Boxee is delivering a USB-based tuner for more than-the-air TV support, however your High definition tv most likely already has one built-in.
(Credit: Boxee)Boxee co-founder Avner Ronen required towards the official Boxee blog today to announce the Boxee Live TV tuner.
It is a $50 TV tuner dongle arriving The month of january that connects to among the Boxee Box's USB ports and works together with either free over-the-air TV signals (which typically range from the major systems, plus PBS) or unencrypted Obvious QAM cable channels. (There is a helpful overview on Boxee's site.)
The pitch would be that the Live TV tuner helps make the Boxee Box a great cable-cutting device, allowing you to still watch major TV occasions like local sports and award shows, while making up ground on other TV and movie content via streaming video services like Netflix and Vudu. (Although not Hulu Plus, which still has not been put into Boxee, regardless of the announcement more than a year ago.)
The issue
That sounds great, before you keep in mind that every modern High definition tv already includes a built-in ATSC tuner that enables you to definitely watch live TV. Sure, the Boxee Box Live TV tuner could save you the irritation of switching inputs in your TV and it'll have in all probability a more attractive interface, but $50 is to pay for for your convenience. (Particularly if you possess a Harmony universal remote you are able to program having a handy "Watch TelevisionInch command to very easily switch in the Boxee towards the TV's built-in tuner.)
Passing up on live sports is among the primary disadvantages of cable-cutting, that the Boxee Live TV tuner is searching to repair.
(Credit: Boxee)Skepticism aside, you will find a couple of methods Boxee can bolster its over-the-air TV support to create the $50 dongle a much better value.
1. Digital recording device capacity
Your blog publish mentions that Digital recording device capacity utilizing an attached USB hard disk if enough customers request it. We believe it is a must-have feature, not only for recording shows, but in addition for temporarily halting live TV, the industry feature we simply expect with this live TV experience now. We'd also like to visit a new Boxee Box by having an integrated hard disk and tuner, to chop lower on USB-dongle clutter.
2. Better guide data
One of the leading foibles of numerous over-the-air DVRs with no fee every month is subpar electronic program guide data. These budget DVRs typically make use of the guide data already contained inside the over-the-air TV signals, but that information is frequently spotty and just is out each day approximately. If Boxee can provide a much better experience here, that may be a useful reason to make use of the Boxee tuner as opposed to the one already included in your High definition tv.
3. Mix-platform search and browsing
Everybody from Microsoft to Google to TiVo is attempting to nail mix-platform search and browsing. If Boxee could make search and browsing work between all its supported video services and also over-the-air content, it might be another solid reason to make use of Boxee's tuner, as opposed to the one you have.
Do not get us wrong: Boxee's Live TV tuner is really a part of the best direction and cord-blades, myself incorporated, are eager for a simple solution that mixes streaming content from the Web and solid over-the-air support. (TiVo is the greatest current option, however it takes a fee every month.) But until and unless of course Boxee offers some significant over-the-air features, the tuner is mainly helping you save the problem of altering the input in your TV.
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