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

Calculon: Mar 19, 2006; WAKE UP AMERICA

Solkanar512 posted:

This is absolute bullshit. It's called QA, and it seems clear to me that this release was lacking it.

This has been boxee from the beginning. Every year they promise to fix bugs, address user complaints, add features; they'll accomplish some of that, albeit in a half-assed way, but really they just redesign the interface and promise to get things smoothed out "in the next release." This is annoying, yet understandable for a beta version on Windows/Linux/Mac. But when you're releasing a product to store shelves, for $200, you'd expect the device to be reasonably stable and deliver on promised features. That's why a lot of people, like myself, want(ed) a boxee box--similar library and playback support to that of XBMC, full browser with flash, support from major streamers like netflix and hulu, app market, and a professional, streamlined interface. I've run an XBMC box for years but I'm tired of the hassle, it's a loving pain in the rear end and no HTPC enthusiast that comes to these threads can honestly admit they wouldn't prefer something like this, if it was stable. XBMC is a great project but gently caress Home Theater PCs.

LittleCat posted:

I definitely feel a lot better about the box today now that the Boxee team has started to respond to the issues and seems to be actively bug hunting. Releasing on a national holiday might have been a slight error from a PR perspective.

More than likely they were partying all week and finally sobered up enough to check their forums. I want to give them the benefit of the doubt, mainly because the boxee box and software, in design, are exactly what I want. I glanced at their forums two days ago and it was nothing but people complaining about problems with no response from staff. You just released a product simultaneously in 30 countries and you didn't think it necessary to monitor your support forums? This is one thing linux nerds that commercialize a product should be good at. :wotwot:

# ¿ Nov 13, 2010 18:47

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# ¿ Apr 26, 2024 20:26

Calculon: Mar 19, 2006; WAKE UP AMERICA

The Gunslinger posted:

I don't get this at all. It took me about 5 hours to get XBMC setup the way I want it and I doubt I will have to touch it for months or years to come. It is admittedly a giant pain in the rear end to setup but once you have it done, you can just leave it alone.

Yeah, just leave it alone, until you want to change anything or upgrade or something just stops working for no reason. Or the bugs you just learn to live with because who wants to spend 12 hours searching forums to get suspend working without crashes. All this work so I can use "Transparency Aeon Mod 2.4" and organize my anime collection, ranked from never going to watch to might watch one episode sometime in the next ten years.

# ¿ Nov 13, 2010 19:32

Calculon: Mar 19, 2006; WAKE UP AMERICA

SatanX posted:

Bought from Amazon and I'm really not impressed. I see where they are going with it and personally, I think they are catering to the wrong market.

Going to send it back, spend the extra $100 and get another C-200.

If they really get it together, Id consider getting it again, but not with the way it is now.

This thing must be really bad if you're going to return it and buy a popcorn hour.

# ¿ Nov 30, 2010 18:04

Calculon: Mar 19, 2006; WAKE UP AMERICA

SatanX posted:

You haven't played with a C-200, have you?

That thing looks like something a member on the XBMC forum would sell out of his basement to other forum members. I'm sure it works well with playing local media files but I don't trust the future support of a company that is basically just reselling and supporting imported goods in the US; I guess if it works for your specific needs I won't criticize but I have always wanted something that does exactly what Boxee claims to do and it's disappointing that they haven't worked out all the kinks. I'd say buy the Google TV but they forget to negotiate streaming media contracts for their streaming media player. Or include a functional local media player.

:suicide:

# ¿ Dec 1, 2010 05:27

Calculon: Mar 19, 2006; WAKE UP AMERICA

I've kept up on the Porcorn products over the years and have read mostly complaints from people over support and problems with the interface and bugs/etc. Their website is not doing them any favors, they can't be bothered to design something that is reasonably professional and up to date but I'm supposed to believe this product is going to be professionally designed. I'm also not looking for mainly a web streaming device, I'm looking for a device that does both functions well, leaning toward local. I may not horde Bluray ISOs on a 9TB File Server but I do have local, high definition video that I want to play back.

I will concede that another concern is not wanting to have some weird, complicated box in the living room that nobody but myself can operate. I'm looking at the interface in a video and though it does look better than it did two years ago, it doesn't even match XBMC in quality. I know you can skin it but a 300 dollar box should come with something better. You're only complaint that won't be fixed in a few updates is the bluray iso navigation, and no offense but most people don't have 9TB bluray iso collections. The popcorn probably had that added in an update, much like I'm sure Boxee will in the future.

We definitely have different needs and I'm not saying yours aren't valid, but frankly something like the Boxee is going to suit a lot more people, especially if they work out the bugs and add more features and streaming partners.

# ¿ Dec 1, 2010 06:49

Calculon: Mar 19, 2006; WAKE UP AMERICA

Got one for Christmas, now I'll pretend like all my negative whining in the past never happened. I'm hopeful it matures and becomes the device I envisioned.

# ¿ Dec 27, 2010 02:08

Calculon: Mar 19, 2006; WAKE UP AMERICA

CrashCat posted:

On the bright side I can hope that since they took so much time to put in Vudu and Netflix that they do it right and integrate it with their library. Being able to look through all the media at once is the only thing they have that I don't see others doing yet, even though they still have a ton of content trapped away in apps.

That is the way they had it on the PC app before the box came out so, more than likely that's how it will be.

# ¿ Jan 3, 2011 19:04

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# ¿ Apr 26, 2024 20:26

Calculon: Mar 19, 2006; WAKE UP AMERICA

There's a specific remote profile you need to use, I can't remember the name but if you browse the boxee forums, the guy that makes that receiver mentions which one it is.

# ¿ May 26, 2011 20:52

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