Boxee for iPad is a wonderfully versatile means of accessing your media collection

The Mac and PC versions of Boxee provide a wonderfully versatile means of accessing your media collection -- music, photos and movies -- in a delightful interface. The app can be used in conjunction with your computer, or linked to your TV and stereo. Now there is an iPad app available that brings the flexibility of the desktop software to Apple's tablet. Boxee for iPad has been unleashed, and it has plenty to offer.

The idea behind the iPad app is very much the same as the desktop software, although this time around there is an even greater emphasis placed on streaming media. As is almost expected of any app these days, Boxee for iPad integrates with social networks such as Facebook and Twitter. This is not just so that you can interact with your friends, but also so that you can access videos that have been posted to these sites in the same app you will use to access the rest of your media collection.

The sleek interface is divided up into three main sections. The Friends section provides you with a constant feed of videos that have been posted by your friends on various social networks, while the Watch Later section makes it possible to bookmark videos you would like to watch at a later date. This feature can be used in conjunction with the Boxee bookmarklet on your computer to build up a list of video that will be synchronized between your Boxee devices.

The final section is called Featured, and here you will find the pick of video as chosen by Boxee staff. This section includes all manner of videos form the latest funnies to short films and more. If you stumble across anything you think your friends would appreciate, you can easily share them from within the app to save having to send out a series of emails.

But far and away the most interesting feature of the app is the ability to stream video from your Mac or PC to your iPad. In order to make use of this feature you will need to install a copy of the Boxee Media Manager -- full instructions are provided within the app --but once this has been done you will be able to stream videos without the need to synchronize them to your iPad or having to convert them into a different format. This feature is not dissimilar to the streaming options that are available in Plex, but it is free and more verstaile.

If you have a Boxee Box, video streaming can also be performed the other way around. If you have a video on your iPad, it is possible to send it to your TV so you can continue watching whilst using your iPad for something else. Setting this up is an absolute doddle, and in a matter of minutes you can stream any videos or music in folders you have chosen to share -- it really is incredibly simple and is probably the most effective and impressive means of sharing media to your iPad that is currently available.

Boxee software has always had something of the wow factor and this app is no different. You can find out more and download a copy of the app by paying a visit to the Boxee for iPad review page.