Boxee has released a Mac alpha of its “open and smart“ media player application. The start-up says in it’s blog that alternatives such as iTunes do a good job of pushing new content for download, but aren’t ideal for storing existing content. Boxee is designed to help users rediscover their “comfort content,” movies, pictures, and music that may be stored in a variety of formats, using a unique visual interface.

Boxee says it is limiting its alpha test to 5000 users, and there's no word yet when a beta version may be posted. Users can sign up for the alpha at Boxee's website.