ThingsAmongMany

If you’re like me, you’ve probably heard of BitTorrent, that fuzzy definition of grabbing files off the internet that you readily associate with pirated material and difficult user interfaces. Needless to say, it’s not a practice that I’ve delved into…yet. I did get a crash course from a friend the other day with plans to…ahem…explore.

Of course, life might just be a lot easier after Myka’s new BitTorrent box starts hitting living rooms. According to the manufacturer, production is rolling in China with units expected to start shipping in three variations in the next four to six weeks. Based on an open-source platform and an HTML interface, the Myka box brings a Front Row or Boxee style interface to content readily available on the BitTorrent peer-to-peer sharing system. They’ve got an example video here. Pair this bad boy with a Roka box for your Netflix content or an Apple TV and you’ve got pretty much everything you could want at your fingertips.

It does however, beg an interesting question…
I have a Mac Mini at home that I’ve planned to dedicate to media use soon. I’m still not sure I need an additional box, or if I can simply set up the Mac Mini to do all the heavy lifting. Anyone have any insights?

Since the Apple TV came out - under much scrutiny to say the least - the idea of streaming media from a “computer” source to a TV has become much more mainstream (and let’s not discount the impact of iTunes in that process as well). Netflix has followed up with a variety of streaming services as well, including the recent launch of it’s beta program for streaming content to Macs (check this link if you’re interested in joining that program) and the relatively new Roku set-top box for Netflix.

Well, now that the public is starting to understand what these offerings can do for their entertainment purposes, some newcomers are cropping up in the field with products that cater to this type of viewing. Perfect example is the new Archos TV+. Combine a DVR with a media player for video and audio content and you’ve got the gist of it. But, in my mind, what sets the Archos player apart is the ability to browse the web (though it does require a “plug-in” that they charge for). Suddenly your living room entertainment center has the potential to replace a second computer for those emergency situations when you need to book an appointment at the genius bar but can’t…because your computer is broken.

I’ve dug through the info on the Archos site, but can’t seem to determine what the potential is for moving media around (for example, what if I purchase something from iTunes?). But it does allow access to the major video hosting sites. It would be killer if they built streaming Netflix capabilities into the box as well!

If anyone’s had face-time with one of these bad boys, give us the run-down!