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Multimedia Home Entertainment System for Linux

An anonymous reader writes "A group at the University of Saarland in Germany has been busy developing a Linux-based networked multimedia home entertainment system. The project consists of two parts: the Network-Integrated Multimedia Middleware (NMM), to provide a common framework for audio and video playback using open source software, and the Multimedia-Box, a Linux box outfitted to be a TV receiver (digital and analog), video recorder, and a CD-, DVD-, and MP3- player using the NMM. Screen shots of the inside of the Multimedia-Box and the user interface are available, as well as videos and a detailed description (PDF) of the hardware and software used throughout. Can't wait to stick one of these on my network..."

9 of 125 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Legality of playback by MoonFog · · Score: 5, Informative

    Where is DeCSS illegal ? DeCSS is perfectly legal when using it to play DVD's you own on your Linux box. At least here in Norway, as the trial against Jon Johansen stated a couple of months ago.

  2. MythTV by MBCook · · Score: 4, Informative
    I've been using MythTV for a while now, and it's really quite far along. It's biggest problem is it's a bit hard to install the first time. But if you're looking for a free tivo or a entertainment hub, check 'em out.

    MythTV

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  3. Re:Legality of playback by An+Onerous+Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    I've never heard anything about the DMCA requiring all digital media to be played on "trustworthy architectures." There have been a couple of attempts to pass legislation like that, but it's never gone through.

    Memes are weird. I've noticed that a lot of people think that every time someone sues over copyright infringment, they're invoking the DMCA. Sure, the DMCA is a really obnoxious, overreaching law. But a lot of its critics don't understand what it's actually saying.

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  4. Even in America by kfg · · Score: 3, Informative

    it is the creation and distribution of DeCSS that may be illegal. Not its possesion or use for otherwise legal activities.

    But here's something to think about as well. Personally I have a hardware decoder and two legitimately licensed software players. That means that, in fact, I *have* the legal right to use the decryption code to play DVD's. One could even argue I've already overpaid for that right.

    The fact that, as delivered, that code will only run on under Windows has nothing to do with my payed for right to decrypt.

    KFG

  5. Re:schweet... das multimedia box by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    Its die Multimediabox
    Glaub mir, ich spreche deutsch seit 29 Jahren.
    Joerg

  6. Re:./ed already? by timmyf2371 · · Score: 2, Informative
    Inside the box photos

    GUI Screenshots

    Sorry, but large images not mirrored.

    Tim

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  7. Mini-ITX/EPIA-M by MsGeek · · Score: 4, Informative
    (there are EPIA systems which I think would have enough power to do what this box does, and I believe there are 12v power supplies for them, too).

    To be excruciatingly exact, the EPIA you are thinking of is EPIA-M The M stands for "Media" and this iteration of the mini-board includes MPEG-2 decoding onboard (with a dedicated co-processor, no less) and 5.1 audio. There are a few Chinese companies who are actually looking to build EPIA-M based DVD players...the Chinese name for the VIA CPU is "Heart Of China" and there is a certain amount of national pride involved in the EPIA gaining acceptance. VIA might be based in Taiwan but its boards are manufactured on the Mainland.

    One drawback, if you look at it one way, is that the EPIA-M chipset is set up for DDR RAM, not the less expensive SDRAM that previous Eden Platform systems used. However, if you look at that another way, it means a faster bus speed and a little better performance. No, it won't turn this puppy into a gaming monster system, but it will make this a friendlier platform for a MAME box, for instance.

    VIA is trying to make a play for Linux support for their EPIA platform too...the article I referenced is basically a how-to about Linux on EPIA-M. They haven't been forthcoming to the point of providing all the little details on their stuff to open-source developers, but their binary drivers have been pretty good.

    I suspect that this version of the EPIA could handle MythTV, Freevo and the other TiVo-like projects. The same cannot be said about the earlier EPIA motherboard/CPU combos...those are best left to web servers, file servers, firewalls, and other similarly light-duty projects.

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  8. Freevo! by k-s · · Score: 5, Informative

    Hello,
    There is Freevo http://freevo.sf.net that has a better UI! Also, you can run it under X or Framebuffer or anything else SDL supports (like DXR3!)
    As it uses the great MPlayer as the underlying player, it supports Mov, DivX, Mp3, Ogg, ... Almos every {video,music} format in the world. It also have a image browser and a cute TV Guide (now a Web version too!) and it plays Mame!
    The time shifting is in the work.
    Freevo: http://freevo.sf.net Mplayer: http://www.mplayerhq.hu

  9. Re:Legality of playback by scharkalvin · · Score: 3, Informative

    I need hardly mention that the Linux kernel itself is currently in violation of the DMCA w.r.t media systems, as it has no TCPA to prevent criminally stolen movies from being played.
    The Linux kernel does not in anyway perform any act that will allow you to play stolen movies. It does not circumvent any protection put in place by the makers of DVD hardware to prevent you from unauthorized viewing of DVD's.
    You need additional software to do that (the same is true of the Windows OS). Do not make the false claim that the Linux kernel violates the DMCA, it does NOT, you need to install DeCSS to do that. DeCSS will run fine under the Windows OS as well. Just because no one has offered a legal, licensed DVD player (for encrypted disks, un-incrypted disks may be legally played anywhere) for linux, does not mean that one could not be produced. And there ARE hardware solutions that available for playing DVD's on linux that ARE legal (at least as long as the hardware protections are not circumvented by the driver).