Wired has an interesting review on Boxee box:

The Boxee box is pretty simple. Video outputs through an HDMI connector. For audio, you can plug in through an optical digital audio-out jack or regular composite audio. An SD card slot and two USB ports allow you to expand storage. For internet connectivity, the box supports 802.11n Wi-Fi and ethernet. Boxee was previously a piece of open source software that you’d download to view media on your computer.

Most users would download Boxee onto their notebook, which they’d then hook up to a TV. The box eliminates that need, and it’s also compatible with a new remote that just launched at the Consumer Electronics Show.

This is the closest thing you can get compared to Apple TV. The Boxee platform is open and although it's handled by one company, it is unlike the one in Cupertino, California where the hardware, software and app store are tightly integrated (ok, so much for lock-in).

The setup is modular.  You can mix and match whatever you have right now. With all due respect to Inovent, the Boxee box does not lock you in with your choice of LCD TV or your Dolby Digital component or your external USB hard disks complete with your MP3, videos and whatnot.

Moreover, for those in Third World countries where internet connectivity is next to dead spots, your media collection downloaded from the Internet or from your friends can now be enjoyed at full-throttle where it truly belongs, not with your computer, but with your high-fidelity and high-definition media center.