As a long time user of HTPC’s and Boxee Media Center I recently decided to take a step back and see if anyone else had discovered the joys of internet television.  To my surprise, with the exception of BBC Iplayer, many had no idea there was more out there.

20Mb + broadband connections have now become mainstream and whilst many surf the web and check their facebook, not as many have discovered the joys of the latest web TV content.   If you haven't discovered Boxee yet then I encourage you to check out their site here and download the latest version of the application for your computer or HTPC. 

Boxee is a cross platform media player based on the XBMC (Xbox Media Center) platform and whilst the application is a fantastic way to listen to your music and watch your local content, today i’m going to focus on the Web TV experience. 

Did you know you can experience a great selection of video content in one convenient accessible place from big names like the BBC, Discovery, CNN etc?

Upon running Boxee you will notice the usual Video, Music, Photos categories but also there is another category called Applications.  Here you will find dozens of different content providers with access to literally hundreds of channels of video content, including some HD streams.   With the exception of Netflix and a few other subscription based content providers 95% is free of charge and the quality of the shows is, in many cases, up to a very high standard.  If you want to catch up on Eastenders, you can watch the repeats from Iplayer, if your interests are scientific, there is a Discovery channel, also there is a fantastic programme provider called Revision 3 where you will find some great shows, my personal favourites being, Tekzilla and HD Nation. 

All content is available from the individual providers sites directly however I find Boxee is a great way of aggregating them together with new content being added all of the time in the form of apps.

As well as some fantastic streamed video there is also access to internet radio, Last.fm and our US visitors can also access Pandora.  I really encourage you to check it out if your looking for something fresh and exciting to do with your computer other than watching the usual youtube videos (also conveniently accessible from the Boxee interface)

Boxee is available for download for free and is compatible with the following devices.

Windows PC

Apple Mac OSX

Apple TV

Ubuntu Linux PC

There are also a few dedicated devices that have boxee already installed. 

You can sign up for the latest version of Boxee Beta here

You can sign up and register to try the Alpha here

I hope you give Boxee a try and you can also follow me and my viewing activity from within your own Boxee interface, details are here.

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