Slashdot Mirror

Going to the allwell web site the box looks OK but only has two PCI slots so using them well is going to be critical.

I would really like to be able to put a firewire card into at least one of the slots so that the device can output to an external disk. There is a version of the box that comes with an MPEG2 decoder which looks a better option in that case.

Also I would probably look for a satelite TV interface card as I use dish TV. I have seen ads for such but they are pricier than normal interface cards. This choice may well mean going the windows XP route since I have no intention of writing my own drivers (been there, done that).

The problem with this build is that it doesn't leave space for a radio card as well. The problem we have found with the Dishplayer PVR (based on ultimate TV we think) is that we keep wanting to rewind and playback radio as well...

How about a hint on where to buy these? It took me a while, but I finally found their website, but they do not list a price, or where you can actually get one.

Looks like it has a couple of PCI slots too, so you could add a video-in card.

Oh yeah, and don't forget to add in the cost of a wireless keyboard, mouse, and universal remote to the overall cost.

I've been looking for something similar.

Basically: ethernet in, audio/video out (Dolby Digital 5.1 audio and progresive scan component video would be nice), from a streamed MPEG2 source.

The problem is the "oomph" required to do MPEG2 decoding -- this usually dictates a CPU with enough horsepower to need active cooling. However, if you look at the RealMagic Netstream 2000 by Sigma Designs, you'll find a PCI MP@ML MPEG2 TS and ES decoder card that does not require active cooling and works with a lowly P133.

One can imagine a settop box based on this combination that would fit the bill. It gets better... there is such a beast, and it runs on Linux: The VIP30306n. This little puppy uses the Sigma Designs em8400 MPEG2 chip... the same one as in the RealMagic Netstream2000.

The downside is price: the Netstream2000 runs around US$220, and I'd expect that the GCT Allwell box would be US$500 or so.

Make an X server for that graphics chip you use that runs on both the DC and PC hardware (my buddy has a PC based version of your DC graphics chip, no X server exists) Make sure you ship ethernet adapters, keyboards, mice, hard drive adaptors and some friggen version of linux with the thing. I for one would gladly pay $200-300 for a completely custamizable system than can be used as an X terminal on any TV

Sega don't (didn't) make the graphics chip, Videologic do. The (current) "PC Version" is the Kyro II, which uses a similar Tile Accelerator approach to the PVR chipset in the DC. There is an X server, and linux, and keyboards, and mice, and ethernet available for the DC. You would pay about $2-300 to do that (without a harddisk), once you'd found someone willing to sell you the ethernet (in short supply).

You'd probably be better off getting something like this x86 settop box for the same money, which would be quieter (silent vs DC's noisy fan) and easier get binaries and bits for (but suck for games), and you can either add a 2.5" HDD to it, or keep it silent and boot off a dirt-cheap CompactFlash, your server, or DiskOnChip.

Personally, I would not use X on an 800x600 monitor, let alone my TV.

OK it looks quite nice. But a motherboard, processor, heatsink, 128Mb memory, video card, CDRW, 40gb HD, sound card and case will set you back about £400 (US$575). Plus, you get the fun of coding the front end yourself. You could even go to Bull Electrical and pick up some IR gear and attach it to the serial port for about ten quid too, and hey presto, IR control. The HP's case is lovely, but if it's the actual functionality you're after, you can build it cheaper yourself.

$1000 dollars seems a lot for something which can be achieved with any bog standard PC. You could even spray paint a GCT-Allwell set top box silver and then replace the DiskOnChip with a cable and 40Gb IDE hard drive and then install Linux or Win98Lite. Plus you get 10/100 NIC and TV-out.

Alternatively, how about an Acer NT-150 STB, you can normally get these off of ebay etc. for about £20 (US$35)

Or, you could buy a really nice cd player... :)

First, does anyone have an idea about how much this will cost, what PDAs it works with, what kind of outputs it has, ANYTHING? A lot more information is needed.

Second, why USB? Perhaps this is for compatibility with the aforementioned PDAs/MP3 players, but IMHO it should have firewire for future scalability.

Third, cost could easily kill this thing. It doesn't seem like it has many more features than say a GCT Allwell set-top (which is easily hackable), and the aesthetics of it certainly don't appeal to me, so the only way that I would consider it is if the price was *very* low.

Fourth, how much you want to bet that the RIAA will have a field day trying to push against this thing? Maybe they already have a foothold (i.e. you wont be able to burn anything unless its a digitally signed download, etc.?) with this. I myself don't trust set-top devices for burning, especially not with the latest digital rights management push.

Fifth, Access to RealNetworks will never convince me to shell out money. In fact, nothing Real has ever done anything worthy of purchasing, in my opinion. I just don't think its a selling point.

On a side note, all of my home entertainment equipment is Black, what's with this sudden push to make everything blue && || silver? Cut it out!

Small and cheap?
Have a look at the Allwell Set-top boxes; from my experience these make VERY nice diskless terminals, although I haven't yet tried what XP does to them - only tried linux so far and quite happy with the result. Price ranges from $289 to $400 depending on configuration;
my box (300Mhz, 32MB Disk On a Chip Flash ROM, 2.5" IDE installation kit etc cost about $400).

• Linux 2.4 kernel
• Squid proxy
• iptables firewall
• ipsec and ms pptp VPN server
• NTP server (stratum 1, got serial DCF77 receiver)
• Boa web server (for access to squid cachemgr and serving code red/nimda antidote scripts)
• ssh server + client stuff

What made you think that the STBMX1030's are no longer being manufactured? I checked the company site you posted a link too, and I couldn't find any comments about that (did I just miss it?).

Either way, instead of that AllWell site in Taiwan, try checking out the GCTGlobal site that's posted in the original LinuxDevices article.

Is an SBC with NTSC outputs, plus Audio and Ethernet. It would make it alot easier to start up or maintain a homebrew TiVo project.....

What about this GCT-Allwell system? You know, the one mentioned in the article posted for this story?

Or were you really looking for just the board? If it were me I'd go for the whole system anyway, and scavenge the board if I had too. Only $299 for the whole unit makes it awfully tempting.

Finally, someone who wants to put a PC in their living room, without it actually looking like a PC in their living room. Someone with taste has posted to Slashdot at last.

First, the Qbex isn't what you want. From that shot, it looks like a standard black NLX formfactor box. Which means it's got room for a slim CD/DVD, room for a couple HDs, room for a slim floppy, onboard everything, and usually one or two PCI slots in the back. That's it. No upgradeable AGP, and because of the formfactor, it still looks like a PC. Bleagh.

The Gateway Destination set-top unit is one of these, too.

Unfortunately, that's as close as you can come to a decent PC in a decent case, with much upgradeability at all. Rackmount cases are 19" wide, which is wider than some shelves or TVs, and usually also onboard everything, but they don't look back as set-top boxes, and 1U units can have a single PCI slot, and 2U units can have 2, maybe three?

Then there's "real" set-top boxes. Units like this offer a very non-threatening non-PC look, while still supporting a single PCI slot. Click on the "HTPC" link at the top of the page to see where Qbex probably gets their chassis from. :)

There's also a nice iDVD offering from GCT-Allwell with an integrated DVD player and PCI MPEG2 decoder... unfortunately it's not upgradeable at all, since the MPEG2 decoder takes up the only available PCI slot.

So in otherwords, you're pretty much stuck. I'd just LOVE to be proven wrong on this, but I think the only real choice you have is to have a chassis custom-built for you. Then get it FCC approved, and sell it online, and have a tidy little side business. ;)

--Vito