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[vdr] Any interest in a "hardware open source" ATX-style case?



Pardon me for soliciting a potential commercial interest here, but I am
wondering if any one of the "media PC" hackers using Linux out there would
be interested in a PC ATX form factor case that had the aesthetics of a
typical piece of stereo or video equipment--or if you know of any that are
available in the market?  I would like to see if there is any general
interest in a hardware platform that would let you put together pretty
much whatever PC hardware you've got and create a DVD, MP3, CD, VCD, DVB,
PVR, etc. etc. device that looks like a real piece of audio/videoequipment
and not a hacked PC case.  I know there's a certain fondness for "rolling
your own" in this community and many others and I envision this case as a
means to that end.  Call it "hardware open source" if you will.

There have been various attempts at producing such a product over the
years that I'm aware of, but the original idea for me came from something
called LC-DAT.  Unfortunately pictures of this are no longer around, but
it was the first--and perhaps the only--case that was built from scratch
that had the nice fit-and-finish of a piece of stereo equipment.
Considering it was meticulously handmade by someone who knew a lot about
metalworking, it was not exactly built to be commercialized and never was.

I saw another case a couple years back that sold for about $150, but never
went anywhere.  There is this case which bills itself as a "Home Theater
PC:"

http://www.digitalconnection.com/Products/Computers/callisto.htm

This seems to be a standard PC case with a bezel machined out of a single
piece of metal and seems to be rather steeply priced.  I am envisioning
something smaller (2U-3U perhaps), more elegant, and, of course, cheaper -
probably $100-$150.  If one can achieve enough volume, I think this is
more than possible.  PC cases are, after all, quite cheap in volume.

If you would like to register an interest in such a case, please go to:

http://mpegpc.westmarc.net

... or just e-mail me at mpegpc@westmarc.net

Again, I apologize for littering the list with a commercial interest, but
hopefully I'm not TOO offensive. :)




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