Boxee is finally taking orders for its $199 set-top, called The Box, for over-the-top video.
The box, built by D-Link, was originally promised for earlier this summer but was delayed, CEO Avner Ronen said, due to a late change in microprocessors.
The change went beyond processors, however; it was a change in corporate strategy. Boxee is throwing in with Intel, Google, Sony, Logitech and others in what has been described as Intel Smart TV, Google TV or Sony Smart TV, depending on who you talk to.
A common element in all of these corporate OTT programs is that the various products will be based on Intel’s Atom processor.
Indeed, Ronen said Boxee decided to switch from the originally announced Nvidia Tegra 2 to Intel’s “Sodaville” Atom processor, aka the CE4100, “to provide better support for high-profile H.264 HD playback.” Boxee said it would be working with Nvidia on unspecified mobile devices.
The Boxee Box supports full HD 1080p, High Profile 4.1. That spec calls for 62.5 Mbps, but Ronen said the company has tested The Box in excess of 90 Mbps.
The Boxee Box plays any non-DRM video, music, and photos and media from anywhere on the Internet. It also includes two USB ports and an SD card slot.
The Boxee Box currently can only be ordered through Amazon.com. Boxee did not say when the product would start actually shipping, though it said that in addition to bowing in the U.S., the product would be simultaneously available in international markets, and availability in international markets will be in November.