Linux Looms Large in DVRs, PVRs

An anonymous reader writes "According to an article at LinuxDevices there's a new fanless digital entertainment center reference design based on Linux and the MythTV open source DVR (digital video recorder) software. The 'Royal Linux Media Center' runs ESG's Royal Linux OS on a Transmeta development board based on its Efficeon chip. Linux has been increasingly popular in DVRs and PVRs, with examples including TiVo (of course), HP's recently unveiled Linux media hub, i3's Mood box, Interact-TV's Telly, Siemens' Speedstream, VWB's MediaReady 4000, Amino's AmiNet500, Sharp's Galileo, Dream-Multimedia-Tv's Dreambox, NEC's AX10, and Sony's CoCoon, to name a few."

Comments

Might DRM be the mighty blow?

[PornMaster]

Linux is well poised for the appliance market... but I have to wonder when DRM and the DMCA will make it difficult, if not impossible, to provide the services on Linux needed to compete in the media space if DRM gets in the way. The simple way, I guess, is to put the DRM enforcement into hardware, but I think that leaves us all worse off in the end.

Dish Network

[Microlith]

IIRC, Dish also uses linux in all of their set top boxes, including their DVR units.

So yeah, linux seems seriously popular in the various DVRs that are available. Is there a source that lists known hacks/mods available for them?

Make it, I'll buy it

[pchan-]

Someone out there make a streamlined tivo-like box (using the reference board above), having the following properties:

1) Slick design. Not a computer in a funny case, something with a home electronics feel. Fanless!
2) Good remote control.
3) Hardware MPEG4 encoding/decoding
4) Open source tivo-like software (not mythtv, something usable).
5) Quality TV output and sound hookups.
6) Open firmware (no DRM, no proprietary files, no restrictions, hardware documentation provided).
7) Ethernet and/or wifi and/or USB.

I'll buy it. I'll buy two, one for my parents. It should work out of the box like a tivo, but be hackable by anyone that desires to do so. Make your money selling the hardware, not subscriptions. The community will take care of improving the software (which will make your hardware even more attractive).

Re:Make it, I'll buy it

[BikeRacer]

How about a mac mini? It's pretty close on points 1, 4, and 7.

Re:Make it, I'll buy it

[FunFactor100]

Make money from the hardware and not subscriptions? Where's the content going to come from? Free downloads? Look at what happened with mp3's....companies tried to make money selling mp3 players for our free music....the music industry tained the P2P networks...and then apple introduces the ipod and itunes.....now they're making money hand over fist with itunes. Why go through the hassle of bad mp3's, viruses, popups, spyware when you can pay a reasonable amount for just the songs you want. The same will happen with movies and tv...it's innevitable. I predict some big company will make a kick-ass set top box that allows you to pay for each show you want to watch....whenever you want to watch it. Sure they already have video on demand....but it's only a fraction of the content out there that's available. With a secure pay based P2P network all the movies ever made can be hosted and delivered accross the network of set top boxes. Bye bye DVD's and Blockbuster Video. I'd be doing this myself, if only I had movie industry connections. Sorry dude, but the shows won't get made unless someone pays for more than just the hardware.

DREAMBOX is AWESOME

[cRueLio]

I have a Dreambox and let's just say that it has some *ahem* special capabilities when it comes to satellite television. And of course, it runs Linux (currently an unpatched 2.6.9-rc1 ppc kernel). Good stuff.
It's DVR capabilities are also improving daily, thanks to an active CVS repository where Enigma, (which is like MythTV) is being developed by people all over the world.
Visit my forum Open Dreambox North America for specific info for usage in the states and canada :)

My TV runs Linux

[timbck2]

Seriously. I bought a Sony HDTV LCD projection TV for Christmas, and was surprised to see that it came with a GPL. It's running one of the real-time embedded Linux platforms (I forget which one).