New Boxee Media Center
D-Link announced the other day the new Boxee media center. I have to say I was very impressed when I first saw it. My only real concern with the design is stack ability. I hate having a bunch of devices by my TV all spread out. But I'm sure i can still figure out a good place for it. Boxee is a really cool media center. It was originally based upon the XBMC project and has since become known for its great UI and features that have been added in. I have to say this box will be a great alternative to the Apple TV or Windows Media Center
Specs and Pics:
- Item (WxDxH): 120mm x 120mm x 120mm
- 1 HDMI Connector
- 1 Optical Digital Audio (S/PDIF) Connector
- Composite Audio Connectors
- Power Button
- AC Power Connector
- Ethernet Connector
- 2 USB 2.0 Connectors
- SD Card Slot
One year with no Cable or Satellite
So this month marks one year my wife and I have gone without a standard video service such as cable or satellite. I have to tell you it feels good to be unplugged and to be able to still watch good quality content online on our TV or Computer. I have to say at times it has been a challenge but overall the transition has been easy. The goal of disconnecting was being able to watch the shows we want to watch with out having to pay for anything. This causes some difficulties with some things such as sports. But if you can go with out or are able to find another alternative then you are set to go.
Here is my list of free online services I use most:
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The only difficult part about watching shows online is getting the content to your TV. Some applications work better than others and so on. My favorite application to do this is PLEX. How ever if that doesn't work for you then you may want to check out Boxee or XBMC. They both allow you to watch a lot of the online content from several sites using plugins that extend the functionality of the application. They also work great for any personal content you may use.