Boxee Box or XBMC

[bob1970]

Hello

Just curious to see what kind of feedback I'll get with this question.

I want to set up some sort of HTPC. I'm really only interested in Navi-X, local ripped files, and Netflix would be a bonus.

Is the Boxee Box good enough to handle this or am I better off building my own box with XBMC?
If I build I'll probably go with something like the ZOTAC ZBOX ID41

Looking forward to hearing peoples comments!

[winedog]

Hello

Just curious to see what kind of feedback I'll get with this question.

I want to set up some sort of HTPC. I'm really only interested in Navi-X, local ripped files, and Netflix would be a bonus.

Is the Boxee Box good enough to handle this or am I better off building my own box with XBMC?
If I build I'll probably go with something like the ZOTAC ZBOX ID41

Looking forward to hearing peoples comments!

Lots of different ways to go. Boxee Box does most of what you need all in one tidy box. However, there are many users frustrated with niggly bugs like audio HD audio drop-outs, lack of proper flash support (partly because of dependencies on Intel SDK that are not available for the Boxee chipset and so on).

An HTPC will be more robust, but may not be as user friendly to non-tech savvy users (i.e. spouses, children, etc...).

You will get very different and vocal opinions on this matter.

There is also speculation that a new Boxee hardware version is on it's way before the end of the year.

There are also a whole bunch of Android based Google TV hardware devices hitting the market (along with XBMC coming to Android soon'ish). http://www.vizio.com/costar/overview

No simple answer. Lot's to read on these forums to consider and determine what is best for your particular situation.

[arcko]

For yourself, use xbmc
For other family members, use boxee box

[mindslap]

For yourself, use xbmc
For other family members, use boxee box

Best answer!! Go to the head of the class..

[ScottAllyn]

Technically, the Boxee Box should be able to do everything that you're interested in. How well it fares in handling your local files really depends upon the files that you have it play and how tolerant/patient you are when it comes to identifying movies and tv shows (many people end up using 3rd-party apps to generate .nfo files because the Box often has issues identifying files).

XBMC can handle pretty much anything you throw at it and does a MUCH better job of identifying movies and tv shows (and it significantly quicker at it, too). It's definitely not as user friendly as the Boxee Box, however and does require quite a bit of "futzing" to get everything setup properly; this is compounded even further if you run it as a separate program on top of OS (in which case, you'll also have that OS to futz around with). On the other hand, it's much much more customizable than the Boxee Box.

It's a tough call. As others have said, if you have family members who will be using the device, the Boxee Box may be your best bet; its simplified (somewhat dumbed down) interface is much more spouse-friendly. If you're the only one who's going to be controlling the device and you don't mind digging deeply into more advanced configuration menus to get the best performance, XBMC may be the better answer.