Linux-Based Home Services Server

BrK writes "Ucentric Systems seems to be developing a linux-based server targeted towards the average home. The server is reported to handle MP3, video, CallerID, Instant Messaging (delivered to the TV), and more." I'm still looking for the ultimate integrated box. Its some combination of this thing, Tivo and the Zap Station (which looks like it will do for audio what tivo does for video). But it doesn't look like any of these guys are gonna be doing anything open source, so it probably will be a long time before we get there.

Comments

Standards and other stuff.

[stienman]

But it doesn't look like any of these guys are gonna be doing anything open source, so it probably will be a long time before we get there.

It's going to be a long time before we get anywhere with these types of devices anyway. It's not a matter of open source, it's a matter of What Consumers Really Want(tm). Manufacturers are guessing what consumers want, and are going slowly. Why? Consumers don't really want an all in one device. Yet.

Before we can even think that our VCR, Radio, computer, and internet are going to interact, someone has to lay down some rules as to how they interact. Sure, they all have firewire. Hook your VCR to the stereo. How the heck does the stereo and VCR communicate? What information do they each need? How are they going to explain their needs to each other? We need a standards body that not only decides these standards, but also does studies to find out what the customer wants. I, for one, want to be able to buy brand A TV, brand B HDTV tuner, brand C digital surround sound system, and have them all talk to each other intelligibly!

Stereo: Behold, I am an audio amplifier with the ability to decode surround sound, MPEG through V4, and a variety of other streams and formats. I can send sound to three locations in this building, each location has the following parameters.
VCR: Howdy, I'm a VCR. You sure do have a funny accent. I'll throw out the words I don't know. I've been told to get movie A for immediate viewing, and movie B on a slow stream for later viewing. Stereo - here is the handle to the audio stream that will be playing momentarily for location one. I know you've been playing classic music from another source for this location, but this more recent command supercedes your last commend. TV, here is the video stream for location one. Router, please give me two connections to this video server, dedicate at least this much bandwidth to stream A (priority 1), and apply a priority of 4 to the following connection.
Stereo: Router, please cancel classical audio stream.
TV: I feel sick. What kind of crud are they using me for now? ew.

-Adam

Please moderate me down. Ever since I hit the karma cap, my self worth has gone down the tubes! I need to have it drop so it can go back up! PLEASE!

X-Box?

[photozz]

Develop away... won't do you any good. with MS's entry into the console market, esentialy a PROGRAMABLE console, they can offer firmware and software upgrades to enable just about any function on these things. play games, DVD, CD audio, MP3, and TIVO like functions. And they have the marketing clout behind them. With the pretense of a "gaming" console, MS is puting a box in every house that can compeete with any of these products.

IM to your TV?

[Hairy_Potter]

Great, now when my wife and I watch Alli McBeal, we'll be distracted by endless

morf?

a/s/l/u?

count me out

Tried it...

[billybob2001]

I got a Linux-Based Home Services Server, but she only spoke Spanish, and kept using the phone long-distance.

At least she didn't have a CueCat.

Open Source solution?

[interiot]

I'd love to see an open source solution that would do some of these things and more.

Right now, I'm working on a similar system to tie together the TV, DVD drive, wireless speakers throughout the apartment, X10 modules, and some RF remotes. I'm aiming for something like the automated telephone menus for interacting with the system from anywhere in the apartment. Also, it would alert me to various unsolicited events (new email, caller ID info, scheduled appointments, CNN.com breaking news, grandfather clock, UPS tracking status changes, etc...).

The separate pieces exist in open source already. But unless it's engineered well, each person's solution is likely to be a hack that's only useful to them because the pieces can be put together in so many different ways.
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This is the right idea.

[IGnatius T Foobar]

Linux is the ideal platform for such a system. The problem with all efforts so far to do something like this is that they have all centered around "the home computer" (typically a Windows box). To make something like this work, you have to have something a little more "hands off." It's got to be a box that you mount on a wall in the basement, plug your services (power, telephone, DSL/cable, etc.) into, and forget about it. More likely for most homes, an installer will perform this service. Then you have everything available, a truly automated home. With that shaky PC out of the way, it can actually work.

I have friends with X-10 installations, and they all complain that the problem with tying it into your PC is that they don't want to encumber the PC with home automation tasks. I've had mine running for about two years now, though, with no problem -- I use Linux. My main server, which is also running IP masquerade for my LAN, file/print services, as well as my BBS, handles it all without so much as a hiccup.

Truly effective home automation requires a system that was designed to be "always on" -- and to me, that means more than just the ability to reduce a service down to a tray icon, it means the ability to truly jump into the background, to start automatically even when nobody is logged on, and to seldom (if ever) stop. Once that pesky PC is taken out of the picture, this stuff can really fly.
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