Boxee Box Live TV Support & Hardware Dongle Confirmed

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It was just a few days back when rumors were circulating around live TV and the Boxee Box. And well, coming as a nice end, it looks like the folks behind the Boxee Box have come forward with an official confirmation.

That being said, the live TV support is expected to arrive in January. So far we have some details, however we suspect there will be more to learn as the launch gets a bit closer. Anyway, from what we have read thus far, the live TV support will come by way of a Hauppauge made dongle which will set you back $49. The dongle will be available for pre-order beginning in January and will initially be available for those in the US and Canada.

Other details include that the tuner will be capable of pulling in free HD television signals and that it will retain the social functionality already found on the Boxee Box. According to details coming from GigaOm;

“Boxee’s software will support the device with a dedicated EPG for live TV content that will include the media center’s signature social features, including the capability to let others know what you’re watching at any given time. Users will also be able to find both live and archived versions of a TV show episode through Boxee’s Internet content sources.”

With that, while the live television option sounds kind of nice, it does not look like they have any plans to add DVR-like support. Coming from an FAQ on the Boxee site;

“The focus of Boxee Live TV is well… Live TV… having said that if we get enough users asking for DVR then we could take advantage of that other USB input on the back of the box and let a user connect a drive for recordings.”

Of course, the Boxee Box already allows the user to search for previously run episodes, which will be pulled and viewed from an online source. In other words, while maybe not including everything, you should not have to worry about missing your favorite show. Well, that is as long as it comes by way of a free HD broadcast.