So, after reading quite a bit of people for and against the Boxee Box I went today to downtown Future Shop to check it and *maybe* bring it home.

I know, the software/firmware is not there yet, but it is promising and it would be an improvement over my WDTV Live. And quite surely XBMC will soon be ported raising the bar very high for other players. At least 1 of my 2 more pressing requirements (HD audio) is there. DTS-MA works well. I’m not clear yet about the others, multichannel FLAC and multichannel AAC support/streaming hence I was trying to get some hands-on experience at the store.

For this, I checked the stores it was available in and off I went.

Vendor #1 AV section

– U looking for what?..
– A Boxee box
– Whadda… what it’s that?
– It’s a media player
– media player… those are over there in the computer section…

Yeah right, a TV media player in the computer section.
Anyway, I went over the computer section, found a connected laptop opened the FS page with the Boxee box and looked for a vendor.

– I want to buy this
– uh huh… what is that??
– it’s a media player
– I don’t know I’ve never seen that…
– ok thanks.

So much for ‘Future’ Shop answering about an item introduced.. last week.

I’ve been modding my WDTV but, in spite of me liking to fiddle with things, namely, electronic ‘toys’ like this, at the end it is too much work for just watching TV.

The boxee comes already set to do most of the stuff I want. The other choice would be an HTPC.

Winter is coming and so, the more reason to have some indoor entertainment for the long cold days ahead.

Filed under: English, Montréal, Spielzug Tagged: boxee box, future shop vendors, toys