Samsung Buys Boxee, Moves Fight With Apple To The Living Room
July 3, 2013
Samsung has acquired Israeli-based Boxee for $30 million, according to The Marker. This suggests that Samsung will be entering the digital space that includes the Apple TV, and Roku’s streaming device.
Officially launched in 2011 as a media center software provider, Boxee has transitioned recently. It now offers a DVR similar to TiVO, except that content is saved in a cloud. The Boxee Cloud DVR is currently available in select markets in the United States.
Samsung has yet to announce what it will do with Boxee technology, or with the Boxee Cloud DVR. However, we can probably connect the dots, and see where this is headed.
Unlike Boxee the company, Samsung has the resources to bring the Boxee Cloud DVR to more markets. In doing so, they can take on TiVo, the Apple TV, and Roku. They can also use the Boxee technology in future Samsung television sets. In other words, it looks like the fight between Samsung and Apple is being extended beyond smartphones and tablets.
In May, Fortune reported that Apple had sold 13 million Apple TV devices. This compared to 5 million for Roku, and just 200,000 for the Boxee Box.
Note: the Boxee Box was discontinued in 2012. It isn't the same as the Boxee Cloud DVR device.
See also: Time Warner Cable And Apple Nearing Programming Deal For The Apple TV, Opinion: Apple Is Finally Getting Serious About Television, and Apple's Share Of The Digital Media Receiver Market Stands At 71 Percent.
