14 DAY TRIAL // If you are a fan of Front Row, you will definitely love “to be entertained” by Boxee, the first “Social Media Center.” Considering that the Internet is continuously expanding, providing new ways to access and share pictures, movies, audio files or metadata that goes with them, a media center that is able to gather all that information under the same hood provides an absolutely amazing experience.
Based on XBMC Media Center, Boxee is currently in Alpha version, with a fast growing community that is constantly trying to make the application better. In order to use Boxee, you will have to create your own free account that will allow you to invite friends and add feeds that you want to monitor, but also lets you store your account information for services like Twitter, FriendFeed, Tumblr or NetFlix.
The Looks
The Boxee main window is designed to provide all the information you need but is very careful not to clutter your screen. That is why the main menu will constantly toggle in the left side, allowing you to go back and forth using only a small amount of your screen. Boxee is designed to provide a TV-like experience so the application will use the full screen by default, although you may enter the windowed mode using the ⌘F keyboard combination.
Boxee can be controlled using the mouse or the keyboard but also by using your Apple Remote. This way, you can sit back and browse just like you were in front of your TV, only that now you can actually choose what to see.
The Works
The first time you start the application, it will scan your local media files but it will also grab the latest Boxee news. By default, Avner Ronen will be added in your friends list, and you will be able to follow his feed. This way, when you enter Boxee for the first time, you will be able to see the Recommendations, your Friends latest activity, and when you start using the application, you will also be able to see the recently added and the recently used media files.
If you go to the left, you will be able to see the Boxee menu where you can access the main categories: Video, Music, Pictures, CD/DVD, Downloads, App Box and Settings. Fore each media category, you have the possibility to browse through the files that are available locally but also access Internet resources using the built-in applications. This way, you can easily access websites like YouTube, NetFlix, Pandora, Joost, Hulu, MTV, Comedy Central and so on. Not only can you use the predefined locations, but you can also add your own feeds or media sources.
Boxee also allows you to access your CD or DVD information but you must take into account that it is currently able to play only the first part of a multisession DVD. The Applications window permits you to add new items to your personal list, so you will be able to easily access the webpages that interest you. Through them, you gain access to a wide range of rather popular media websites, without having to deal with any web browser. All the surfing is made within Boxee, no matter whether you are visualizing media or just looking for information.
The best part is that you may recommend or add your own ratings to each item, see general information, or adjust the display settings. If you want to use them for the entire application, you may choose to set them as defaults. Still, for more advanced options, you should go to the main settings pane that allows you to adjust the video, music and picture displaying mode but also to customize the Boxee appearance.
For example, by default, Boxee keeps the video files running even if you exit the playback screen in order to navigate through the menu. You can change this behavior from the Video panel situated in the Settings menu.
For the music files, you can change the visualization style and disable the auto play next item feature, while in case of slideshows, you can adjust the transition time.
You may also change the default background image and even make network settings. The system panel allows you to make several adjustments like keeping the Apple Remote always running but also the sequence delay value, the autorun behavior for CDs and DVDs, and establishing the default audio output device.
The Good
And since the community is rather developed, you can find detailed information about the program in the Wiki section of the Boxee website, follow the application blog or ask questions on the forum. This way, if you have a problem, there is high probability you will be able to find a solution and you might need this support to learn how to use the sharing feature or the inbuilt downloader.
The Bad
The Truth
Here are some snapshots of the application in action:
