Boxee

For other uses, see Boxy.

Developer(s)Boxee, Inc.
Initial release16 June 2008; 16 years ago (2008-06-16)
Final release
1.5 / 26 December 2011; 12 years ago (2011-12-26)
Written inC++ (and with Python scripts as plugins)
Operating system
Currently supported
  • Boxee on linux kernel
  • iOS
No longer supported
Platformx86 and x86-64 architecture
Available inInternational (multiple languages)
TypeMedia Player / Home theater PC (limited)/ Digital media receiver
LicenseGNU GPL and Closed Source (Proprietary Software)
Websitewww.boxee.tv

Boxee was a cross-platform freeware HTPC (Home Theater PC) software application with a 10-foot user interface and social networking features designed for the living-room TV. It enabled its users to view, rate and recommend content to their friends through many social network services and interactive media related features.

Boxee was originally a fork of the free and open source XBMC (now Kodi) media center software which Boxee used as an application framework for its GUI and media player core platform, together with some custom and proprietary additions.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8]

Marketed as the first ever "Social Media Center",[9][10][11] the first public alpha of Boxee was made available on 16 June 2008.[12] The UI design of the Alpha prototype was designed with design firm Method Incorporated, who also created Boxee's brand identity.[13] The first public beta version was officially released for all previously supported platforms on 7 January 2010.[14] Boxee gained the ability to watch live TV on the Boxee Box using a live TV stick in January 2012.[15][16] By the end of 2012 the developers had discontinued all desktop versions and support.

Boxee co-developed a dedicated set-top box (hardware) called "Boxee Box by D-Link" in cooperation with D-Link which was the first "Powered by Boxee" branded device to be announced and launched,[17][18][19][20] as well as a similar media player device called "Iomega TV with Boxee" (available in the UK & Europe) in cooperation with Iomega[21][22] and a 46" high-definition television from ViewSonic with integrated Boxee software.

Boxee was owned and developed by a single for-profit startup company, (Boxee, Inc.), which began as a high tech stealth startup based in Israel and the United States with seed money from several angel investors, and was then known to be financially backed by venture capital firms such as General Catalyst Partners, Union Square Ventures, Softbank, Pitango, Spark Capital and Globis Capital Partners.[23][24][25] The company's main offices are located at 122 West 26th Street, 8th Floor, New York, NY 1000140°44′42″N 73°59′33″W / 40.745062°N 73.992611°W / 40.745062; -73.992611.[26]

In July 2013 online media sources revealed Samsung would hire key employees and purchase Boxee's assets for around $30M. Samsung confirmed the acquisition with The New York Times, but did not disclose the amount.[27]

  1. ^ Kidman, Angus (15 October 2010). "History of Boxee: Starting with a Different Kind of Box". Gizmodo.com.au. Retrieved 19 October 2011.
  2. ^ Kidman, Angus (18 October 2010). "History of Boxee: XBMC Moves Beyond The Console". Gizmodo.com.au. Retrieved 19 October 2011.
  3. ^ Kidman, Angus (19 October 2010). "History of Boxee: And Boxee Was Born, Slowly". Gizmodo.com.au. Retrieved 19 October 2011.
  4. ^ "History of boxee". Gizmodo.com.au. 22 October 2010. Retrieved 19 October 2011.
  5. ^ Apple TV Hacks (3 July 2008). "Boxee mini review". appletvhacks.net.
  6. ^ Paul, Ryan (10 May 2009). "XBMC 9.04 delivers impressive media center experience". Ars Technica.
  7. ^ Anderson, Kevin (7 October 2009). "Boxee: Thinking inside the box". The Guardian. UK.
  8. ^ "Boxee CEO to Demo New Boxee Box by D-Link at Streaming Media West Conference". Businesswire.com. 28 October 2010. Retrieved 19 October 2011.
  9. ^ Ronen, Avner (25 June 2008). "boxee blog – why we made boxee social". Boxee. Archived from the original on 12 July 2008.
  10. ^ Pash, Adam (23 June 2008). "Boxee Is XBMC with Newer Look and Social Flair". lifehacker.
  11. ^ Reisinger, Don (18 November 2008). "Boxee lands $4 million for social media center". CNET. Retrieved 13 November 2016.
  12. ^ Ronen, Avner (18 June 2008). "boxee for Mac first alpha release is available for download". Boxee. Archived from the original on 1 July 2008.
  13. ^ "Boxee Case Study". Archived from the original on 11 October 2011. Retrieved 21 August 2012.
  14. ^ Ronen, Avner (7 January 2010). "Boxee Beta Goes Public, Download Now". Archived from the original on 20 August 2010. Retrieved 7 January 2010.
  15. ^ "Boxee – Boxee Live TV". 14 December 2011. Archived from the original on 31 August 2012.
  16. ^ Startups Can't Ignore Washington - Businessweek Archived 13 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Mobile.businessweek.com (12 April 2012). Retrieved on 2013-10-30.
  17. ^ Ganesh, T S; Klug, Brian (13 September 2010). "Boxee Box: The Inside Story, Swapping Tegra 2 for Intel CE4100". AnandTech.
  18. ^ Ronen, Avner (16 January 2009). "a boxee box?". Boxee. Archived from the original on 18 January 2009. Retrieved 17 January 2009.
  19. ^ Pash, Adam (12 November 2009). "Dedicated Boxee Box to Come Preloaded with the Popular Media Center". Lifehacker.
  20. ^ "Boxee partners with Iomega, NAS device running Boxee is coming". Blog.boxee.tv. 4 January 2011. Archived from the original on 11 October 2011. Retrieved 19 October 2011.
  21. ^ "Iomega TV with Boxee chooses function over form, packs in a hard drive to boot". Engadget.com. 4 January 2011. Retrieved 19 October 2011.
  22. ^ "Boxee is The One to Watch". Startupmania.net. 10 December 2009. Archived from the original on 27 August 2011. Retrieved 19 October 2011.
  23. ^ Boxee Adds $6 Million Second round; Aims To Take On Microsoft, Apple In Living Room[permanent dead link‍]. Reuters, 12 August 2009 cached[permanent dead link‍]
  24. ^ "$16.5M More For Boxee To Invest in the Future of TV". Blog.boxee.tv. 1 March 2011. Archived from the original on 4 October 2011. Retrieved 19 October 2011.
  25. ^ "Why You Should Wall Mount Your TV". southcharlotteservices. 28 August 2016.[permanent dead link‍]
  26. ^ Chen, Brian X. (3 July 2013). "Samsung Electronics Acquires Boxee, a Video Start-Up". The New York Times.