Welcome Myka ION

We just announced Myka ION. It's based on work we have been doing for our private network customers. We felt it would really rock in the consumer world. After getting some feed back from the forums we decided to go ahead and commit to production.

This machine is a blast. You should see it run Boxee. Details are up on the website.

Netflix and Hulu

We have been working on ways to provide access to both Netflix and Hulu. NetFlix does not publish their device API unless you are a major CE player. We're not there, yet.

We have been working with technology from a company called Media Mall. Their product is called PLAYON.

It works great. I'm able to watch NetFlix movies and full shows from Hulu. Myka renders the video stunningly well on a HD screen.

A few issues:

• Your network has to be up to snuff. 802.11/G won't cut it. You need to be N or wired.
• Your PC has to be moderately beefy. The PLAYON specs need to be looked at.
• It does require that your PC be on and running the PLAYON server.

All that having been said, it's very nice. You have access to all the full episodes on HULU. Checkout the CBS/Classic TV/Star Trek. Anything that let's me watch Star Trek is a good thing.

There is a free trial and then a one time fee.

We'll be posting this to the main site with instructions in the next little while.

Hulu Cuts Off Boxee

Well, it was bound to happen. Someone was going to step over the line. Making content available for viewing on a PC was fine as long as it didn't cut into the television audience. With Boxee making it just a bit too easy to watch internet TV on a TV, that was cutting too close to home.

Hulu announced that its media partners requested that their content not be made available through Boxee. (good summary article HERE at www.avc.com).

Any industry that feels threatened will fight tooth and nail to preserve the status quo. Remember when the motion picture industry lobbied congress to BAN the VCR? Remember when the record industry pushed for a TAX on DAT equipment and tapes?

Any business that lets people drive big cars, fly first class is not going to give that up very easily.

This is the new reality and it is really hitting close to home. Just like the VCR, big media will be forced to stop trying to kill it and figure out how to adapt to it.

People have been writing me and asking me if I was worried that this happened. My answer is 'no'. This is simply the natural, predictable progression. It is easy to predict the violent opposition by the entrenched. But just like the VCR, the industry will be compelled to figure all out.