Forward Media

The final verdict

Boxee has to deal with a lot of the same issues as Google TV when it comes to online content right now: Broadcasters’ web videos could get blocked any day, and Hulu Plus isn’t available just yet. I can understand that this would make some people think twice before buying into the platform. And yes, not having Netflix available is kind of lame. However, I’ve found the Boxee Box to be a great addition to my TV setup, even with some content missing. The experience is more streamlined than on Google TV, and there are infinitely more possibilities to get content and waste hours over hours than with Apple TV, thanks in part to its Twitter and Facebook integration.

Granted, Boxee doesn’t have a number of features that Google TV inherited from Android, like the ability to do multitasking and easily switch between a number of apps and browser windows. The pendulum could also swing once Google and Apple open up their platforms for third-party apps. Still, Boxee is already proving that it can easily handle web apps optimized for Google TV, so it could profit from those other platforms getting more popular as well.

The ability to gracefully handle local content and the awesome remote control are two more reasons make the Boxee Box worth its money alone. Add to that the fact that you’ll soon have access to Hulu Plus, Netflix and VUDU, and you have box that’s maybe not perfect, but definitely very, very nice.