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Do you prefer Hulu or Boxee? Well, the former is definitely better known and regularly generates headlines across the blogsphere. However, with the release of Boxee’s latest pre-release code there’s a new reason give it another look.

What’s all of the hubbub with Boxee Beta 0.9.22? Well, in addition to “many bug fixes” (more than 100 in this latest build),” they’re advertising a new movie library with content from four rather large independent libraries that together bring thousands of films to your Mac, Linux or Windows computer (Apple TV version coming in October):

• EZTakes — Your source for hard-to-find art house, independent, classic and cult films.

• IndieMoviesOnline — Streaming high quality independent films, documentaries, and shorts since 2009.

• MUBI — Your online cinema, anytime, anywhere. MUBI will give you the latest buzz from Cannes or a restored masterpiece personally chosen by Martin Scorses.

• OpenFilm — A fast-growing online community where filmmakers and film lovers around the globe discover and distribute independent film.

Additionally, Boxee lists movies served by YouTube and Hulu .

Eye on content

Thereupon, if you’re familiar with the beta released just after the New Year, you’re up-to-speed with Boxee Beta 0.9.22. Assuming you’ve already got an account, you can get to a movie in the new library in three clicks.

Although Boxee’s marketing for the library does a good bit name dropping, as evidenced above, the great majority of flicks available are obscure. Yes, you can find popular titles, such as Star Trek First Contact, and documentaries, like Fuel, but the great majority are ones you probably haven’t heard of.

Now, before you get discouraged, there is a ton of really good stuff in there — The Phantom of the Opera, Dive Trip to Apo Island Philippines, The Uprising — to be had and the key here is that Boxee is set up for sampling and discovery.

Yes, you’ll have to watch a few commercials to taste, but that’s a small price to pay considering that a similar experience on cable TV, which includes more than your fair share of ads costs North of $100 a month.

Challenges

This app’s user interface can be opaque. For example, you can use individual keys to navigate, but as far as I know there isn’t a single reference for all of these commands (these are just the ones I’ve come across):

(H) – Home Screen; (Esc) – Back one level; (S) – Exit, change user, suspend screen; (Period) – Stop play; (X) – Stop play; (Spacebar) – pause; (+/-) Volume up/down; (\) Fullscreen

Boxee is meant to be viewed fullscreen. For example, if you’ve got it playing in a small, floating window in the corner of your display and need to move about, you’ll either squint (hard) or put the app in the fullscreen mode as UI elements don’t resize to make best use of the available windows space.

Also, pausing some content (i.e. Hulu) for an extended time (how long?) will kick you out of the movie, losing your spot and forcing you to start again.

And, where’s the iPad app? There’s a crying need for a free grab bag service like Boxee on the Apple tablet. That said, as designed, the current user interface would be utterly unusable on an iPhone or iPod touch.

These asides aside, the Boxee Movie Library is cool and the company’s promising more hit content by year’s end. And, as I’ve mentioned, the price I(free) is right…

What’s your take?