Boxee Box by D-Link starts shipping, new Boxee version, Netflix and Hulu Plus, too
The Boxee Box by D-Link is launching today in 33 countries with a brand new version of the software. You can order yours here. — If you have been spending more and more time watching videos on your computer …
Context & Ripple Effects
Boxee had positioned the D-Link hardware as a sub-$200 living-room device with Flash support in January, then set a November North American release target in June. The product is now shipping beyond that initial schedule, in 33 countries, alongside a software update.
The launch also follows Boxee's October addition of VUDU HD movie streaming, making Netflix and Hulu Plus part of a growing set of video services available through one interface rather than a single-service device.
First-order effects
- Boxee Box buyers gain Netflix and Hulu Plus access with the new software, while D-Link and Boxee begin turning their announced hardware into a retail product across 33 countries.
- Netflix and Hulu Plus gain distribution on Boxee's connected-TV platform, placing their subscription offerings alongside Boxee's existing VUDU movie option.
Second-order effects
- VUDU must compete for viewing time within the same Boxee interface as Netflix and Hulu Plus, shifting Boxee's value proposition from hardware features toward service selection.
- Boxee and D-Link's earlier November release plan is tested at launch: international availability and app support become the practical measures of whether the device can attract buyers.
Third-order effects
- If streaming services continue to join Boxee, connected-TV hardware will increasingly compete on its ability to aggregate major video providers rather than on a proprietary catalog alone.
- The launch points toward subscription video services treating third-party living-room devices as an important distribution layer, with platform placement shaping consumer choice.
The trend: Connected-TV devices are evolving into service-aggregation platforms, where access to major streaming apps becomes as important as the hardware itself.