Slashdot Mirror
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..."
I noted with some interest that this thing will play DVDs under Linux. As sucky as it is :-( , this isn't legal; like Redhat with MP3, this is a high profile target that needs the same walking on eggshells approach. All existing DVD playing software for Linux uses the illegal DeCSS codec, and 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.
That user interface is ugly. Try mythTV for a great Linux Tivo/MP3/Ogg/Image/MAME media center. I'm putting one together in a Shuttle XPC box. Making it as pretty as possible increases the WAF (Wife Acceptance Factor).
--- witty signature