Boxee

With the Internet being the source of nearly all forms of media entertainment out there and the fastest way to connect is via a PC, you can surely find an application to bring them at the tip of your fingers. Boxee is one example and promises to turn your computer into a multimedia center that can play content on your hard disk drive and stream online content.

Running the application covers the entire screen with the pleasant and modern interface. All elements are polished and found under intuitive and clearly visible icons. The upper part is home to major categories such as photos, music, movies, TV shows while the lower part displays featured Internet content or feeds from your Facebook or Twitter account.

Accessing either of the categories takes you to the default Windows location of libraries, but you can set root folder from the settings menu. Navigation is easily done by clicking on the desired item, with the right mouse button serving as a way to go to the previous step.

The application also provides a decent amount of online content you can take advantage of. Under the “Movies” and “TV Shows” sections you can choose from items on your computer or one connected to your network, as well as browse through provided online content. Unfortunately, there is no integrated search engine, making it a little difficult to find exactly what you want.

Accessing the settings menu lets you tweak the application to suit your needs. The background image can be changed to blend in with your desktop, set regional details, manage library folders, or configure and activate a parental control feature.

Boxee is a neat multimedia center that lets you enjoy nearly all types of media on the Internet and your computer. However, the project is no longer supported for PC, but it can still be used with confidence. It's pleasant, easy to use and grants quick access to anything you might want to watch or listen to.