Earlier this year, we learned that the makers of media player Boxee would be introducing a cloud-based video storage and sharing app, Cloudee. Today, Cloudee comes out of hiding and will be available in open beta with a slew of new features, including a Web-based interface and an optimized iOS 6 app so you can manage your videos across all your computing gadgets.
The app, still free for the time being, has more potential for iOS users since it’s got a mobile version and Mac desktop uploader that sync harmoniously. Windows users can also use the desktop uploader and the Web interface to arrange, manage, share, and stream videos straight from their preferred browser. Boxee’s marketing communications manager Liz Dellheim tells us an Android app is slated for next year — perhaps not too long after Cloudee is scheduled to come out of beta.
As you can see in our sample Cloudee account, you can sort your stream based on the collection of videos uploaded, friends’ videos that have been selectively shared with you, and videos you’ve liked. The social network-esque aspect of this might remind you of other social video apps, like the ever-popular Viddy, but the cloud storage capacity gives Cloudee its rightful edge.
The iOS 6 app also offers extra sharing features with your social network. Using your Facebook and Twitter account(s) or your phone’s contact list, you can select groups of friends with whom you want to share your videos. Until you choose to publish the selected media to your contacts, the videos will always remain private in your Cloudee locker. Supported media files include MOV, AVI, FLV, Quicktime, MP4, M4V, and MKV.
With its open beta mode, Cloudee is still offering unlimited storage for all your video uploading pleasure. Sounds too good to be true? That’s because the company wants to hook you in before its paid, premium version becomes available by the end of the year. The paid app will incorporate a Boxee integration and will be subscription-based — much like other cloud services that float the Web. “We’re still finalizing what the price point structure will be,” Dellheim says.
The Cloudee iOS app, desktop uploader, and Web account are all available today.
