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Boxee Box by D-Link (DSM-380)

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What do you think about the Boxee Box?

  • A Boxee what?

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    12

abedinthehouse

Occasional Visitor
I would like to request a review of the Boxee Box by D-Link, also called the DSM-380 (from d-link website) some time in the future..preferably ASAP and BEFORE the product is released.

(Not the software alone...a review for the hardware + software please)

This was an extremely hot product at CES 2010 and I know there are many people who do not know about ALL of its capabilities yet or would like to know just what it will offer...BEYOND the "Boxee" part of the experience. Anyone can get the free software and find out what that is all about, but an early insight into the product before it is released would be a hot topic!
Even if you cant get a review, at least an updated list of capabilities would be nice...Im sure many people would love to see this.

an ex. would be something as simple as confirming if an external blue-ray drive could be plugged in using one of 3 USB ports, or if it will be able to support future applications such as SKYPE when it is launched into future TVs...or if it will be able to support future websites start-ups similar to Hulu or Netflix...etc

I myself am really looking forward to the Boxee and highly contemplating on buying it to replace my 360 as my central media hub...but would like to know more...does anyone else agree?

PS I do not have the Boxee program, because my computer is too old to run it properly. (one of the main reason I am looking forward to the Box)

The Boxee Website

D-Link site for the Boxee Box
 
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an ex. would be something as simple as confirming if an external blue-ray drive could be plugged in using an USB of it it will be able to support future applications such as SKYPE when it is launched into future TVs...if it will be able to support future websites start-ups similar to Hulu or Netflix...etc
huh?
The USB port is for attaching the USB drive that will be needed for the product to function. One of the design tradeoffs made was not to include the drive inside the box.

If you want to test drive Boxee, download the Beta. I'm running it on an Acer 1810T timeline, with Win 7. It's pretty slick, but kind of flaky in some spots. And the Boxee Browser feature that is supposed to let you access any website that has video doesn't work very well.
 
huh?
.....
If you want to test drive Boxee, download the Beta.

Sorry, my original post had a few grammatical errors..I went back and corrected them..and as for that Drive, I know it has no HDD or DVD/B-ray...but their sources say almost "any" USB device may be connected to one of the 3 USB ports...that is I am curious as to if it is possible to attach a Blueray drive and say some money from buying a B-ray player.

And I cannot test drive Boxee because my laptop is about 8 years old, and its hardware can barely run Win7 properly let alone Boxee on top.

So will you be trying to get a review up for the Boxee Box (not Boxee software)in the for-see-able feature?
 
The Boxee box isn't available yet. We'll review it when it is.
 
Harsh review, this launch is a little disappointing for the earliest of adopters, but with the new HuluPlus and Netflix deals, this thing just got a whole heck of a lot more attractive.
 
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What Netflix deal? Netflix has been taken out temporarily I suspect as a sweetener to (or a condition of) the Vudu deal.

HuluPlus, when it arrives will be welcome. But I hope that the Box will not be treated like a mobile device with less content available than via normal web browser, as I get on the iPad.

The fact is that you can watch more Internet TV today running any of the Boxee "DIY" installs than on the Boxee Box. This is what we get for the slip to November?
 
What Netflix deal? Netflix has been taken out temporarily I suspect as a sweetener to (or a condition of) the Vudu deal.

HuluPlus, when it arrives will be welcome. But I hope that the Box will not be treated like a mobile device with less content available than via normal web browser, as I get on the iPad.

The fact is that you can watch more Internet TV today running any of the Boxee "DIY" installs than on the Boxee Box. This is what we get for the slip to November?

Maybe I'm missing something, but Google and multiple Engadget posts report Netflix support, announced a couple days ago, this post even suggests there will be a dedicated Netflix button on the remote.
 
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I saw the Engadget post. There is no dedicated button on the current remote. The remote would need to be changed to do so, which is highly unlikely.
I think that was alcohol-infused enthusiasm and some photoshopping in the picture.

The Boxee Windows software has supported Netflix for some time. That support is not in the Boxee Box.

The official word is on the Boxee Blog, which says Netflix will be in the Box by the end of the year.
 
Can someone confirm what kind of batteries are in the remote?

I heard it uses button battery cells.. Is this true and what kind are they?

Thanks,
F.
 
The official word is on the Boxee Blog, which says Netflix will be in the Box by the end of the year.

I guess I feel like you should at least give mention to that in your review, but instead you flat out say "no netflix". I know we're all waiting for the perfect streaming set top box, and it would be different if this was an Apple product, but how about giving an underdog like Boxee a break? It seems like the eventual product will turn out to be a worthy alternative to the Roku.
 
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It's a single big flat watch type battery (CR2032). Comes with the remote.
 
I make reference to the "before the end of the year" pitch and link over to the Boxee blog post that has the whole marketing pitch.

The "underdog" story goes only so far. The Boxee box costs $200. It could become a $200 doorstop. SNB's job isn't to help sell Boxee boxes. The Boxee box may eventually become THE box to buy. But right now, it delivers less Internet TV content than the free software version.
 
It also needs Amazon VOD to position itself as everything a Roku is and more.
Roku really isn't the competition, Google TV is.

Roku is a good Netflix box and may be a good HuluPlus box (still waiting for them to make it active). But it's not a local content player. The video formats it plays are way too limited and the only way around it is transcoding on a networked computer. Who wants to do that?
 
Internet Tv content

Check out the app called Navi-x for Boxee.It has a lot more tv content
 
Isn't the Boxee Box missing gigabit? Last time I checked it specs on the D-Link website it only had fast ethernet (100Mbps). Seems incredulous they would leave it out.
 
Isn't the Boxee Box missing gigabit? Last time I checked it specs on the D-Link website it only had fast ethernet (100Mbps). Seems incredulous they would leave it out.
Doesn't need it. Even 1080p streams are well under 100 Mbps.
 

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