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Linux-Powered PVR/Satellite Machine

Posted by timothy on from the even-just-the-divx-is-nice dept.

spicyjack writes "After reading this story, I thought this submit would be appropriate. A German company called Dream-Multimedia-TV has come up with a schweet custom box targeted for the PVR/Satellite markets. How about a machine with a 250Mhz IBM PowerPC, 2 SmartCard readers, one CompactFlash slot, UDMA66 IDE, MPEG2 support with MPEG4 (DivX) support on the way, Ethernet, LCD display, SPDIF out, yada yada yada (zipped User's Manual). Oh, and it is built specifically to run Linux. Available right now. Commence hacking!"

37 of 198 comments (clear)

  1. with a price tag of? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    aieee... how cheap can they get that box for nowadays?

    less than $100???

    grumble grumble... when i was a kid... 64 k was a whizbang computer... 300 baud modems... acoustic... uphill, in the snow, both ways....

    damn kids...

  2. I wish I could find some good Linux PVR software by dcstimm · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I wish I could find some good Linux PVR software, tried mythtv but its only recommended with use with a tv out and a tv set and a remote, I need one I can use on my monitor with mouse support (so I can scroll up and down with my mouse).. Plus it needs to have smooth playback, unlike mythtv, I have dual p3 700mhz cpus, and mythtv runs like a dog on them.

    Right now in linux I use "Vcr" to record tv shows, with this script:
    #!/bin/bash
    killall motv
    killall xawtv
    killall -9 vcr
    vcr -g /dev/video0 -c 'divx ;-) low-motion' -v -p 40 -F 23 -q 100 -m mono -b 64 -t 60m savedshow.avi

    --
    keanmarine.com
  3. What formats does this unit support? by TheDigitalOne · · Score: 3, Interesting

    They mention satellite service in the article, but after (albeit briefly) browsing the German website I can't tell which services it is compatible with. I happen to use Dish PVR, I would love to move to an open source option!

    1. Re:What formats does this unit support? by jpt.d · · Score: 3, Informative

      From what I remember on my previous research into this was that the Express-Vu up in Canada, which is a version of the dish network, uses DVB coupled with Nagravision - the protection mechanism.

      --
      What we see depends on mainly what we look for. -- John Lubbock Now search for that bug slave!
    2. Re:What formats does this unit support? by Student_Tech · · Score: 3, Informative

      Ok, I was wrong. The DVB site has under the supported items many things from Echostar (DISH) including some of the satellite receivers. Quick google seems to show that yes DISH is DVB ok.
      Didn't see any Hughes (DirecTV) and from what it looks like (another google) they use an MPEG2 signal that isn't DVB compatible.

      So it seems DISH yes DVB, DirecTV no DVB.

    3. Re:What formats does this unit support? by general_re · · Score: 4, Informative
      They mention satellite service in the article, but after (albeit briefly) browsing the German website I can't tell which services it is compatible with. I happen to use Dish PVR, I would love to move to an open source option!

      This isn't a replacement for the Dish subscription. Dish is sorta-kinda DVB-compatible - you can use a DVB receiver to pull in some of the Dish Network channels, but only the channels that are unencrypted. Which means that you won't get the channels you're probably most interested in - this box will not get you free HBO or free PPV movies, for example.

      And just to round out the picture, DirecTV's feeds are entirely incompatible with DVB, so you won't pull in any DTV channels.

      --
      ABSURDITY, n.: A statement or belief manifestly inconsistent with one's own opinion.
  4. $499 euros? by Gromph · · Score: 4, Informative

    Only a 250 mhz processor and it's 499 euros which is about US $499. And this is a good thing why??

    1. Re:$499 euros? by Enahs · · Score: 5, Insightful
      Either you're just trolling, or a bit slow, or both, but if you really think that clock speed is all that counts, obviously you've never worked with PowerPCs.

      --
      Stating on Slashdot that I like cheese since 1997.
    2. Re:$499 euros? by Tim+Browse · · Score: 5, Informative
      My question is what speed PowerPC does the tivo use?

      50MHz.

      Tim

    3. Re:$499 euros? by uradu · · Score: 4, Informative

      > if you really think that clock speed is all that counts

      Obviously you're one who thinks that the performance of PowerPC expands to beat any competitor at any given time. While the x86 and PPC are not comparable MHz for MHz, you can certainly figure out how much work each one does per cycle. Just for comparison, a dirt cheap throw away CPU nowadays would be a 1GHz Duron (around $35), which runs four times faster than this particular PPC. The PPC would have to execute four times more instructions per cycle than the Duron to be roughly comparable, and you can bet your life that it doesn't. So, all in all, while the PPC might be more efficient per cycle, it is not per dollar. IOW, for any given dollar amount you can buy considerably more raw processing power in an x86.

      For example, check out the Epia boards from Via. For around $100 you get roughly the same processing power plus all conceivable peripherals on board. Add a $30 graphical LCD from Crystalfontz, get (or make) a suitable case, and you're set for WAY less than $500. Especially if hacking is what you want anyway, this approach is much cheaper and more flexible (not to mention more fun).

  5. Wouldn't this be cheaper to make by teamhasnoi · · Score: 3, Insightful
    with an x86 box? And, could the linux software be ported to an old powermac? (or new one?)

    Questions I'm sure will be answered on the next episode of 'Taken'.

  6. Re:I wish I could find some good Linux PVR softwar by parnold · · Score: 5, Informative

    try freevo, it can work quite well with a monitor & mouse. http://freevo.sourceforge.net

    --
    this sig intentionally left blank
  7. TiVo by RzUpAnmsCwrds · · Score: 5, Informative

    TiVo already has a box like this. No, it doesn't have as many features. It's also $199.

    DirecTV DVR powered by TiVo (basically a renamed Series II combo box) has a 200mhz MIPS processor, 32M of RAM, 2 tuners, hardware MPEG2 decoding, 40GB disk, USB 2.0, etc.

    It's also powered by Linux.

  8. Is there a point? by Nefrayu · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I can see wanting to make a swiss army knife set top box because it's fun, but other than that, why would you do such a thing? I can't see a need for all of that in one unit. Period. Why not make a sleek and specialized (and cheap) box instead?

    --
    Friends help you move. Real friends help you move bodies.
  9. Re:250MHz and DivX? by parnold · · Score: 3, Informative

    if you read the site its says that it won't do divx encoding only DECODING. and will proberly just use mpeg2 for the PVR functions. anyway a divx player is cool

    --
    this sig intentionally left blank
  10. It looks like Windows aint outta the picture yet by teamhasnoi · · Score: 3, Informative
    Do my eyes decieve me?

    Perhaps its just a theme. I guess I'll find out on the next episode of 'Taken'.

  11. Better picts by new500 · · Score: 5, Informative

    Here

    that's http://www.dream-multimedia-tv.de/cat/pictures.php 4 for the still Goat conscious

  12. A word of warning by zztzed · · Score: 5, Informative

    A word of warning to any Slashdotters who are thinking this might be a nice way to get around paying for a DirecTiVo (or DirecTV DVR as I think they're calling the Series 2 ones) or DishPVR:

    I've looked into building my own satellite PVR, and from what I learned, I think I can safely say that this box in all likelihood will not work with DirecTV or Dish Network. DirecTV uses its own proprietary encryption scheme which isn't supported by anything but DTV-licensed receivers, and while Dish Network uses Nagravision encryption, which is supported by some things (like Hauppauge's WinTV DBS card), they marry their smartcards to their receivers, so a Dish Network smartcard will only work in the receiver in which it was first activated unless you hack it (and even then it may not work outside a Dish Network receiver). Basically, this thing is useless unless you want to use it to record free-to-air satellite broadcasts.

    1. Re:A word of warning by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

      marry their smartcards to their receivers, so a Dish Network smartcard will only work in the receiver in which it was first activated unless you hack it

      Not true. A receiver and smartcard can be remarried at any time. All it takes is a call into the Dishnetwork call center (pretty much any one of the 8, just pray that you don't get El Passo) an agent simply changes the hardware in their system CSG, and a supervisor sends a brixton reset. Magically your receiver is now married to a different smartcard.

      I worked for Echostar for over a year. I did tech support. I know all kinds of tricks for their systems. I have even figured out how to get their programming for free, indefinately. I never did, because I value my anal virginity too much to go to jail for free TV.

      One quick example, Know how they tell you that they can't remove a pay per view event from your system if you pre-order it? That's not true. Most agents simply do not know how to remove them, hell most supervisors don't know how. But it is possible.

      Echostar intentionally keeps information from the public, and even their employees to maintain a level of security through obscurity.

      Then don't even tell the tech support employees when they are sending out countermeasures. All of a sudden, you'd just get 80 calls with people who have error message 051.

    2. Re:A word of warning by general_re · · Score: 5, Interesting
      Good post. Glad to see good posts still exist around here ;)

      DirecTV uses its own proprietary encryption scheme which isn't supported by anything but DTV-licensed receivers, and while Dish Network uses Nagravision [nagravision.com] encryption, which is supported by some things (like Hauppauge's WinTV DBS card), they marry their smartcards to their receivers, so a Dish Network smartcard will only work in the receiver in which it was first activated unless you hack it (and even then it may not work outside a Dish Network receiver).

      I'd only add one small thing to this. You're absolutely right about not being able to pick up DTV channels - DirecTV has their own proprietary scheme which is incompatible with DVB. But Dish, OTOH, does broadcast some channels unencrypted, which you can pick up with a DVB receiver - the Lyngsat site can tell you which ones are FTA.

      Of course, the channels people want for free (HBO, Showtime, whatever) are all encrypted by Dish, so thinking a DVB receiver will get you free HBO is hopeless, as you rightly point out.

      --
      ABSURDITY, n.: A statement or belief manifestly inconsistent with one's own opinion.
    3. Re:A word of warning by zztzed · · Score: 4, Informative

      Good post. Glad to see good posts still exist around here ;)
      Heh heh. Thanks. :)

      But Dish, OTOH, does broadcast some channels unencrypted, which you can pick up with a DVB receiver - the Lyngsat site can tell you which ones are FTA.
      I just looked -- the only channels Dish broadcasts in the clear on CONUS are the barker channels (remote control help, 3-minute PPV/sports guide), the Muzak channels and one Sky Angel channel (I think...I saw it when I was skimming the lists but I couldn't find it again). There are also a few locals that are in the clear, but they're on spot beams.

      I was aware that Dish broadcasts several channels unencrypted, but I didn't really feel like it was worth mentioning -- because like you said, these channels may be free, but no one wants 'em. :)

    4. Re:A word of warning by mgs1000 · · Score: 4, Informative

      Check out the Tivo video extraction forum at DealDatabase.com

  13. Why bother? by kilonad · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I also have DishPVR. It works, it's easy to use, it's built into your receiver already. You've already paid for it and you won't be getting your money back anytime soon, and if anything goes wrong with the DishPVR, you just have to call them up and they'll replace it or fix it. So why bother spending an extra $500 on an open-source option when what you've already got and paid for works just fine?

    1. Re:Why bother? by gosand · · Score: 3, Insightful
      I also have DishPVR. It works, it's easy to use, it's built into your receiver already. You've already paid for it and you won't be getting your money back anytime soon, and if anything goes wrong with the DishPVR, you just have to call them up and they'll replace it or fix it. So why bother spending an extra $500 on an open-source option when what you've already got and paid for works just fine?

      Umm, because that is what Hacking is all about?

      Yeah, why would a "consumer" buy this? They wouldn't. This story isn't about that. I honestly think you are trolling with this question. You might as well ask "Why would I need an operating system other than Windows? It works, everyone uses it, and Microsoft is the largest software company in existence."

      It's about hacking, about learning, about tinkering, about not just sitting on your ass and getting spoon-fed everything. No, it isn't for everyone. I can't afford one of these to hack, but I hope some people can and do, if only for the simple sake of doing it. What is the point, you may ask? Well, what is the point of sitting and watching TV? Think about that one...

      --

      My beliefs do not require that you agree with them.

  14. Sony's Vaio Solution [Slightly OT] by zwoelfk · · Score: 5, Informative


    For anyone interested in an out-of-the-box solution for PVR/DVD -> VCD, etc. Check out Sony's Vaio PCV-W102 (I think it's only available in Japan, though)

    As a programmer, I like to tweak with my boxes, but this is so cool by default, I don't even want to mess with it! 1.6GHz Celeron (Could be worse!), 256MB Ram (512MB would be much better, but what the hell!), DVD/CDRW, Tuner (coax-in only, unfortunately), all-in-one integrated AV remote (however, can't use remote as a mouse, that's too bad...), memory card slot, 2 PCMCIA slots, 3 USB, 2 Firewire, Widescreen flat 15.5" display (it looks sweet!), etc. It's has Windows XP installed, but it has lots of cool-ass software for ripping music and video, so I'll leave it be.

    Anyway, Cygwin now has support for rootless mode under X, so I'm running all my favorite apps (esp. Konsole!) seamlessly.

    It's not a set top box, but it did completely replace my TV/DVD/VCR setup, and I'm stoked about it!

    It cost me around 170000JPY at the Sony store.

    1. Re:Sony's Vaio Solution [Slightly OT] by chabotc · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Since all the web pages i could find on this product were in langues i could not quite understand, i figured ppl would apreciate a picture link:

      http://pcweb.mycom.co.jp/news/2002/10/10/24.jpg

      Looks like one sweet toy though i gota say

  15. Re:250MHz and DivX? by User+956 · · Score: 5, Funny

    But, isn't 250MHz just a little slow for mpeg4/divx encoding?

    You've obviously fallen for the Wintel zealots' Megahertz Myth. A 250Mhz machine with a PowerPC processor is more powerful than a dual 3Ghz Xeon machine, in every benchmark. (Photoshop *cough* *cough* Photoshop).

    Want proof? just step a little closer to Jobs' reality distortion field.

    --
    The theory of relativity doesn't work right in Arkansas.
  16. Re:I wish I could find some .... USE MythTV!! by catch23 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    There was a slashdot article sometime back that mentioned MythTV. Last weekend, I loaded up the debian packages (although I had to manually install xmltv since the deb packages were old) and all I can say is wow! It's been running stable for the last 4 days and I've already recorded more than 20 programs. It does that Tivo-ish time-shifting stuff which I find really cool, but somewhat useless for my purposes since I use MythTV mostly for recording stuff. Plus, it's got a pretty nice web interface so I can still start the recording even when i'm away from the computer.... (just by accessing the mythweb frontend through apache/php)

    So far it allows you to use two codecs (nuppelvideo and mpeg4) but for some reason I get a bit better performance with the nuppelvideo stuff so I stuck with that. But I think the really big selling point of MythTV isn't the ability to record, do timeshifting, or access via the web... it's about it's really, really nice graphical interface. You just really have to see for yourself to believe it. I feel like a born-again couch potato!

    MythTV debian packages are here.

  17. Not *quite* the ultimate system by Analysis+Paralysis · · Score: 4, Informative
    This box, while looking pretty flexible in most areas, does not have a positioner so cannot control a motorised dish directly. There is also no mention of DiSEqC 1.2 (explained here along with lots of other things) compatibility which would be an alternative to a positioner (the specs only mention LNB switching which is DiSEqC 1.0). The specs *do* mention an I2C connection for an external control and there is Linux support for it in the kernel apparently.


    Oh, and the twin SCART sockets may be ideal for European users, but there is no mention of composite or S-VHS socketry for the US - so Americans will have to get a SCART-to-S-VHS cable to use this box.

  18. Satellite == DVB == European Only by -tji · · Score: 3, Informative

    This seems like a cool box for the Europeans among us. But, for the Americans, it's not very useful. DVB is a European satellite standard. The American satellite services, DirecTV and Dish Network are completely proprietary.

  19. It's the software by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

    PVR hardware is all nifty and fun, but it's the TV scheduling/programming feed that makes these things useful. That's what Tivo and ReplayTV charge their monthly fees for.

    Now, if you had a hackable PVR *and* you had a reliable source of free and accurate electronic TV listings, then you would have something.

    Until then I don't see what the fuss is about this box. Without the ability to easily program to record all episodes of you've got doorstop with a PowerPC chip in it.

    1. Re:It's the software by Rolo+Tomasi · · Score: 4, Informative

      The EPG (Electronic Program Guide) info is embedded in the DVB stream. In Europe at least.

      --
      Did you know you can fertilize your lawn with used motor oil?
    2. Re:It's the software by radish · · Score: 3, Insightful

      True, but it doesn't usually include the required information to enable features like season passes and suggestions. It's that which takes Tivo above "dumb recorder" and into the truly useful category, and it's that which I'm more than happy to pay for.

      --

      ---- Den ene knappen er powerknapp, den andre er Bender voice knapp "Bite My Shiny Metal Ass"

  20. Re:250MHz and DivX? by Klaruz · · Score: 5, Informative

    Jeeze man, look at the date on the page. Sept 99. A quick google says that in sept 99 the fastest pc cpu was a 600mhz p3. I believe 450mhz g3s were shipping at the time.

    I'm not going to get into the differences in the chips at the time, but apple's ads were pretty accurate. Today is a different story though.

    Please step away from your distortion field.

  21. Cool network audio player? by frozenray · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I held off the purchase of a network audio player because the devices on the market didn't fit the bill (for example, neither the Audiotron nor the SliMP3 can handle Ogg Vorbis natively, AFAIK).

    This could be the box I was looking for: Ethernet, backlit LCD, IR remote, enough oomph for decoding audio streams, and Linux. And PVR functions thrown in to boot.

    --
    "There are already a million monkeys on a million typewriters, and Usenet is NOTHING like Shakespeare." - Blair Houghton
  22. UK DTTV PVR from Pace "before Christmas" by Inflatable+Hippo · · Score: 3, Interesting

    ...or so I read somewhere, they'd better hurry up if they want to get it into Santa's sleigh...

    So all you ex UK OnDigital subscribers who are going to be forced to return or pay for your set top box, there is hope of a getter gizmo.

    This is a new suscription free PVR for the UK market that receives all the free to air DTTV channels.

    Not much in the way of details or prices yet...

  23. I don't care if it runs Linux. by fmaxwell · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I don't want a PVR that runs Linux. I want a PVR that works well. I don't give a rat's ass what OS it runs. In fact, I don't want to see the OS. I just want a powerful, user-friendly interface and software that does not require that I do anything to make it work other than select the programs I want to record.

    Oh, wait... That's why I bought a TiVo. {Yes, it runs Linux under the hood, but, thankfully, that's well-hidden.}

    I will never understand the Linux users that need daily affirmations of their operating system choice. Article after article on Slashdot is published about handhelds, PVRs, etc. that run Linux. It's like the Special Olympics of operating systems; everyone involved gets a ribbon.