So I pre-ordered a Boxee Box

yllw.ldbttr · 27-01-2012 12:12PM

I gave up waiting for BOxee / Netflix to release their UK/ Ireland app and so I subscribed to Netflix using my ipad, and got an account with UnblockUs.
Changed the DNS server on my boxee box and now have access to US version netflix, Vudu, BBC iPlayer etc... well worth the USD $5 per month. Much easier and cheaper solution than a VPN.

Big Lar · 11-03-2012 08:34PM

Anyone get the tv tuner for the boxee, I spose what I really want to know is can I use the boxee as a saor view box?

mankydogg · 09-05-2012 07:29PM

just bought a boxee box on amazon.
dont know if it was the wisest decision looking at some of the problems people are having with them.

has anyone used it watch live streams online?
does rte player, 4od, netflix etc work on it?

yllw.ldbttr · 09-05-2012 07:31PM

mankydogg wrote: »

just bought a boxee box on amazon.
dont know if it was the wisest decision looking at some of the problems people are having with them.

has anyone used it watch live streams online?
does rte player, 4od, netflix etc work on it?

Use the RTE Player XL link.

4od requires the ps3.4od.com URL

Netflix requires a VPN/ Unblock-us.com sub to get it working via US content.

mankydogg · 09-05-2012 09:23PM

tanx yllw.ldbttr

ArthurG · 09-05-2012 10:05PM

mankydogg wrote: »

just bought a boxee box on amazon.
dont know if it was the wisest decision looking at some of the problems people are having with them.

has anyone used it watch live streams online?
does rte player, 4od, netflix etc work on it?

What problems? I have zero issues with mine, absolutely love it. Also have bought a DNS from overplay.net so I can get BBC player and US Netflix, Vudu etc. Excellent!

PogMoThoin · 09-05-2012 10:28PM

ArthurG wrote: »

What problems? I have zero issues with mine, absolutely love it. Also have bought a DNS from overplay.net so I can get BBC player and US Netflix, Vudu etc. Excellent!

You mean a VPN

10-05-2012 12:04AM

PogMoThoin wrote: »

You mean a VPN

The new thing is DNS-based services for spoofing your IP and letting you watch geolocked video.

Not entirely sure how it works but its not a VPN because only the initial handshake is done through the provider. Although VPN providers are now offering it because its a lot cheaper for them bandwidth wise.

PogMoThoin · 10-05-2012 08:04AM

Deleted User wrote: »

The new thing is DNS-based services for spoofing your IP and letting you watch geolocked video.

Not entirely sure how it works but its not a VPN because only the initial handshake is done through the provider. Although VPN providers are now offering it because its a lot cheaper for them bandwidth wise.

Yes, I've come across them. Like UnblockUs.
It's just ArthurG mentions Overplay. I've used them for a time, they only sell VPN services as far as I'm aware and not this DNS service which is why I questioned it.

10-05-2012 10:13AM

PogMoThoin wrote: »

Yes, I've come across them. Like UnblockUs.
It's just ArthurG mentions Overplay. I've used them for a time, they only sell VPN services as far as I'm aware and not this DNS service which is why I questioned it.

Overplay do one of these DNS services as well:
https://www.overplay.net/smartdns/setup.php
You can get it separately to their VPN for $4 so maybe that's what he was referring to.

ArthurG · 10-05-2012 03:52PM

Indeed they do! It's cheap and works extremely well. I'm assuming speed is better as its not through a VPN. I was streaming 1080p/24 content from vudu effortlessly. BBC player works flawlessly too. Well worth the few dollars per month.

mankydogg · 10-05-2012 05:34PM

ArthurG wrote: »

What problems? I have zero issues with mine, absolutely love it. Also have bought a DNS from overplay.net so I can get BBC player and US Netflix, Vudu etc. Excellent!

was just reading about problems with the flash player being outdated and the netflix app being removed etc

Does anyone know a link where you can get a list of all the content on the US netflix and hulu?

Would like to see what they have before i pay for a VPN/DNS and a subscription to netflix and hulu.

PogMoThoin · 10-05-2012 05:53PM

mankydogg wrote: »

was just reading about problems with the flash player being outdated and the netflix app being removed etc

Does anyone know a link where you can get a list of all the content on the US netflix and hulu?

Would like to see what they have before i pay for a VPN/DNS and a subscription to netflix and hulu.

Get a week trial of http://unblock-us.com/

mankydogg · 11-05-2012 08:25PM

tanx PogMoThoin

Ya was looking at the american netflix there and it has everything unlike the irish version which i gave up on after the free month trial.

I will defiantly get a dns and a us netflix account when my boxee arrives.

Is it difficult to switch off your dns when you want to watch rte player?

yllw.ldbttr · 11-05-2012 08:30PM

mankydogg wrote: »

Is it difficult to switch off your dns when you want to watch rte player?

No need, works perfectly with RTE, BBC etc

An.Duine.Eile · 24-05-2012 09:42PM

Remote stopped working... any help.

It started acting up, multiple key when only pressed once. Changed the battery now nothing.

Unplugged and restarted it still nothing. tried to sync the remote by hold the ok button for 10 seconds ( nearer 30). Still not working.

Anyone seen and even better solved it.

BTW - discovered that you use a USB keyboard connected to the box.

yllw.ldbttr · 24-05-2012 09:51PM

An.Duine.Eile wrote: »

Remote stopped working... any help.

It started acting up, multiple key when only pressed once. Changed the battery now nothing.

Unplugged and restarted it still nothing. tried to sync the remote by hold the ok button for 10 seconds ( nearer 30). Still not working.

Anyone seen and even better solved it.

BTW - discovered that you use a USB keyboard connected to the box.

This might be a stupid question but I'll ask anyway as the same thing happened to me.

Are you certain you didn't put the new battery in upside down as its counter intuitive?

Also, as a backup, thr android/ iOS apps work pretty well.
Failing that, Amazon did an RMA for me no questions asked.

An.Duine.Eile · 24-05-2012 10:07PM

Tried the battery both ways.

Android remote is handy.

How does the RMA work ? Did you have to send the box back as well. Don't know if the kids would let me. Asked recently if they could only keep either sky or boxee which would the keep. Boxee, so I got rid of sky.

Of course I assume the new remote worked fine.

PogMoThoin · 24-05-2012 10:09PM

Most standard Windows MCE Usb remotes will work in the mean time

yllw.ldbttr · 24-05-2012 10:19PM

An.Duine.Eile wrote: »

How does the RMA work ?.

Of course I assume the new remote worked fine.

You could try the tiny piece of paper trick, seems lots of people had that problem and it worked (same as you, problem arose after they replaced a battery).

The RMA was simple with amazon (to be fair I think they're second to none for customer service).
I had the box 15/16 months I think so it was outside of warranty but I fired off an email anyway quoting the original invoice.
Told them what I'd tried and asked if theyd do anything for me. They emailed a few hours later saying a new Boxee box was en route via express post. They also emailed prepaid postage labels.
New box arrived, I fired it up and checked all working. Then I had 14 days (I think) to send the faulty one back. Even though it was just a fault remote they replaced the lot.
I still had the original box (i know I know...) so I threw everything in and off it went. Email from amazon a few days later confirming receipt and case closed.

Fairly similar to the apple process so you're never without the device but they didn't place any hold on my credit card (which apple do).

Big Lar · 09-06-2012 10:18PM

My Boxee Box has been acting up a bit lately, It started freezing in the middle of playback first I thought it was refusing to play .mkv files and then tonight in the middle of .avi file it just locked up for no reason. The only fix that seems to work for me is to leave the program and go back to the menu and then resume the program again.

Its being doing this for a while now, at first I thought it was overheating but I believe that I have eliminated this by placing it on the cool window sill, I have also reset to factory defaults and no joy.

I have a WD TV live upstairs which has no problems playing from my shared folder so I have ruled out buffering.

I read on the boxee forum that the HDMI audio causes freezing but when I choose analogue output I get no sound.

Anyone got any ideas or have similar problems ?

s_carnage · 02-08-2012 10:14AM

Just added some new TV shows onto my Boxee and a few of them aren't appearing under shows. For example I have the six seasons of The Sopranos but only the first 3 are appearing under Shows and to access the other 3 I have to go to them directly under the Files tab. Other things like certain episodes of shows are appearing under the Films tab while the rest are correctly in Shows.

I have all the art work downloaded using Ember and they all seem to be correctly file named and also named using the Ember programme.

Anyone have the same problem are possible solution??

ArthurG · 06-08-2012 07:19PM

Do you have the shows and films in different folders? I had a similar problem until I was advised (in this thread!) to keep them segregated like this, and have had no problem since.

s_carnage · 08-08-2012 12:08PM

ArthurG wrote: »

Do you have the shows and films in different folders? I had a similar problem until I was advised (in this thread!) to keep them segregated like this, and have had no problem since.

Ya both are separated in different folders. It's just strange how 1-3 of the Sopranos episodes are showing up in shows fine but 4-6 season won't

banquo · 08-08-2012 07:00PM

You want to go into Files, find the files in question, select the first in the series and click 'Identify'. Then click 'Apply to all in series.' If that doesn't work, you'll have to identify them one by one. But that's pretty rare.

s_carnage · 09-08-2012 07:07AM

banquo wrote: »

You want to go into Files, find the files in question, select the first in the series and click 'Identify'. Then click 'Apply to all in series.' If that doesn't work, you'll have to identify them one by one. But that's pretty rare.

Cheers man, worked a treat

WeleaseWoderick · 10-08-2012 08:12PM

So are Boxee Boxes the best media players for connecting an external hard disk to?

I've tried the streaming option to XBMC and Apple TV but not too happy with having my laptop on the whole time to stream. Fairly confused by the amount of options re setting up a NAS too!

banquo · 11-08-2012 04:00AM

They're great for EITHER 90% streaming or 90% local storage. It does amazing things with locally stored files. Download the desktop version and try it out. Well worth it.

degsie · 11-08-2012 07:14AM

banquo wrote: »

Download the desktop version and try it out. Well worth it.

I thought this was no longer supported and well out of version as compared to the box version.

PogMoThoin · 11-08-2012 12:48PM

I wouldn't rush out and buy one now, it's had it's day. The Boxee Box in it's current form is dead. The last public update was on the 5th of March, there have been no new beta firmwares since and from then on they stopped assisting support tickets on their site. They can no longer support the hardware as Intel dropped support (last year) for the CE4100 Atom chip it contains and are refusing to release the source code for the community to better. The Boxee team are most likely working on a new box, and they better hurry up because the Ouya is out next year and as it runs Android it gets XBMC out of the box for $120. Android will be a much better option, with all the apps and games available Boxee are fcuked.

As the person who started this thread I can say the Boxee team fcuked up by locking down the box. It could have been something brilliant. Last year I sold my Boxee and built a HTPC running XBMC, but even that is overkill with all the cheap Raspberry Pi and Android on a stick that are flooding the market. Things are changing rapidly.

So I pre-ordered a Boxee Box

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