The Boxee Beta has been found on BitTorrent. It’s free. It’s beta. It’s open source.

So why should we care?

Well, I care as I can load it up, test and review it before the official release. Of course, I can’t – it appears to be a Windows release and the Boxee team has reworked the entire graphics system to take advantage of Windows Direct X video.

That said, the hype around the Boxee Beta has been masterfully managed by Avner & Company. Perhaps this is just a well-timed “leak?” (If it is, I applaud it. This is smart “Web 2.0” marketing…)

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Boxee Beta Hits BitTorrent is a post from: TechStartups.com

I schlepped to Williamsburg in Brooklyn, NY tonight to the Williamsburg Music Hall to get the scoop on the boxee beta.

Here’s what we know so far:

• The new application interface is a big step forward.
• The Clicker app for boxee almost makes me want to give up my cable box (almost).
• The boxee box will be produced by D-Link and will retail for around $200 with a second quarter 2010 release. They wouldn’t reveal the details of the hardware, letting D-Link have their fun at CES.
• The Windows version has been completely rewritten to take advantage of DXVA, enabling hi-def content to run on low-powered hardware.
• The boxee user base is made up of almost 85% Macs
• Ubuntu 9.10 Karmic Koala is now completely supported
• All registrants of tonight’s event will receive a download link for the beta and a boxee invite (if you don’t already have an account.)

I couldn’t get close enough to the stage to get decent video, but the embedded video from Livestream.com appears after the jump. Full review once I get my hands on the beta.

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Almost Live at the Boxee Beta Unveiling is a post from: TechStartups.com

When it arrived, I was quite pleased with how easy it was to connect to my home network over wifi (802.11g) and to my HDTV. Of course, it didn’t offer HD content at the time, but it had an HDMI connector and both companies (Roku and Netflix) promised HD capabilities over time.

Sure enough, as the Netflix streaming catalog expanded, HD playback capability arrived on the Roku box a number of months later. Since then, Roku has added access to Amazon’s Video on Demand and MLB.TV – both are premium content that require suitable account setup on both services.

Today, Roku has announced even more improvements and updates with the launch of The Roku Channel Store, a selection of internet video and audio content channels that can be played on your Roku, Roku SD and Roku HD-XR set top box.

The “store” moniker is a bit of a misnomer because as of right now, all of the new channels are free. They include: Pandora, Facebook Photos, Revision3, Mediafly, TWiT, blip.tv, flickr, FrameChannel, Motionbox and MobileTribe. A complete list of channels can be found here.

To me, the best tidbit of information in today’s announcement is the open accessibility for channel creators:

“To create a channel for the Roku Channel Store, a developer creates an application using Roku’s free software developer kit. This SDK is available free upon request by emailing partners@roku.com.“

Wait – did Boxee just get a competitor? Sort of.

Roku owners can’t add their own channels via RSS feeds, nor use bittorrent to download media files, nor does one have to pay for Boxee. However, considering that you still need suitable computer hardware to run Boxee, I’d call it about even. Actually, no – it’s not even since a Roku player with HD capability only costs $99 – far less than a suitable machine required for Boxee.

IPTV is finally starting to heat up. It’s about time. This is going to be fun.

Official Press Release:

Roku Launches Open Platform for Delivery of Content to the TV; Announces First 10 New Channels

Pandora, Facebook Photos, Revision3, Mediafly, TWiT, blip.tv, Flickr, FrameChannel, Motionbox and MobileTribe all now available on the Roku player

Saratoga, Calif. – November 23, 2009 – Roku, Inc., maker of the popular and award-winning family of Roku players, announced today the Roku Channel Store and the first 10 free channels for Roku customers to enjoy on their TVs. From internet radio to video podcasts, professional web content to photo sharing and personal videos, the Roku Channel Store provides an open platform for delivering quality content to the TV. New channels now available for customers to add today to their Roku experience via the Roku Channel Store include: Pandora, Facebook Photos, Revision3, Mediafly, TWiT, blip.tv, Flickr, FrameChannel, Motionbox and MobileTribe. For the complete list of channels, specific channel descriptions and features please go to http://www.roku.com/roku-channel-store.

These first 10 channels are just the beginning for Roku. Many other developers are working on Roku Channels now, and Roku expects additional developers to adopt the Roku platform over time. New channels will appear in the Roku Channel Store automatically as they become available.

The Roku Channel Store represents an opportunity for content owners and publishers to reach an already large and growing audience of Roku customers. By creating an open platform for delivery to the television over the Internet, Roku has leveled the playing field for content owners.
“The Roku Channel Store turns the Roku player into the world’s first open platform designed specifically for the TV,” Anthony Wood, founder and CEO of Roku, Inc said. “Now content producers and distributors – from single person shops to billion dollar corporations – can deliver their content directly to consumers without having to go exclusively through cable operators, satellite networks or TV affiliates.”
To create a channel for the Roku Channel Store, a developer creates an application using Roku’s free software developer kit. This SDK is available free upon request by emailing partners@roku.com.

All Roku players, including the Roku SD, Roku HD and Roku HD-XR models, are compatible with the Roku Channel Store. The new channels are in addition to the existing Roku channels already available: Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX), Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) Video On Demand and MLB.TV.

Pricing and availability

The Roku Channel Store will be delivered as an automatic and free upgrade to all existing Roku customers over the course of the next two weeks. New customers will automatically be upgraded when they first install their Roku player. To browse and use the Roku Channel Store, customers will be prompted to create a Roku account.

First introduced in May 2008, and updated regularly with free software updates, the Roku player family provides the easiest, most affordable and reliable way for hundreds of thousands of Roku customers to watch their favorite movies, TV shows and sporting events instantly on their TV. All three Roku players are available immediately at http://www.roku.com starting at $79.99 and include free shipping for a limited time.

About Roku, Inc.

Roku is a market leader in innovative applications for digital media, opening up a new world of entertainment to the TV. Through its work in both software and hardware, the company develops and sells consumer products that give customers the ability to take charge over their entertainment choices, combining high-value content and immediate access to that content at a low price. Its products include: The family of Roku players and the SoundBridge Internet radio line. Roku is privately held and based in Saratoga, Calif. For more information on the company and its products, visit: http://www.roku.com.

Press Contact:
Brian Jaquet Roku, Inc.
408.849.4117 (office)
415.235.4844 (cell)
brian@roku.com
Facebook® is a registered trademark of Facebook Inc.
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Roku Announces The Channel Store, Developer Access – and Boxee Competitor? is a post from: TechStartups.com

Like Boxee? Like Hulu? Do you want them to play nice together?

Myka, a startup hardware company based in the booming technology metropolis of Lincoln, Massachusetts recently released the Myka ION HD claiming full Boxee and Hulu support on your TV. Of course it can – it’s basically a netbook in box:

“Myka ION is powered by the Intel Atom Processor 330 and NVIDIA ION Graphics Processor, giving Myka ION fast media-player performance at a low cost.“

The only difference is that a netbook is less expensive. The Myka ION starts at $379 with a 160 GB drive but without wireless connectivity. You can break a few holes in the wall and run ethernet throughout your house or you can get Wireless-N capabilities for an additional $40. Larger hard drives and Blu-Ray are also available.

While it’s heartening to see Boxee come pre-installed on hardware that’s easy to use, the Myka announcement makes me ponder the Boxee business model more than usual . . .

If you have an interest in digital media and online video, you probably know about Boxee. For those who don’t, here’s the skinny:

“Boxee is a free, open-source software platform that integrates personal media with Internet media along with social networking. boxee’s social networking component allows users to share information about what they’re listening to or watching with other Boxee users or friends on social networks like twitter, facebook, etc.”

“Boxee is designed for your TV and use of a remote control.“

A New York-based startup backed by Union Square Ventures, Spark Capital and others, Boxee has yet to reveal a sustainable revenue model. However, we may start to see inklings of that on December 7th at the Boxee Beta Unveiling Event where they plan to reveal a new user interface, improved navigation, a user-controlled queue and other enhancements including “applications from partners.” (Yours truly will be there. Tune in here for updates.)

What might these partnerships look like, and will they provide the company with a revenue model?

Since Boxee is free and open source, software licensing isn’t a likely route. Consumer electronics is a tough market with slim margins and better suited to large players, so I don’t envision Boxee shipping its own hardware.

With that in mind, perhaps the platform will be monetized in other ways. Earlier this month, Boxee produced and released a custom application to promote the Universal Pictures film The Fourth Kind. The application includes:

“TV spots, and other videos related to the film, as well as a collection of real-world video and photographic documentation of the four kinds of alien encounters: sightings, evidence, contact, and abduction.“

Boxee as marketing partner? Perhaps. Boxee does have the mindshare of a loyal following and a significant group of vocal advocates, but without mass distribution of the software, it will be difficult to achieve the reach that many marketers search for.

I love Boxee and want to see them succeed but to an outsider, the path to revenue isn’t apparently clear. Maybe they like it that way, for now.

Myka ION HD Includes Hulu & Boxee – Boxee Business Model on the Way? is a post from: TechStartups.com