Apple TV vs Boxee
Content being watched on TV seems to be the way to go for most companies competing online. It is for this reason that there seems to be a recent upsurge in the digital media players being offered to consumers to allow them to stream directly from the internet to the TV, through the set top box. Seemingly, the battle will end up in our screens. Apple TV and Boxee TV are two of the most common versions that are used. Inasmuch as the two function to deliver a similar purpose, they are competing firms and the two should obviously have their specific differences.
One of these differences seen between them is the content available on the two. Both of the products have affiliations with different content providers of their choice. As you would have guessed, for Apple TV it has iTunes, Hulu Plus, Netflix, HBO GO, YouTube, MLB.TV, NBA Game Time and NHL Game Center available. Boxee, on the other hand, comes with Apps, Netflix, Pandora, Spotify, YouTube, Web Browser, DNLA (Digital Living Network Alliance) and MLB.TV. All these are controlled by specific applications. With all the channels available, each is available for $99, thus there is not much difference.
Among the accessories that come with the Apple TV include a wired connection, a wireless connection and a remote control. Boxee, on the other hand, comes with a wired connection, a wireless connection, a remote control, a keyboard, and a non-native VPN (Virtual Private Network). The VPN support is specifically for accessing streams that are out of the US, as Apple TV seems to only prefer the streams that are within the US alone.
The technical specifications of Apple TV and Boxee seem to differ. Among the specifications that the Apple TV comes with include an Ethernet port, HDMI and an optical audio, and these specifications seem quite modest. Boxee also seems to follow a rather conservative approach when the specifications it has are reviewed. These include a USB, an Ethernet port and HDMI. It is also important to note that both Apple TV and Boxee are able to show 1080 Pixel density of High Definition Video (HD).
If there is need to record shows, both Apple TV and Boxee can only happen locally, which doesn’t happen when using Roku, which has expansion Micro SD support. This means that the USB slot in Boxee can be exploited for the purpose of saving content locally. The use of Apple TV seems to have a lot more difficulty, as it seems to only prefer streaming and not storage. Saving shows might also be a waste of time, as if needed, the content providers such as Pandora and Netflix have the content and can share it with you. Both of the media players can be hailed for allowing flexibility on what content to see, when to see and how to see it. In the event you need it, all you have to do is ask and you will get a copy of the data required.
Summary
Digital media players offer consumers streaming directly from the internet to the TV
Apple TV and Boxee TV are the two most common digital media players
Apple TV offers iTunes, Hulu Plus, Netflix, HBO GO, YouTube, MLB. TV, NBA Game Time and NHL Game Center
Boxee offers Apps, Netflix, Pandora, Spotify, YouTube, Web Browser, DNLA (Digital Living Network Alliance) and MLB.TV
Both cost $99
Boxee offers VPN support and Apple TV does not
Apple TV’s technical specifications include an Ethernet port, HDMI and an optical audio
Boxee’s technical specifications include USB, an Ethernet port and HDMI