The start-up Boxee, involved in bringing Web videos to TV sets, announced recently at a New York City event that its partnership with the Taiwanese networking equipment maker, D-Link, has resulted in the emergence of the set-top box called the ‘Boxee Box by D-Link.’

With the thus-far disembodied software code getting a host device, the users can now go in for the set-top box, rather than having to spare their laptops or Mac Minis to run Boxee’s online video management software.

Relying on Web sites like Netflix, MLB. TV, Comedy Central and Pandora to collect videos and music, Boxee presents its videos in a visually-appealing format that is akin to a television directory. It also adds some features from social networks.

The Boxee Box, which connects to a TV via HDMI, SPDIF, RCA Audio, and features 2 USB expansion ports, can link with the user’s home network with the help of Wi-Fi (802.11n) and/or wired ethernet.

The emergence of Boxee Box, to hit the markets in the first half of next year, clearly indicates Boxee’s desire to move beyond its limited user base. Commenting on the new set-top box, the Boxee CEO Avner Ronen said: “Today the reality is that hooking up your laptop to your television, or putting Boxee on an Apple TV, is not a mainstream experience.”