Woe unto the Boxee Box. Although users of Boxee's online version, which is accessable from desktop and laptop computers, can get Netflix service, it's still not available to owners of the Boxee Box.
The company today said in a blog post that it was still working to satisfy Netflix's security requirements, something that has been ongoing since before the box was launched in November.
"We have not yet satisfied Netflix's security requirements. We anticipate availability soon. It's terrible to be so close to releasing and yet still be waiting on one thing to fall into place," wrote Boxee spokesman Andrew Kipen. "There's not a day that goes by without dozens of emails, comments, tweets, asking about Netflix. We all want it. We hear you in every medium (even audience cries at the Crunchies) that you tell us you want it and we're doing everything we know to do to make this happen as quickly as possible."
No doubt. Posters on the blog, meanwhile, were less-than pleased.
"It was promised by the end of the year... and then promised by end of January.... and then, well, who the hell knows! Hulu by 2014?"
Wrote another: "If by funny you mean another false promise that we are all expected to accept. I am not too thrilled about spending $200 on a product that doesn't work as advertised, especially when deadline after deadline (albeit artificial and not well thought out) is missed for getting the missing functionality in place. Don't blame Netflix for missing the deadline; Boxee should have set the Netflix on Boxee deadline after taking meeting/resolving/negotiating Netflix's security requirements into consideration..."
Before Boxee rolled out the box, after a delay as it changed chip vendors, CEO Avner Ronen told FierceOnlineVideo that he had hoped Netflix--because of Boxee's relationship with the company (it's on the Web version of Boxee)--would quickly be added to the Boxee Box.
Digital rights management issues, however, appear to be more of a problem than the company had anticipated.
Related articles:
Boxee Box gets new firmware, but still no Hulu Plus or Netflix
Boxee Box lands sans Netflix and Hulu Plus
Vudu jumps on Boxee Box in time for launch