Playing video files from an external or network drive

The Boxee box gives you the ability to play videos from the web but also to run files off of an external drive. One way to do this is to use the SD card slot to plug in your SD card or to use the USB ports on the back to attach an external hard drive or other device.

As soon as the Boxee recognizes that there is an SD card or hard drive attached, it will say Removable disk attached in the top right. To access those files go to Files on the far right. You'll see your list of files and folders and you'll see your drive listed at the bottom. Once you select your drive, you will see all of the files and folders that are contained within.

If you select one of the files displayed, you'll have the option of playing it where you can use the remote control to

control playback

. If you tap the menu button, you can exit the video by pressing Leave. If you resume a video you've started watching before, you'll have the option of resuming where you left off.

You can also access videos that are connected to your network by clicking on Network and choosing the one you want. You may need to enter credentials to access the files. Also, if you have a slower connection, this may not be the best way of watching files.

The Boxee box is capable of playing a great deal of different

media formats

-- more than the AppleTV -- so the best way to check is to visit the Boxee web site to look up compatible file formats.