Boxee Box firmware update (released: 25 Nov)

[tsella]

We have spent the past week or so to fix almost all major issues reported by our forum users, Amazon commenters, twitterers, emailers, bloggers, Jira and support ticket openers.

This version does not include the UI changes Avner has written about, but rather laser focused on making the software work great on so many varied configurations the "real world" represents.

The version is currently in testing, and if all is well in the next couple of days, you will receive it as an automatic software update.

Once it's out, share your thoughts here and on Amazon.

I would like to thank you all for helping us making Boxee better!

Tom & Team Boxee

Here is what has been fixed:

Media Playback

• 1080i playback in Web browser caused black screens for Web and local content
• Some HD .avi content playing at low frames-per-second
• Failure to seek in specific Blu-Ray .iso over network share
• Case sensitivity issues in .iso filename extension
• Stuttering while playing some Blu-Ray content
• No video, audio only while playing some .m4v content
• Failure to render .ass subtitles after changing overscan settings
• Failure in opening .rar files containining subtitles
• Playback and overscan issues when switching to and from fullscreen of online content
• Rear channels on AAC 5.1 are not played properly w/ LPCM 5.1 out
• Flash video audio drops out after ~1 hour in long length online videos
• Select subtitles from hard-drive screen does not work

Wireless Connectivity

• Wireless signal levels display (showing one bar when in fact 3 bars should be displayed)
• Missing WiFi encryption schemes
• First time WiFi setup takes excessive time

Network Shares

• Repeated credentials request for non-secure network shares (SMB)
• Unable to access network share when Window Live is installed on Windows 7
• Intermittent crashes when failing to open networked media
• Frequent disconnects from Mac OS X network shares (SMB)

Other

• Empty screen appears when filtering shows by Channels > TED, Engadget, when geo lock is enabled
• Faulty DNS configuration when using VPN causing a Boxee network disconnect
• Leave/stay prompt shows up multiple times for some online content
• Web browser screen size was wrong, not compensating for overscan
• "Resume from" does not always show
• Browser Loading progress bar does not go away
• Weather location and timezone are not always set up correctly

And here is what has been added and improved:

• Support .mkv with header compression
• Support switching from PC black level to video black level
• Default overscan is now 3% on top and left and 6% on right and bottom
• Add a global subtitles toggle, set to off by default
• Support for showing password for Wireless connections
• Support for reporting HDMI/HDCP handshake status

[Rookie]

Thanks, this is a good start.

"Web browser screen size was wrong, not compensating for overscan"

Really hope that fixes the lines in the TED app, and FanCast videos.

[Entity]

Christmas in November!

[darcilicious]

Thanks for the update Tom!

[BlueStreak]

Thanks Tom and Team! We really appreciate your attention to detail, wide open ears for bug fixes and suggestions and the commitment to get it right - very refreshing to have such hands-on management. And for everyone that's a little impatient, they appreciate you and the Box as well... Keep up the great work

[marcello696]

[*] Stuttering while playing some Blu-Ray content

Tom thank you for the update but just to be clear does this fix also include the Blu-Ray ISO buffering issue?

[dannyboy101010]

Tom thank you for the update but just to be clear does this fix also include the Blu-Ray ISO buffering issue?

I hope this is the fix....I too get buffering issues ever few seconds on BD ISO's. Out side of this, love the box and what it does...
Look forward to the release and thanks for the hard work and commitment.

[Bixiee]

Here is what has been fixed:

Media Playback

• Flash video audio drops out after ~1 hour in long length online videos

I hope you buffer more as well. Twit live frequently buffers, it doesn't do that on the PS3

[midwaybrit]

I have been supportive with my review on Amazon, unlike some. But even I am getting impatient !!
I am glad to see these fixes coming this week, to be honest, if they hadn't , it would be on the way back to Amazon today.
It is impressive to see you guys being so 'hands on', but as users it is very frustrating when the computer software works so much better...especially as it's free !
I took the liberty of letting the guys know over at super vpn, as they were not aware of the vpn disconnect, which has been driving me insane. Can't wait for that to be fixed.
One thing that worries me, is the original Boxee going to be replaced with a Series 2, or will you simply continue to make the Series 1 work properly with firmware upgrades ? $200 is quite an investment if it is going to be ditched in months to come for a new machine.
Thanks again,
Andy

[Alcaron]

At first I was bummed that none of my problems were listed...then I realized, um, I don't really have many problems. So hopefully they get sorted eventually, but more importantly I hope the people with problems get to a point where they are as happy with theirs as I have been with mine.

LOVE my boxee box!

Thanks again guys!