--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Bhairitu <noozg...@...> wrote: > > Rick Archer wrote: > > Alex, did you see Jim Karpen's article about Boxee in this month's Source? > > http://boxee.tv/. Looks like an interesting thing to play with if you have a > > Mac connected to your TV. Doesn't work with PCs yet. > Devices like this have been around for awhile. They just are becoming > less a "geek item" and advertised to the general public. I've had a > AVel Linkplayer2 for over 4 years. It plays a lot of media via server > that is on my PCs including my Linux box. It also plays some web shows > directly off the Internet. It also plays HD content off data DVDs and > used the first generation Sigma Designs chip set which the second > generation wound up being in HD-DVD and Blu-Ray players. Western > Digital has a box that will play files off USB sticks (in case you don't > have a home network) and my player even does that too. My local Fry's > has a end cap of these kind of devices from Hava, D-Link, Buffalo, etc. >
I've had an Avel LinkPlyer2 for about 3 years or so, too. I just loved the device even with all its clunkiness. I had about 4 computers streaming to it. Coupled with a good bit torrent client, I have had not much need for premium cable or a dvr. Just download an xvid rip and stream away! I recently retired the AVLP2 because I do most of my streaming downstairs in the family room through either the XBox360 or the Playstation 2. My wife bought an HDTV LCD for the bedroom over Christmas, so I purchased an AppleTV for it. I really thought the AppleTV sucked until boxee came along. Boxee makes the AppleTV worthwhile for me and I would not have purchased the unit if boxee were not available. My favorite feature of boxee has been the utilization of dvd menus from ripped content on a networked computer somewhere in the house. Never got dvd menus working on any of the firmware releasse for the LinkPlayer2. Boxee streams wonderfully. I don't have any need to share with community, and it is not a feature that attracts, but maybe over time it might work out if my friends and family join the boxee community. 2 months ago, NONE of my relatives were on facebook, now just about everyone is and we all are sharing like crazzzzzzzzzzzzzy. Boxee is in alpha on all platforms, yet I've seen better performance in this alpha product than I have in many so called release version. Happy viewing, all. (end of unsolicited product endorsement)
