The XBox as the Home Entertainment Media Hub

bigcitymike writes "Well it might be vaporware, but it appears Dreamix is trying to turn the Xbox into a PVR with a TV guide like scheduler. They also state PC as well as Mac/Linux support down the road. " Project Dreamix will turn the Microsoft Xbox into the ultimate home entertainment center." I presume it requires a mod-chip installed." The xbox media player really goes a long way towards this goal already. MSFT may not be the friendliest of companies, but for $200, the x-box makes a helluva stereo component.

Comments

Not Likely

[anaesthetica]

You can bet that if Dreamix can introduce Mac/Linux support for the XBox that microsoft will find a way to break that support--either through software or lawyers

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Re:Body of the article

[Anonymous Coward]

Warning!!! Karmawhore!

Its bloody on Sourceforge.

And the probability of it gettins Slashdotted is so damn freakin' remote.

Karmawhore... TROLL

~r13_zrgyva

PVR ability?

[fuchikoma]

I assume that also besides a modchip, you'll also need some sort of nonexistant video capture hardware. Last I checked, the xbox didn't come with S-VIDEO inputs...

Re:Unfortunately

[pummer]

then why is their site still up and running? in fact, here is the link for the modchip.

uh.. why?

[NinjaPaul]

Let's see.. Xbox has an 8 gig HD and no mpeg encoder or video inputs.. You won't be able to use Xbox Live on a modded machine, and for the cost of doing all the modifications you can probably get a Tivo for less money.

This is just another stupid idea, next please.

Re:Private Beta release link..

[Anonymous Coward]

Sheesh!!!! People can read the darn thing and click on the link if they want to.

Slashdot is teeming with morons of the likes of you lately...

If you can say something nice and useful, or insightful, say. Else shut up.

If and when the site is Slashdotted, people will post the mirrors.

Duh!

Sad state of Slashdot I should say. Still worse is that fact that some moderator on crack will mod this shit up.

~r13_zrgyva

Re:How could this work?

[Anonymous Coward]

So if I buy a mod chip and a new drive, then void my warranty I can have a TIVO. Would it not just be cheaper to buy the tivo?

Re:This is good work

[rasteri]

Finally, instead of fighting them, we can help out our brothers at Microsoft by boosting Xbox sales and adding value to them.

Actually, buy purchasing an Xbox and using 3rd-party software on it, you're helping Microsoft lose money. They actually make a loss on every Xbox sale.

Personally, I'm all for the idea. As I see it, the more money Microsoft loses due to the Xbox, the less money they have to pay their lawyers with. It's been said that Microsoft could just walk through the GPL if it were ever to become a serious threat to them.

DVD players

[Apreche]

I don't know why nobody but me sees it, but DVD players are quickly becoming the key component of a "media hub". I mean we've got a shitty cheap Apex, which we cracked for PAL and region free-ness. It's got logos on it for mp3, jpeg, dts, dolby digital, it plays cds and of course dvds. That's a lot of stuff. If someone made a divx playing pvr dvd player that would be the be all end all to home entertainment. All you would need would be digital cable or sattelite, a television with digital in and out, a reciever, speakers, and one of those. Maybe a VCR or a cassette deck or turntable. That's it! Console gaming is a nice thing too, but hey. If you throw like an xbox/ps2 emulator in the box you are the winner. And as other people have stated the XboX just doesn't have the technical capabilities to be this device without some serious additions. And considering price of xbox and add-ons and the limited hard drive space, I think I'm going to get working on this right away!

That's not the point

[lpret]

The point is that you can do so many other things as well. You can not only do Tivo-esque functions, you can:

• Play mp3s/ogg (perfect for a party -- no need to have a computer hooked up or burn a CD)
• Play Divx (again, parties)
• Streaming audio (setup a playlist from another box, or stream internet radio)
• DVD playback
• And the ability to rip all of these.

For all of these features, the xBox is a pretty small and handy way to do all this. Just try and build a PC about the same size for 400 dollars w/ a remote, etc. that's why this is pretty cool

Are you that *stupid*?

[I Am The Owl]

Every XBox you buy is helping Microsoft partially recover their losses incurred by manufacturing and development. Did it not occur to you that you are paying Microsoft money for the privilege of using an XBox? Or do you just shoplift them from Best Buy?

Re:Are you that *stupid*?

[Anonvmous Coward]

"Every XBox you buy is helping Microsoft partially recover their losses incurred by manufacturing and development. Did it not occur to you that you are paying Microsoft money for the privilege of using an XBox? Or do you just shoplift them from Best Buy?"

Did it occur to you that some of us want to play games instead of pretending that we're "beatin down the man!"?

Re:This is good work

[Lours]

Actually, by purchasing an Xbox and using 3rd-party software on it, you're helping Microsoft lose money. They actually make a loss on every Xbox sale.

I'll second that and i'll add that all Linux open sourced initiatives to become available on the XBox are a real chance for every open-source-geek here to have Microsoft actually shoot itself in the foot.

Every single Xbox sold costs money to MS since they are hoping to gain money thanks to the license fee publishers have to pay for each copy of a game they build (not even sell !).

With Linux on the XBox and all open sourced alternatives to products that MS actually intends to bring to the machine we get a real chance to make the masses aware of Linux as a home-and-family-friendly tool with the added benefit of using money brought by Microsoft itself.

We have this unique chance that Microsoft by losing money on each XBox sale is actually sponsoring heavily the open source movement. We shall not let this chance pass !

Just imagine how many uses there could be for this very low cost machine : from educational ones, to fun ones (such as the PVR, mp3 player), to humanitarian ones (bring cheap computing internet able platforms to developing countries).

All this sponsored by Microsoft itself !

We won't have another chance so if you can code and know linux, do not hesitate and buy an XBox. This might be THE occasion to give MS a serious lesson.

Lours