In its current form, I can't recommend anyone buy it.
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55
Conclusion: Pass on it
Boxee wanted to combine their Boxee Box and live TV streaming into one unit to make the ultimate cord cutter's device. Unfortunately, they missed the mark. Whereas the older Boxee Box had over 200 streaming apps, the Boxee Cloud DVR only ships with 12, along with the ability to tune and record over-the-air HDTV broadcasts. The Cloud DVR includes unlimited cloud storage of recorded programs, but they expire after 90 days. And you can only watch 5 hours of your recorded programming each month. If you want to store shows permanently, and watch more than a handful each month, you'll have to pay $10 a month. When live TV channels worked Home Theater Review thought the "live TV experience was good" and Venture Beat found that "cloud DVR recordings looked almost as clear as when they originally aired." Both SmallNetBuilder and Popular Science noted audio issues with crackling and dropouts. Even though getting the Cloud DVR set up was easy, Home Theater Review had issues with the remote, stating the "buttons are almost completely flush with the remote, and there's no backlighting, which made it challenging to use the remote in the dark." Cord cutters looking for a powerful streaming device should skip this and consider one of our current Must-haves, the Roku 3 or Apple TV, though you won't be able to record over-the-air programming. As Home Theater Review states, the Boxee Cloud DVR "is not quite ready for prime time."
Buy It:
90-Day Price History
Critic reviews
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With the Boxee TV, Boxee is on the right track in creating a compelling set-top box for cord-cutters that unites live TV and streaming VOD, but the product is not quite ready for prime time.
Read the full review →With so many great set-top box choices on the market, as well as apps available on TVs, there’s no reason to recommend the Boxee TV to anyone ... in a time where design and execution matter more than ever, Boxee can’t risk using its customers as beta testers.
Read the full review →I like the promise of an “Unlimited DVR”, but Boxee TV needs to improve a lot before coming out of beta.
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rothgar
I'd say the box is for people who don't want to pay for cable but also want a DVR and for people that don't already have a game console. It's like a gateway drug to an HTPC without all the hassle and without a lot of the features. If they add more apps and network file streaming this score would...
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MythicalCaesar
** By the way - That Netflix button and Vudo button are not there on the remote. You have a blue line and green line representing these two options** I ignored some of the reviews of other Boxee users who were abandoned in my haste to get rid of Comcast's box. I am still testing this unit,...
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ericblenders
I just got it and after an hour of trying to get it to work, I started the return process. I recorded a show that just disappeared, and streaming to other devices just didn't work at all. When I tried to stream to my ipad it clearly saw the device and told me that the streaming magic took...
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Cosmosis
Perhaps the most recent updates to the Boxee TV have dramatically improved things, but I just got mine and love it. As others have said, the video quality on both live TV and recorded shows is very good. Performance on the Boxee UI itself is snappy, and while, yes, few apps come preinstalled...
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jcl236
Crap, It is no where near ready. I restart mine at least once a day. There is no easy way to cycle the power on it. It is so bad that I have mine hooked to a switch so I can reset it each time before I turn on my TV. The DVR function is only supported in about four cities and even in those places...
Read the full review →How it stacks up
Instantly compare the D-Link Boxee Cloud DVR (Boxee TV) side by side with some of the top devices on gdgt!
Compare these-
D-Link Boxee Cloud DVR (Boxee TV) 55 from $93 -
Apple Apple TV 3rd-gen 90 from $95 -
Roku 3 89 from $99 -
Apple Apple TV 2nd-gen 83 from $389 -
Roku 2 XS (3050X) 88 from $79
Other D-Link digital media players
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D-Link Boxee Box (DSM-380) 72 from $167 -
D-Link MovieNite (DSM-312) -
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Don't forget to check out these other devices by D-Link, you might find something good!