't see poo poo if the room is dark enough to watch a movie.

# ? Jul 9, 2011 16:52

Seventyfour: Apr 6, 2009; Beneath the Pavement
The Beach

I want as close as I can get to an all-in-one solution for (i) streaming music files and the occasional video off an attached USB hard drive (ii) streaming Netflix/Comedy Central/Pandora/etc and (iii) listening to internet radio streams.

I ordered the latest Roku box, the XD/S, with the assumption that the USB port would allow me to stream my local music off a USB drive, but perusing the Roku forums has convinced me that it is lousy for that purpose, although it seemed pretty good for the rest of my needs. So I cancelled that order.

I think my choices are a Boxee Box or a WD Live Plus box. Would either or both of these serve my purposes? Does one have a nicer interface/ease of use with regard to browsing/playing local music or browsing streaming radio than the other? I want a turnkey solution, I'm not particularly interested in connecting my PC to the television and want to stick with an attached USB drive with the media. Listening to music (either locally streamed or via internet radio are at least as important as streaming remote video.

# ? Jul 12, 2011 16:07

deong: Jun 13, 2001; I'll see you in heck!

You can download boxee to run on linux/windows/mac to give it a test. I think boxee excels at local media, and does decent at streaming. Now that it has netflix, its an even better streambox than before. I really only play local media though, so others can chime in about streaming stuff.

I still recommend it to friends that have their own media, and the UI was done well. Many mention it passes the g/f test.

# ? Jul 12, 2011 16:24

kri kri: Jul 18, 2007

deong posted:

You can download boxee to run on linux/windows/mac to give it a test. I think boxee excels at local media, and does decent at streaming. Now that it has netflix, its an even better streambox than before. I really only play local media though, so others can chime in about streaming stuff.

I still recommend it to friends that have their own media, and the UI was done well. Many mention it passes the g/f test.

Except the Boxee software won't be on parity with the BB until the fall, if then so the comparison won't be the same.

# ? Jul 12, 2011 17:29

Cornjob: Jun 12, 2007; NOT AN ACTOR

I just set up my PCH A210. No issues with playback so far. My Boxee box will sit in my closet until I hear that the playback issues have been resolved.

If they dont get resolved soon, the Box will go to a bedroom or a relative as a netflix / Vudu player.

I had a PCH A-110 and loved it. I moved to boxee for the wife friendly GUI and support for high res audio.

The A-210 gives me both of those, and without issues. The NMJ GUI is still in development, but it works well enough to be easy to use. I like the look better than the Boxee GUI, but the Boxee GUI is a little quicker to set up.

I can also go back to using one universal remote. The Boxee RF remote was a royal pain.

# ? Jul 12, 2011 17:32

Esk1: Dec 19, 2007

Cornjob posted:

I can also go back to using one universal remote. The Boxee RF remote was a royal pain.

Just pick up a USB receiver and it works with a MCE remote, allows you to use universals. I use my Harmony one all the time.

As far as this playback issue is this the video/audio sync? I have one boxee on wired and one on wireless and I am running the latest firmware on both. The wired boxee is hdmi for video and optical for audio, the wireless is single hdmi straight to tv for both. I have seen the wireless boxee get out of sync twice but both times I stopped the video and then hit resume from previous location and it sorted itself out. I just want some more support for multiple boxee houses, the second one is in my exercise room and I don't like having to deal with two separate watched/unwatched lists when I am working through a show. The watched later does sync via your user account which is at least a nice touch. I know the ipad app is suppose to supporting pairing but I don't know if they will allow to BB's to pair as well when this functionality ships.

# ? Jul 12, 2011 17:47

io_burn: Jul 9, 2001; Vrooooooooom!

Internet Explorer posted:

Or a better loving remote, Jesus. I have no idea who did any user testing for those. You can't see poo poo if the room is dark enough to watch a movie.

I think the remote is functional enough, but I have no loving clue what kind of clown college whoever designed it went to. It seems absolutely ridiculous to me that without actively feeling for the little raised Boxee logo you can't tell which direction is up. Even a slight taper in either or ANYTHING else to allow you to feel which way the remote is pointing without looking at it would be a massive improvement.

# ? Jul 12, 2011 18:06

MMD3: May 16, 2006; Montmartre -> Portland

so I've noticed for a while now how they added the option to watch movies you have locally on vudu and while it's annoying it hasn't bothered me too much so far, but the other day I went to watch a show that I had a few episodes from locally and I noticed some other episodes (that I don't have locally) showing up from xfinity... this is more irritating since it can be a little confusing with the episodes I already have.

Is there some way to disable all of the online recommendations when I'm browsing local shows and movies? I really don't care what lovely ad-supported version Comcast has available for me when I'm browsing my local content.

# ? Jul 12, 2011 18:07

priznat: Jul 7, 2009; Let's get drunk and kiss each other all night.

Any ideas why my Boxee can stream 1080p movies just fine from my NAS over the 802.11n wifi but has difficulty connecting to Netflix? It is on the outer edge of where I would consider the good wifi coverage to be (opposite end of the house). But streaming video it seems to do just fine. Weird.

# ? Jul 12, 2011 19:08

bilperkins2: Nov 22, 2004; Fashion for Dogz

priznat posted:

Any ideas why my Boxee can stream 1080p movies just fine from my NAS over the 802.11n wifi but has difficulty connecting to Netflix? It is on the outer edge of where I would consider the good wifi coverage to be (opposite end of the house). But streaming video it seems to do just fine. Weird.

Stupid question, but do other devices in your house have problems connecting to Netflix? Maybe it's your internet connection and not your wifi. Doubtful though.

# ? Jul 12, 2011 20:01

priznat: Jul 7, 2009; Let's get drunk and kiss each other all night.

bilperkins2 posted:

Stupid question, but do other devices in your house have problems connecting to Netflix? Maybe it's your internet connection and not your wifi. Doubtful though.

Nope, they're all fine (usually they are either on wired network or closer to the basestation though). I'm suspecting it's the regular boxee video app buffers it enough so it can overcome any hiccups in the stream caused by being at the edge of the wifi. The Netflix app is probably just more susceptible to these hiccups and if it detects it (usually while it's doing that pre-buffering) it just says "nope, can't do it!"

I'll be running cat5e/6 to that area of the house eventually anyway so it's not a huge deal, just would be nice to watch Netflix on the tv.

# ? Jul 12, 2011 20:03

Nall: Jun 26, 2000

Beta for Boxee 1.2 is out, here are the patch notes:

code:

New Features / Enhancements

Networking & File Playback

    Added support for Apple Filing Protocol (AFP)
    Added support for Network File System (NFS)
    Enhanced support for SMB/CIFS shares
    Consolidated network shares under the server name



Interface

    Ability to filter premium content sources like Netflix, HBOGo, VUDU, etc. in library
    Reordered Apps library
        New �Featured Apps� section
        Updated App categories 
    Support for seek within a video on first right/left click (when OSD is still not open)
    Seek forward is now 10 seconds instead of 5 seconds
    �Jump to letter� sidebar in libraries now shows current letter location 



Browser

    Improved HTML 5 video support



Settings

    Resetting display settings leaves previous setting data intact
    Add support for HDMI output YUV422 and YUV444
    Add support for HDMI output 30 and 36 bit color
    HDMI �Black Level� setting now RGB �High and Low�



Bug fixes
Networking & File Playback

    Problem with manually resolving a movie that has NFO file
    Fixed adult filter for local content in manual resolve HLS Playback ends abruptly
    SMB: boxee crash when selecting "No results found"
    "Resume playback from [end of video time marker]" shows up on videos that have been previously played all the way to the very end.
    When trying to play a movie again after it ended the play dialog offers to resume the movie from the movies last second
    Soundtrack loses Dolby Digital indication every 10s, without any relation to commercials spots
    SAMBA Authentication to Servers Accepting NTLMv2 Only Fails
    Boxee doesn't resolve TV Shows with ID located only in the tvshow.nfo
    .m2ts Thumbnails Are Gray (When Viewing In Files)
    After clicking play (from paused state) the OSD should immediately disappear
    TV Show files that are deleted aren't removed from the library
    Video file playing across network stops playing
    Video files containing "@" in the file path are not identified 



Apps

    Videos on Vimeo do not play and the device has to be restarted manually
    Vimeo - couch mode freeze after 10-15 minutes of playback, also freeze for a long time between videos
    API Command SeekTime() is not working 

 


Libraries

    SnagFilms Documentaries playback stops prior to loading 2nd commercial
    Local TV shows take an extremely long time to load
    Watched TV Show Trigger not working
    Unable to remove a show from favorites when there is no content for the show 




Browser

    Default focus when getting to exit confirmation in browser should be Exit not Stay
    HTML video tag causes page redraw issues... until video starts playing
    [url]http://tv.clicker.com[/url] crashes boxee browser
    CNBC online video does not play
    [url]http://zattoo.com/view[/url] will not open in the browser 




Localization

�      Localization: GERMAN Replace "Bewertung" for MPAA-Rating with "FSK"

Misc.

    Various Fixes to minimize Plasma Burn in
    Additional Keyboard names are not according the languages names but only in English (using the directory name)
    Increase subtitle sync limit from 50 to 200
    Boxee Box appears to be clipping black & white levels

# ? Jul 12, 2011 20:49

Corb3t: Jun 7, 2003

Nall posted:

Beta for Boxee 1.2 is out, here are the patch notes:

Where can you get Boxee betas?

# ? Jul 12, 2011 23:53

AlexF: Jul 12, 2006; Gross!

Their latest e-mail mentioned the iPad app is pretty close to release. That's nice, I thought it had disappeared...

# ? Jul 13, 2011 09:19

Don Lapre: Mar 28, 2001; If you're having problems you're either holding the phone wrong or you have tiny girl hands.

Nall posted:

Beta for Boxee 1.2 is out, here are the patch notes:

Link to download?

Don Lapre fucked around with this message at 14:47 on Jul 13, 2011

# ? Jul 13, 2011 14:42

Misanthrope: Jun 10, 2001; QUACK QUACK QUACK QUACK QUACK

The beta version of 1.2 mentions nothing about audio sync issues being fixed.

That's concerning...

# ? Jul 13, 2011 21:54

MMD3: May 16, 2006; Montmartre -> Portland

Misanthrope posted:

The beta version of 1.2 mentions nothing about audio sync issues being fixed.

That's concerning...

are you referring to mkv files? is this a well-known issue? i've noticed that in almost all of my mkv files I have to manually adjust the audio, assumed it was just an issue with my files.

# ? Jul 13, 2011 22:52

VERTiG0: Jul 11, 2001; go move over bro

I get that only in a few of my .mkv files, the vast majority work perfectly fine.

# ? Jul 13, 2011 23:29

Interlude: Jan 24, 2001; Guns are basically hand fedoras.

Been on the fence about buying this thing since before it came out, finally got one last week.

I'll say this - a year ago, it probably wouldn't have met my needs or satisfied my inner nerd/tinkering urges. These days though, with far less free time on my hands and a wife with even less, it's perfect. I'm mostly pulling stuff off of my home file server and this unit just excels at that. Had to rename a few TV series but otherwise it found everything and my Apple fangirl wife loves it. Like others have said, if you just want an easy to use front end for your local poo poo, it's peerless.

Edit: Forgot to ask, which android app is the best?

Interlude fucked around with this message at 04:21 on Jul 14, 2011

# ? Jul 14, 2011 04:12

Seventyfour: Apr 6, 2009; Beneath the Pavement
The Beach

OK, I've tested out the Boxee Windows App, and the music browser for local files works fine. Question -- is there a way to shuffle songs or set up playlists?

# ? Jul 14, 2011 16:06

Nall: Jun 26, 2000

Seventyfour posted:

OK, I've tested out the Boxee Windows App, and the music browser for local files works fine. Question -- is there a way to shuffle songs or set up playlists?

The windows app is massively different than the box app, but I believe what you want is not doable.

# ? Jul 15, 2011 00:05

VERTiG0: Jul 11, 2001; go move over bro

Yep, that's a downfall. No playists or anything like that. Just the bare basics.

# ? Jul 15, 2011 02:01

daslog: Dec 10, 2008; #essereFerrari

Is this something that we could really cut the cable TV cord with? I don't watch a lot of TV, but my wife watches those awful reality shows and doesn't want to go without them.

# ? Jul 16, 2011 20:47

Internet Explorer: Jun 1, 2005

If it's on Netflix or you can watch them online or download them from somewhere, maybe. There is no Hulu support yet, as far as I know. You really won't have access to any content you wouldn't normal have access to, it just acts more like a front-end interface for it, or an aggregator.

# ? Jul 16, 2011 20:59

Seventyfour: Apr 6, 2009; Beneath the Pavement
The Beach

OK, I've had my boxee box for a couple of days. I had played around with Boxee for Windows. As someone noted earlier in the thread, the Boxee Windows software is a lot more useable than the Box software.

My biggest peeves thus far, which I'm sure have been noted by others:

1. You apparently can't delete/hide unused apps, and the "favorite" apps section isn't reachable from the main menu and is instead reachable through the browser overlay thingy. You can't organize the streaming TV section either. Hell, you don't seem able to organize much of anything.

2. There is no direct way to get to local content-- instead, you have to go to files then music or video.

3. The Box defaults so that only one audio output can be used at once - it took me a while to figure out how to activate the RCA outputs (and that I needed to restart the Box for it to work). (not a problem anymore, but just dumb). Box also defaults to 720 for no good reason.

4. The remote is way too simple for a program that hasn't been elegantly designed and the remote functions are inconsistent.

5. Some of the TV streams/apps just pull up the lousy Boxee browser, and you have to pause, etc. using the pointer, controlled by the afore-mentioned remote.

6. The music player is stupidly limited when it should be trying to compete with the likes of AppleTV.

With that said, this thing has so much potential, and I love the ability to pull up pretty much anything (like ESPN3 yesterday) but it worries me that they apparently went backwards from 0.9 to the current version and took away a lot of the ability to customize.

I'm pretty unsatisfied right now. I like a lot of of the apps, and local content is working fine, but it feels very kludgey. Realistically, is Boxee going to be able to fix this? It wouldn't be that hard to allow the user to customize the interface, right? Why can't I just have a home page that lets me go to the 4-5 apps I actually use, and to my music/videos, and to the 4-5 TV shows I watch? It seems purposefully obtuse.

In short, is it worth waiting for Boxee to fix this stuff and come up with a decent interface? Or do you think that someone will figure out a way to hack the firmware?

This could be such a cool product, but right now it feels like it has been purposefully limited for whatever reason. I want it to work, but I'm pretty disappointed thus far.

# ? Jul 18, 2011 18:44

Adbot: ADBOT LOVES YOU

# ? Apr 26, 2024 08:33

Corb3t: Jun 7, 2003

Seventyfour posted:

1. You apparently can't delete/hide unused apps, and the "favorite" apps section isn't reachable from the main menu and is instead reachable through the browser overlay thingy. You can't organize the streaming TV section either. Hell, you don't seem able to organize much of anything.

2. There is no direct way to get to local content-- instead, you have to go to files then music or video.

There are favorites and local content sub-categories under Apps, TV Shows, and Movies in the software overlay. If you are in the sub-category, when you click on the TV, Movies, or Apps section in the overly, it will always automatically go into the last sub-category you were in. This setting sticks even when you put the Boxee to sleep. So just choose local content or favorites in the sub-categories and you'll always be driven into them when you choose Movies, TVs, or Apps.

What I like to do is go into my local folder, favorite everything, then go into the streaming/internet section and favorite all of the TV shows I care about and always just go into the Favorites sub-section.

Seventyfour posted:

4. The remote is way too simple for a program that hasn't been elegantly designed and the remote functions are inconsistent.

The remote is definitely terrible, though. Every time I use it, I wish there were dedicated buttons like a "sleep/shutdown" button, and Movies/TV/Apps buttons.

Seventyfour posted:

6. The music player is stupidly limited when it should be trying to compete with the likes of AppleTV.

It seems like a lot of people complain about the music player, I'm not so sure that's a priority for Boxee Devs.

Seventyfour posted:

In short, is it worth waiting for Boxee to fix this stuff and come up with a decent interface? Or do you think that someone will figure out a way to hack the firmware?

The Boxee Box definitely has a lot of areas for improvement, but there aren't many alternatives for under $200 that have a great UI, support tons of video files, and 1080p.

Corb3t fucked around with this message at 19:01 on Jul 18, 2011

# ? Jul 18, 2011 18:56

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Inspect Your Gadgets > The Boxee Box - Like XBMC, but more Boxee

«‹›60 »