Boxee’s latest beta release is pretty nice looking; offering a media center solution for those who don’t have—or for some reason hate—Windows Media Center. Boxee’s format is aesthetically appealing, but what’s most appealing about Boxee is its social tools.  For example, users are able to receive recommendations from friends on what to watch.

This social approach to a media center is brilliant. Recommendations don’t have to come from friends; the Boxee staff, Facebook, and Twitter are all places to find social content on Boxee. This is immensely useful, as users can cull the best picks from all the other people who already waded through hours and hours of video. This saves time and also has the potential to expand users’ horizons.

The latest beta release was shown recently to a crowd of interested onlookers. How will Boxee fare in the big leagues with competition like Microsoft? Only time will tell.