In the world of pre-built, media streaming HTPC replacements, there’s really only one mainstream stand-out product, the D-link Boxee Box. Today, we put the Boxee Box up against its newest competitor, the Xtreamer Ultra which goes on sale early next week. The spec showdown awaits.
Let’s begin with processing power
After ditching Tegra2 in favor of Intel’s Atom processor, the Boxee Box finally decided on the Intel CE4110 system-on-a-chip platform consisting of a 1.2 GHz Intel Atom CPU. Xtreamer Ultra on the other hand went with a dual-core 1.8 GHz Intel Atom D525.
It’s all about the graphics
Since the Boxee Box uses the Intel CE4110 system-on-a-chip platform, it uses a PowerVR SGX535 integrated graphics processor which provides HDMI 1.3 output. Xtreamer Ultra ups the ante with the next-generation nVidia ION2, a GT218 40nm based GPU with 512MB of DDR3 memory.
What about memory and storage?
Having a powerful CPU and GPU are essential, but RAM is key when it comes to a smooth interface. The Boxee Box offers 1GB of RAM and 1GB of NAND Flash memory. The Xtreamer Ultra is a different beast, allowing up to 4GB of DDR3 memory to be installed and a 2.5” HDD bay for your choice of a SSD or laptop-sized hard drive.
Connectivity is key
The Boxee Box offers a HDMI 1.3 output, optical audio (S/PDIF), RCA analog stereo, two USB ports, SD slot and 100Base-T ethernet. Xteramer Ultra features an HDMI 1.3a port, DVI, VGA, 1000Base-T ethernet, six USB ports, optical audio (S/PDIF), eSATA and mic input.
Software and add-ons
As the name implies, the Boxee Box is all about Boxee. The unit comes with a two-sided remote (keyboard on one side, navigation on the other). Xtreamer Ultra is a HTPC at heart, bundled with a MCE certified remote and capable of running Windows 7, Boxee, XBMC or Linux.
Wrapping it all up – Verdict
Overall the Boxee Box is a great solution if you love the Boxee interface. The Xtreamer on the other hand, is a much more powerful product capable of running several operating sytems, including Boxee. At its core, Xtreamer Ultra is a PC in a small form factor and if you were to run Windows 7, you wouldn’t be confined to the Boxee app library. At the end of the day, until we have a review unit on hand to compare to our Boxee Box, we can’t determine a winner. So for now, we’ll let you decide a champion.
