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DVB-T STB/MPEG2 Player That Can Access SMB Shares

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the cool-devices dept.

feanor writes "Siemens is realeasing beginning of November the Gigaset M740 AV (German text). This is a DVB-T set-top-box that can access SMB shares either via ethernet or WLAN and store its MPEG2 compliant streams. Alternatively it can be used as an MPEG2 streaming client. Other cool features include the ability to hook-up standard USB hard-drives as storage, a dual tuner architecture and a very cool design."

10 of 149 comments (clear)

  1. Not in the US by DaHat · · Score: 5, Interesting

    DVB you say? Shame that's not going to be compatible with the ATSC standard here in the states.

    Maybe, one day such a device will be available here... after the Induce act fails again and is lost forever... after pigs fly, hell freezes over and the {MP|RI}AA and bit torrent get along as friends.

    --
    Help Brendan pay off his student loans
    1. Re:Not in the US by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

      hmm, my understanding is that dish network is using DVB devices for its satellite service. so dvb is available in the US. Actually, lots of satellite users are using it.

    2. Re:Not in the US by TheSync · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Yes, they use different modulation techniques. DVB-T uses COFDM modulation, ASTC uses 8 VSB modulation. DVB-S (satellite) uses QPSK modulation (generally).

      My impression, though, is that these formats all use MPEG-2 transport streams. So if you can demodulate them, and deliver them over coax using ASI (asynchronous interface), they would all mostly work with an MPEG-2 TS demux/decoder.

    3. Re:Not in the US by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

      The DVB standard is designed with modular encryption. A quick trip to GoogleGroups tells me that the Dish Network uses Nagravision encryption, for which there are CAMs (conditional access module). At least theoretically you should be able to watch the Dish Network with a CI (common interface) equipped DVB-S receiver, a Nagravision CA module and of course a subscriber card.

  2. Half backed... by OlivierB · · Score: 3, Interesting

    They could have delivered a killer box if it supported Mpeg4.
    There's no way I am going to re-encode all my DivX to Mpeg-2. And I don't want to run VideoLan on my PC to encode on the fly and stream to this thing.

    --
    Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity
  3. Nothing new here by edwardd · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Dreambox is a set top box that has supported DVB for years, and it supports DVB-T (Broadcast), DVB-S (Satalite) as well as DVB-C (Cable).

    http://www.dream-multimedia-tv.de/Bereiche/Produkt e/DM7000_featurelist.php/

    VDR has aslo been available for years to support the same standards under Linux. It is a full featured PVR with a robust plugin interface.

    http://cadsoft.de/vdr/

    North American viewers on the East Coast can take advantage of DVB-S & pick up a number of satalites that cover the Atlantic region. There is a wide variety of FTA programming available. My dad used to be a ham operator, I guess this is the new `ham` hobby.

    1. Re:Nothing new here by cardpuncher · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Despite having a 2.6 kernel (which in theory includes the DVB drivers) and a weekend to spare, I still failed to get anywhere close to getting vdr running. It does *not* support receving and replaying DVB-T with any readily-available DVB-T card. It will fully support DVB-T with such cards *only* if a DVB-S card with MPEG decoder is also present *or* at the cost of some considerable further complication and reduced functionality if you also have an old DXR-3 card or a Hauppauge MediaMVP.

      I suspect the Siemens box will have a lower total cost than the vdr solution and will have the considerable advantage of being installed by simply plugging in the power.

  4. Awesome! by shplorb · · Score: 2, Interesting

    This looks cool. Hopefully it can view aussie DTV... I understand that our standard is a weird blend of DVB-T and ATSC in that we use DVB for everything but the audio, which is in AC-3.

    Whilst that made STB's initially expensive, I think it'll be a good decision as we move to the future - it's nice to be able to receive a HD signal on my PC with my DVB-T tuner card and pipe the AC-3 out the fibre to my receiver.

    So yeah, umm... this is cool and perhaps if this or something even better comes out down here that'll be another nail in the coffin of my currently-stalled DVR project.

  5. Re:Xbox. by matthew.thompson · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Oooh where did you get the X-Box with a DVB-T dual tuner then?

    --
    Matt Thompson - Actuality - Insert product here.
  6. why usb and not firewire? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Three or four years ago, in 2000-2001, firewire was the only choice for external hard disks, USB 1.1 was too slow.

    Even now firewire 1 is faster than high speed USB and firewire 1.5 is way much better. Right now high speed usb and firewire 1 adapters have about the same prices and most external boxes are combos. Why use USB and not firewire?