Boxee taps into almost any major source of content online. This means you can get not only video from Netflix, YouTube, Blip, MLB and others, but you can also get photos, audio and other online content from Flickr, Pandora, Tumblr and more.
Boxee was working hard to become the alternative tv box before they actually had a box. Beginning as downloadable software, and later using the USB port on the back of AppleTV units, Boxee has done some excellent experimenting with media delivery. And now that they have their own tv box coming out, they are poised to become serious competition for companies like Roku, not to mention cable television providers.
Do not underestimate the importance of what these guys are doing. The impact of a system that can replace traditional tv receivers, but that taps into a multitude of digital sources beyond tv networks is huge. It’s the sweet spot of major disruption in the industry without major disruption for consumers. Sure, everyone has been talking about this possibility, and companies like Roku and others (remember Akimbo?) have been trying hard to do it for quite a while, but the team at Boxee seems to have nailed it.
This is due in no small part to their open source approach, enabling content owners and distributors to make content available through the Boxee system, while companies like Roku have been working through deals with partners one at a time. The open source approach will likely allow Boxee to grow exponentially over the next 2-3 years. And it’s perfect timing. A recent Pew Research study found that 23% of people who watch video online are connecting that content to their television. Meanwhile, 20% of cable subscribers have downgraded or canceled their service in the last year.
So, Rob likes Boxee. From both a technical and business perspective, Boxee impresses me more than the sexiest, most popular startups out there. And the people behind the company have always come across to me as some of the smartest, most inquisitive and generally good people in the new media world.
It is perhaps worth acknowledging that the Boxee box from D-link is over-designed and kind of obnoxious, but this is likely the sort of business decision we all have to make sometimes to please the public. Early adopters may not care for it, but perhaps the greater public will. What the hell do I know about retail design anyway? Still, let’s hope there is a simple, small unit coming out in 2011, if not sooner. And I know it’s too much to ask, but maybe that box will come with RCA video and S-video plugs for the average Joe.
In the meantime, rock on, Boxee. Nice work.
Here’s an intro to Boxee from their home page (via Vimeo):
