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Myth TV + Multiple Video Arcade = Anime for All
x-blackout-x writes "Ian C. Blenke writes "The primary goal of the video keg was to build a reliable video box that was easy to transport with enough space to store 3 days worth of Anime fan-subs.
The secondary goal of the video keg was to make a home PVR system for video playback and time-shifting, along with a video arcade and perhaps a web browser.
The tertiary goal of the video keg was to find an affordable hardware platform so that we could buy 4 of them immmediately to service the primary goal's need for 4 separate video rooms.
For a PVR, the machine neeed to be small, quiet, low-heat, and still fast enough to run the software video player and arcade games."
You can read the full scoop on this project on his blog Ians Blog "
The problem, I see, with the XBox 360 is it's pre-planned low supply--you can't go out today and buy one at retail price.
:)
The problem with the original XBox is it's processor speed. From my research, an XBox, having a 733 MHz chip has just enough performance to record video but probably not enough to time-shift, i.e., record and playback simultaneously.
I'd love to be proven wrong on this
BTM
That was the turning point of my life--I went from negative zero to positive zero.
3 days of anime fansubs at bitrate 2000 kbps (normally it actually is like 1000 kbps, but let's not underestimate) makes almost 62 gigabytes of data => a laptop with 80 GB drive.
Exactly what I was thinking.
"The primary goal of the video keg was to build a reliable video box that was easy to transport with enough space to store 3 days worth of Anime fan-subs."
Buy a 12" iBook. Done.
The secondary goal of the video keg was to make a home PVR system for video playback and time-shifting, along with a video arcade and perhaps a web browser.
Buy an EyeTV 200 for analog or an EyeTV 500 for HDTV. Plug it in to the iBook. Done.
The tertiary goal of the video keg was to find an affordable hardware platform so that we could buy 4 of them immmediately to service the primary goal's need for 4 separate video rooms. For a PVR, the machine neeed to be small, quiet, low-heat, and still fast enough to run the software video player and arcade games.
Pfft!
Come to think of it, you don't even need the iBook if you are just going to be plugging it into other screens. A Mac mini covers everything you just said. Small, quiet, cheap, fast enough to play videos or simple games. Done.
Some people like to make life a little tougher than it is.
Information wants to be anthropomorphized.
Video "keg"? Please help an AC out and tell me either what a keg is in this context, or speculate on whether he built something that really belongs on mini-itx.com .
I like the look of kegs. That would make a cool project to put a mini-itx PC or cluster in.
Also, somebody humorously speculate on what the pump is for. I don't got much. Actual drinks? Circulating the coolant? Charging the battery? Reset button? Ctrl+Alt+Del button? Charging the fizzler? Fizzling the charger?
The largest part of the slump in anime sales can be attributed to one very legal use: Netflix rentals. My own anime consumption (ie: buying) has dropped precipitously, while I'm watching more shows than ever. $19 a month for 7 discs of anime is a far better deal than $25/3 episodes. Though Netflix does buy a large number of discs, it is still fewer than the same group of fans who all rent them.
However, this is all a bit off-topic; the machine itself sounds like it is well-suited to a unique set of needs, using open-source technology. I just want to see screen shots of the unit in action.
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