Release Notes for Boxee Box Beta Firmware 1.5.0.23422 (Jan 6, 2012)

Overview

This beta release includes a new and improved UI as well as a lot of bug fixes. However, we aware of some outstanding bugs that require a kernel and we are working to have these fixed in the near future (see list below).

Installation procedure

Download this beta firmware version using this link. After downloading the ISO file, rename it to "boxee.iso" and then follow these instructions to install it on your Boxee Box.

New features and enhancments

• New Boxee Live TV capability:
  
  • View Live TV channels with antenna (included) or QAM via Boxee
    
  • Browse channel listings
    
  • See social recommendations in the channel listing based on what your Facebook friends are watching and have watched.
    
  • Share shows and currently viewed channels via Boxee and Facebook
    
  • Note: This feature requires the addition of the Boxee Live TV dongle, which can be pre-ordered here.
    
  
  
• New Social Account pairing with Boxee user on device:
  
  • Create a new Boxee account using Facebook connect
    
  • Pair Boxee with Facebook, Tumblr and Twitter on device to view videos from those services in the Friends section, and to easily share content.
    
  
  
• User Interface enhancements:
  
  • Overall UI look-and-feel update
    
  • UI improvements to...
    
    • Main Menu
      
    • Home Screen
      
    • Browse Screens (Movies, TV Shows) - including new filtering options.
      
    • Season selection for TV shows
      
    • Watch Later including filtering by content source
      
    • Indication for which movies and shows have been watched
      
    • Action/Info Menu
      
    • OSD and OSD settings
      
    • Search
      
    • Enhanced login flow
      
  • Library and Play action:
    
    • Rotten Tomato rating integration for movies
      
    • Launch trailers from the Media action screen
      
  • Networking & File Playback:
    
    • Support simultaneous digital bitstream + stereo over analog
      
  • Browser:
    
    • Added Popup management
      
    • Support for HTML5 Local Storage in Boxee Browser
      
  • Settings:
    
    • Weather -- full integration with Accuweather
      
    • Added setting to disable full network scan of SMB sources.
      

Bug fixes

• Networking and file playback:
  
  • No audio when switching between audio streams and video goes in fast forwarding
    
  • "Loading Error" when browse into uPnP from the file/network menu when wireless
    
  • Fail to mount password protected SMB file sources when the Settings client has same user name but a different password
    
  • Fail to play SMB password protected videos from boxee Application python even when the SMB credentials are in Settings
    
  • Seeking not working on WMV
    
  • Boxee's continuous scanning turns on Xerox Printers, Prevents Win7 64 from Sleeping, Keeps NAS from sleeping
    
  • SMB scanning and network discovery should not be running when in playback
    
  • Long delay when exiting a video in the file menu
    
  • Rewinding to the beginning causes the video to rapidly skip to where the video was before the rewinding
    
  • PGS subtitles timing is broken (AVCHD/.m2ts container)
    
  • Some 720p XviD avi plays choppy & stuttering
    
  • navigation sounds overly loud after playing local video (720p mkv / ac3 audio)
    
  
  
• Apps:
  
  • Custom repository is not loaded if there is no trailing line end at the end of the file repository.xml
    
  • AccuWeather app finds my location but cannot download data
    
  
  
• Libraries:
  
  • Improve long lists in movies/tv
    
  • Compilation albums not handled correctly, Boxee doesn't use Album Artist tag
    
  
  
• Browser:
  
  • Boxee Box browser popup management
    
  • Support for HTML5 local storage in Boxee Box browser
    
  • Enhance drop-down menu support
    
  • Some html5 apps are now loading with browser scrollbars when there should be none
    
  • Fail to load flash based website www.dch.berliner-philharmoniker.de
    
  
  
• Interface:
  
  The weather icon just shows as the degree symbol in the dropdown menu and doesn't display a temperature.
  last subtitles name remains when going to video OSD>Settings>Subtitles
  Boxee hangs when scrolling through movie library
  
  
  
• Misc:
  
  • Watchlater is not adding any videos to watchlater list
    
  • Broken infolabels: MusicPlayer.Duration and Player.ProgressCache
    
  • Multiple problems with .PushState()
    
  
  
• Known limitations:
  
  
  • This version is in early access form; hence, various finishing issues can be found
    
  • Main known exceptions:
    
    • Multiple issues with Airplay
      
    • Login: Using special characters in password e.g "[email protected]#$%&" receive the error "Failed to create user"
      
    • Boxee fail to connect when trying to access UPnP server after shutting down a UPnP service (reproduced only with Asset UPnP server)
      
  • CAUTION: Reverting from version 1.5.0 to version 1.2.2 requires factory restoring the Boxee Box
    

This release note was originally published on Boxee's user forum, here