Boxee at this point not for me Bad Resolution

[inetnawlins]

Sorry guys, but this product just doesn't make my Sony TV and Apple TV worthwhile.

The apple-itunes media play in HD and look great. Also when I transfer anything to itunes from my Macbook Pro to the Apple TV it looks great.

But when I view anything on my Macbook Pro using Boxee or through the Apple TV using Boxee it is choppy and reminds me of watching early quicktime videos over dial-up in 1998.

I appreciate the depth of selection of free tv through Hulu, but the quality is awful. It is worse than VCR quality.

I added some media to Boxee on my Macbook Pro to see if viewing it was different between the Apple TV and the MacBook Pro. It still looked awful. I viewed the same thing on the Macbook Pro by simply clicking on it and quality was great. So the video quality issue is not with hardware or the media, but with Boxee itself.

If this is ever fixed, then I could see the usefulness, but otherwise, I think Apple's solution with itunes beats the hell out of this.

Also, when I've completed an update for Boxee on the Apple TV, why does it continue to show in updates? It should disappear or show in some way that update has been applied.

Anyway, not trying to be too hard on anyone, but when you've invested in a quality HD flatscreen and a quality laptop, why sacrifice all that when watching media?

Anyone else have these issues? Any ideas?

[AaronX]

I appreciate the depth of selection of free tv through Hulu, but the quality is awful. It is worse than VCR quality.

I think your problem is largely PEBKAC.
Also understand Hulu's video quality is not Boxee's fault/problem.
My 720p stuff looks great on my 47" via HDMI.

Some information as to the file format, source, native resolution, bit rate, how you have your AppleTV hooked up and it's resolution might be helpful information.

Also you do realize it's alpha right?

[agentlame]

sorry you're having trouble... but maybe we can help.

can you tell us a bit about the media you're watching?

what types of files?
where they come from (download/rip)?
what your screen res is?
connection types?

[inetnawlins]

I'm using a Macbook Pro, and an Apple TV hooked up via HDMI.

Media that I've checked out on Boxee includes any of the web channels, Hulu and couple of files that were quicktime files and windows media.

For purposes of evaluation I'll separate the files locally on MacBook Pro and watching on computer from the ones watched from internet through Apple TV.

For files on MacBook Pro, quality of display is good over the computer and through itunes-Apple TV not using Boxee.

Same files look like sub vcr quality playing through Boxee.

Channels like CNN, Hulu, etc. from internet via Apple Airport Extreme. Choppy and unwatchable.

I realize it is an alpha and I'm not planning on uninstalling, but as it stands now, the quality is too low to use on a regular basis.

By the way what is PEBKAC?

Screen res: Macbook Pro: 1440 x 990.
Apple TV: 720

[AaronX]

Media that I've checked out on Boxee includes any of the web channels, Hulu and couple of files that were quicktime files and windows media.

Web Channels and Hulu will be low quality. They keep it low quality flash video on purpose so they don't cannibalize normal tv watching too much. This has nothing to do with Boxee since it's the networks fault.

For files on MacBook Pro, quality of display is good over the computer and through itunes-Apple TV not using Boxee.

Same files look like sub vcr quality playing through Boxee.

What's the native resolution of the files? What's the bit rate? Format? Where did they come from? I'd say your issue might be with the quality of your files. Garbage in Garbage out as it were.

Channels like CNN, Hulu, etc. from internet via Apple Airport Extreme. Choppy and unwatchable.

On the AppleTV there isn't much Boxee can do since no one has GPU drivers and Boxee cannot use the GPU to accelerate video playback. The AppleTV also doesn't have the fastest processor in the world. They are working on it but it's alpha so... there will be issues/bugs.

By the way what is PEBKAC?

Problem Exists Between Keyboard And Chair

[inetnawlins]

Garbage in garbage out makes sense unless the files play well and look good using quicktime on the computer rather than boxee. Doesn't apply here.

Comments on Hulu are well taken. If that is the quality coming out of Hulu, I don't understand why anyone would watch it. But garbage in, garbage out may apply here.

[agentlame]

Comments on Hulu are well taken. If that is the quality coming out of Hulu, I don't understand why anyone would watch it. But garbage in, garbage out may apply here.

actually, hulu can push a 480p stream on a fair amount of content... it's that the atv can't handle th 480p stream, so boxee defaults to the 320p.

[inetnawlins]

actually, hulu can push a 480p stream on a fair amount of content... it's that the atv can't handle th 480p stream, so boxee defaults to the 320p.

I'm confused. The ATV handles HD at higher than 480 and it looks good when watching movies or tv shows or even movie previews. How is that different?

[agentlame]

i'm sorry... atv can't handle a 480p *flash* stream.

[inetnawlins]

Got it. So the issue is Flash.