New BB Review - UK Content Based

[mrtonk]

The register has posted up a new review of the BB from the perspective of UK based users, looking at the online content that is available over here:-

http://www.reghardware.com/2011/02/1...e_box_dsm_380/

Could be usefull for anyone outside of the US that are thinking of getting the device, whether intending to use it for local or online content.

[Sneckster]

It does make some valid points but you can't really blame the box for most of it, blame the UK tv channels like channel 4 and its 360 resolution content!!! What year is this?

What do they mean by 'There are also apps that provide access to other functionality, like weather forecasts, or YouView’s big screen interface.'

Youview on the boxee box?

[mrtonk]

Must be referring to the YouTube Leanback app, as youview is still some way off from launch (2012).

[trooperlooper]

I thinks it's a pretty fair review, apart from two points.

"As a player for local media, Boxee excels – but so it should, for £200, when there are products that can do as well for half the price"
There isn't another local streamer that works anywhere near as well as the Boxee Box, let alone one for half the price.

55% mark? Seems a bit low based on the review content.

[Sneckster]

55% is a shocking score to give it.

Even for just UK online content 55% is too low as you get the whole of Youtube, vimeo and iplayer.

[rjwrichards]

very fair review. it stated current facts as observed by reviewer. the 55% is pretty much in there with its current state IMHO....

[Sneckster]

I don't see how Boxee can do much about the UK content though, it's not like they can give us Hulu and Netflicks or force channel 4 to upload vids in a reasonable resolution.

[MrVectrex]

I have to say I agree with the review and think it was fair.

The point it seemed to make wrt online content seemed to highlight the issues with the integration, such as the not-going-to-fullscreen and so on, all of which have been mentioned time and time again and logged as bugs and not fixed.

[PhatPhreddy]

55% is a shocking score to give it.

Even for just UK online content 55% is too low as you get the whole of Youtube, vimeo and iplayer.

I am finding the iPlayer app only borderline useable.. I mean its there as a proof of concept but day to day use ??

Too buggy, lots of crashes, lots of audio playing and no video, no FF controls to get back to where you were when it screwed up.. No playback of networked iPlayer desktop downloads.. The whole not playing full screen, using the d pad to set audio Etc etc etc. Its just very beta..

I am having to boot the HTPC for iPlayer.. Boxee is basically a local content only machine for me.

[Sneckster]

I have had no problems with iplayer other than it not being refreshed for a week and there not being a BBC channel in the shows list.

I've watched quite a few shows on it from Being Human to Bear Behaving Badly and they all worked fine. From the app or the faves list nothing has not worked on iplayer through the box so far.

Another complaint about being a UK user that the didn't mention is the lack of covers and show info. I have far too many shows with no covers and in the show list I would say over 90% have no covers and some are even the wrong shows.