OStatic

A few days ago, in a roundup of open source media center applications, I covered Boxee. It's an open source mashup of a sophisticated media center application that can run and organize videos, photos and more on the Mac, AppleTV, Windows (soon) and Linux, and a social networking application. I mentioned that it's one of the most compelling media center applications I've seen, and it appears I'm not alone. Boxee has announced that it has secured $4 million in first round funding, led by Union Square Ventures and Spark Capital. Here's why I think Boxee is going to become a household name.

Slowly but surely, open source media center applications have evolved into rich applications that anyone can get a lot of enjoyment out of. There are now many players in this space, and the applications show a lot of range. In this post, you'll find introductions to three of the most interesting projects out there, including a media center that can transform and energize a home theater PC, an open source way to get TiVo-like DVR functions, and an innovative mashup of social networking features and slick media center capabilities. Any of these can make for a great weekend project.