Boxee vs. Zinc vs. Hulu

For those with a Windows PC and some time for TV, DeviceGuru writes "Which is the best Internet media streaming application for a media-center PC? Boxee, Zinc, or the new Hulu Desktop? A post at DeviceGuru.com reviews these three media streaming platforms and draws some interesting conclusions. Key pros and cons are tabulated and numerous screenshots are included. Interestingly, despite lots of Boxee hype, Zinc already has a number of valuable features that Boxee is scrambling to add to its next version, due out in the fall. On the other hand, Boxee boasts far more third-party content-access applications support."

Comments

None of them

[Anonymous Coward]

Since stupid rights managements mean they're only usable in one country.

Re:None of them

[Daengbo]

Agreed that they aren't too useful for me, but Boxee does torrents and runs on Linux, so it's really my only choice of the three.

Re:None of them

[daybot]

I use Hulu from the UK through the Witopia VPN service. Such services totally break IP-based location checking systems.

Re:None of them

[musicalwoods]

Since stupid rights managements mean they're only usable in one country.

Uhm, Boxee has the BBC iPlayer for use in the UK, is actively trying to get Canadian content, and has many "Apps" that are location agnostic.

Zinc

[Mister Transistor]

Wasn't Zinc just proved to cause loss of smell in people? Then I guess you wouldn't be able to tell if it stinks or not!

Fixed

[rodrigoandrade]

"For those US residents with a Windows PC and some time for TV"

There, fixed.

As a non-US resident, Mininova is still the best bang for the buck to me.

For some it doesn't matter

[paziek]

For some it doesn't matter. For example, if u are on linux, then it boils down to Boxee and... Boxee. (Assuming that crappy table in "conclusions" switched OS Support columns)
If you are outside US, then again, it limits your choice.
So, this might be relevant, but only for people living in US and using Windows.

Also, there are Linux only solutions, like for example MythTV, can't say about selection of videos there thou... I guess its small.

Re:For some it doesn't matter

[jedidiah]

> I ran MythTV for 5 years. It works decently if you record a lot of stuff from
> TV but it doesn't work very well as a general media player because MythVideo
> has (or had) no organization functionality. For example it can't group videos
> by the TV series name and such, or provide series and episode information.

      MythVideo is basically a file manager. If you want to impose some sort of
organization on your media files, just do it. What MythVideo won't handle is
MULTIPLE ways of organizing your media files based on different keys and sort
of dynamic metadata searches.

      I'm not sure if XBMC/Boxee has this either.

      MythVideo also quite handily supports TV and Movie metadata. It's not as
slick or automated as XBMC but it's certainly there. Although it's more
accessable to simple hacks. This can easily make MythVideo a much more
usable interface.

      As far as local content goes, Boxee looks "prettier" for about 5 minutes.

      It's the web based stuff where MythTV really falls down. The plugins here
are either nonexistent, crude or abandoned.

Re:WMC plugins?

[Excelcior]

Hulu Desktop is nothing more than a dedicated browser for the Hulu website. It gives you a flashier interface, smoother video playback, and [in my experience] better buffering. It's entirely Flash-based.
That having been said, I've switched over to it exclusively for my Hulu viewing. One less program running (IE) is a huge benefit on my less-than-stellar Celeron when playing full-screen video.
It does not, however, display your media library, or in any other way act like a Media Center application.

Cheers!

Apple TV for me

[sjvn]

Nice overview Rick.

For myself, I'm still finding that Apple TV and iTunes are the best combo. The new Apple TV firmware upgrade 2.4--http://practical-tech.com/entertainment/apple-tv-2-4-well-worth-the-download/--in particular has really made the Apple TV more useful than ever. Apple doesn't whisper a word of it, but the code's really been cleaned up and the result is a much more efficient media box.

The list of my problems with that combo--starting with the simple fact that it's proprietary as proprietary can be--is longer than my arm. Still, for me it's the best choice.

Steven

Re:Screw them ALL!

[macaddict]

Since none of them support OS X unless you have an Intel processor

Hulu does. I'm running Hulu Desktop on a G5.

Re:WMC plugins?

[djtachyon]

Exactly! .. To me this is a bogus article and story. If you are going to compare something, at least try to stay in the same genre of software/services. Oh, and maybe add a few more of the well qualified choices. Hey let me give it a try!

Media Center Software:

• Boxee/XBMC
• Windows Media Center
• Media Portal (I'm using now, may switch to Boxee 4 Windows)
• Zinc
• Beyond TV
• MythTV
• SageTV
• Freevo
• GeexBox
• VDR
• Cyberlink PowerCinema
• Nero Home
• WinDVD Media Center
• xHub
• Media Central
• Centerstage
• The list goes on and on...

Streaming Content Services:

• Netflix
• Hulu
• CBS
• BBC
• CNN
• Comedy Central
• YouTube
• etc..etc..etc..

so .. apples to apples next time?

PC or Platform

[houghi]

The summery first talks about the PC and then about a platform. Which is it?

For the PC I prefer MPlayer-plugin with Firefox. As a platform I use my Linux hosting and as a player I use http://www.gdd.ro/gddflvplayer.html

Re:WMC plugins?

[Shadow-isoHunt]

Y'see this? Y'see this?!?! This is why we can't have anything nice!!!!!

Re:MythTV

[Dan667]

If you think you are breaking the law watching content you record you are a victim of propaganda.

Re:Was that really necessary?

[hairyfeet]

Dude, it is "Vietnam II". Accept it and move on. You can't win a religious war unless you are willing to go full genocide. Sorry, that is just the way it is. You DO realize the Shia and Sunni have been killing themselves for ...what? 800 years now? They have been killing each other for longer than the USA has been a country, and you think you can stop that?

The ONLY way Saddam was able to keep those three groups in line was by digging mass graves and putting anyone who looked at him funny in them. You could stay there for 100 years, blowing cash that we don't have like a hooker with a stolen CC and racking up dead Americans and Iraqs and in the end? They'll just keep on coming. And five minutes after you finally accept it is "Vietnam II" and pull out the Shia and Sunni will go right back to killing each other as they have for centuries. It was and is nothing but a waste of American lives and money. Where have we seen this before? Oh yeah, Vietnam. Except in Vietnam we actually had a better chance of winning than we do now. Give it up already.