Premium Boxee content coming thanks to RoxioNow deal

It just gets more and more frustrating: the Boxee Box by D-Link may be delayed until November 2010, but the company keeps adding alluring features that only make us want the standalone media-player all the more.  Latest to taunt our home entertainment appetites is RoxioNow support, courtesy of a collaboration with Sonic Solutions, that should see Boxee users able to access premium content.

In fact, not only will they be able to access the content – RoxioNow is used by Blockbuster, Lionsgate and Best Buy for their streaming multimedia services, among other companies – but they should be able to do so on more than one platform.  Boxee eventually intend for users to be able to buy content on, say, their Boxee Box, and then watch it on any RoxioNow compliant home or portable device.

No word on what sort of content we can actually expect to see, but we're guessing new film releases and TV shows will be in among the mixture.  Similarly, it's unclear as to when the RoxioNow functionality will be added to Boxee.

Boxee Box by D-Link demo:

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Press Release:

Boxee to Team with Sonic Solutions on Premium Content Streaming

Collaboration Will Deliver New Capabilities to More Connected Devices

NOVATO, Calif., June 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Sonic Solutions® (Nasdaq: SNIC) and Boxee today announced an alliance to provide consumers new options for accessing premium content on a range of next-generation, connected devices. As part of the collaboration, Boxee would license the RoxioNow™ entertainment platform in order to power premium entertainment storefronts through its Web-to-TV desktop application, as well as upcoming set-top boxes, TVs, and mobile devices running Boxee, pending device review by content providers.

"RoxioNow offers a comprehensive solution that will enable users to access premium entertainment services instantly through Boxee," said Avner Ronen, CEO, Boxee. "With RoxioNow-powered digital entertainment services, we continue our efforts to expand the variety of premium content we can stream instantly to anyone with a broadband connection."

"Boxee is leading the charge to bring the creativity and flexibility of the web to the TV, and is another example of how our RoxioNow technologies and infrastructure can enable a wide array of companies to quickly develop and launch premium content services," said Dave Habiger, president and CEO, Sonic Solutions. "We continue to help a diverse range of companies launch compelling entertainment services and form ongoing relationships with their customers."

The RoxioNow platform serves a broad range of premium content to a growing, multi-manufacturer ecosystem of home and mobile electronics including PCs, connected TVs, set-top DVRs, Blu-ray Disc players, smartphones, and mobile media devices. The platform enables retailers and consumer electronics companies to participate in the entertainment supply chain, add value to product offerings, and form ongoing relationships with customers. "Powered by RoxioNow™" stores enable consumers to instantly rent and purchase high-quality entertainment on their favorite device and, through the RoxioNow online entertainment locker, the flexibility to playback content ordered on additional consumer electronics. RoxioNow powers digital entertainment delivery for a range of companies including Best Buy, Blockbuster, and Lionsgate and is available on a broad variety of consumer electronics devices.