[vdr] Re: Set Top Box

[sp.amix@gmx.net]

> Stefan A. Rush wrote:
> > Not sure who is interested but here is a price sheet for a Linux based
> > set top box. 
> > http://www.allwell.tv/Products/Set_Top_Box/STB6086N2/stb6086n2.html
> > http://www.allwell.tv/Products/Set_Top_Box/set_top_box.html
> What about making one of these boxes a replay-only version of VDR?


I am tinkering with this idea for a few weeks now, but I have not yet
decided when and how to do it. It might never happen, or just in private.

I have contaced Allwell a few weeks ago and they said, they would ship
in single quantity, for approx. USD80-100 per box. That was the Korean
office,
if memory serves me right.

The ST6086N2 is quite powerful, it has even dual Ethernet ports, so I doubt
this is the right machine for a client. There is a version of the 30xx that
looks the same but has less power, one ethernet only and is available
with the MPEG4 option as well.

I have looked up the specs of this MPEG4 chip at SigmaDesigns. No word about
DivX, me would like to see hardware DivX5 decoding. It seems to be
for standard,plain MPEG4. Not sure, though.

Also, some of the 30xx boxes are specced with some special video chip, and
I have seen the term DVB in there, but I am not sure what they mean, 
since none of these boxes has a SAT tuner nor do they talk much about
digital TV, something they would announce severeal times, if their boxes
had it.

My plan was to get such a device as cheap as possible (no more than 64MB
RAM,
no additional devices, except for the MPEG decoder) and place it in my
bedroom, having it connected to my multimedia-server, that has VDR and
Video-
LAN installed. However, I am not there yet, all is evaluation atm.

Please note, that there is some Linux based software for these boxes:
xyz Middleware (xyz being the manufactuerer, which name I forgot, TIA or
TIVA or so).
They seem to have programmed some STB UI, making use of PIP and
alpha-blending.
It seems to be proprietary, though.

Since it runs Linux and comes with software and since it is targeted at a
wide market (VOD, V over IP, STB, etc.) there must be some Linux driver 
for the SigmaDesigns chip. Probably closed source.

But these boxes look great, are very very expandable for their size and
have the right shape. The VIA Eden and Geode platfrom do not require any
active cooling ! By booting these over the net or adding a little CF or DOM
they can be operated completly noiseless, without any moving parts.

Also, some of these boxes feature RGB-SCART !

In theory a client would run the Video-LAN client and could control VideoLAN
or
VDR over the network. Add a pair of active NXT speakers, mount the on the
wall,
mount a quick TFT on the wall, hide the box under some table and you look
pretty cool, cooking in your kitchen while watching some news and being
alerted
via Popup-OSD when important mail has arrived ;-)

Or place it in front of your bed under the TV.

Very cool, indeed.

-- 
Bye, Andreas

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