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Blockbuster's Movie Download Box Runs Linux
DeviceGuru writes "In a better-late-than-never move, Blockbuster has introduced a video-on-demand (VOD) service accompanied by a 'free' set-top box (STB). Like TiVo, Roku's Netflix box, and many other modern Internet-enabled A/V gadgets, Blockbuster's new VOD STB runs Linux. But darn it; when will someone finally offer a reasonably-priced, open-platform STB that serves as an A/V gateway to multiple Internet-based services — one consumer-friendly, environmentally-designed, low-power gadget 'to rule them all,' if you will."
That could be good. before the only people who used their bandwidth were "teh evil pirates", now if joe schmoe and his mother are going over their cap maybe they will see that they need to keep pace.
500 dollar reward for tip(s) leading to the arrest of the person(s) who stole my sig.
I remember when the Karma Kap was still fresh.
Now we don't even get to see what our Karma is. "Your karma is lightly hazy with a touch of rain in the southern reigons"
It's been a long time.
Isn't Popcorn Hour supposed to be the bee's knees with this stuff? They haven't released a Netflix component yet, but are supposed to be working on it. In the meantime, it seems like it's the best shot at an all-in-one device for the consumer. Plus it beats the pants off of most media players. How many of them can handle x264?
It's gonna be my Christmas present to myself. I am tired of screwing about with Windows Media Center and nix variations of that. A FreeNAS box and this and I will be set. With the way Comcast and AT&T have been acting recently, I don't want to depend on any video on demand type of system anyway. My last Netflix Instant Queue through 360 readjusted itself 3 times in the last 15 minutes. By the time it was done, it was unwatchable, hell the friggin credits were blurry.
They always did that. They always had to. Bandwidth is not infinite.
Now, however, they are just telling you what kind of caps they have instead of leaving you to guess. And the caps really aren't that bad; they're more geared to the hoarders and mega-uploaders which cause most of the problems. ...And yes, businesses should not be offering "unlimited" if it is not unlimited.
No, because their infrastructure is designed for web pages and email, not video.
Now that video is becoming mainstream they are 'managing' their networks to prevent overload.
What they arent doing is increasing capacity.
http://www.neurostechnology.com/neuros-link-technical-specs The above seems to be exactly what the OP is looking for, in a $300 package, complete with 2.8Ghz x86 CPU and supposedly running a respin of Ubuntu 8.10. It's a bit large, though.
So basically, you want to have a black-box within the set top box that does the following:
- store some keys
- enforce DRM rules (eg: for online renting) (That would probably include to handle a secure communication channel to a server)
- decrypt the content
- decode content
- output the content through some protected video interface such as HDMI/HDCP (if the content was protected)
Guess whats inside the netflix box: a chip that can do all that, by running an OS, called Linux.
So, whats left to do outside the black box, in the open source part of the box ? Not much. Drivers to handle network connection, storage device and User Interface. When you already have a CPU running linux to do all the black box stuff, you dont want to add cost by adding another CPU when you have one that can do that and is already running linux....
It is in the article, the box is $99 or:
so for a limited time, it is $99 for 25 movies+free box or, equivalently, a $99 box with 25 free movies.
Since that works out to $4/each for the first 25 when they are normally $1.99, it is hardly a special. More like paying double for the first 25 to defray the cost of the box.
There are several options for the combo box the post asks about.. Maybe not the ultimate box that will play everything, but there are several that will do multiple sources. What I use is a Mac Mini (Core Duo), to play several types of content:
- DVD's (the new full screen DVD and Front Row in Leopard are nice DVD viewing options).
- Movies, TV, and Music via iTunes.
- Broadcast HDTV via MythTV (running backend and frontend on my Mini running OSX)
- Netflix streaming movies via their Silverlight plugin
- Various video file formats via Front Row.
- There are various other video streaming services available, I don't use any of them at this point.
- Occasional special webcasts - like the NCAA basketball tournament early round games.
It's hard to beat the flexibility of an HTPC. I think the Mac Front Row interface + all the other options is hard to beat. Especially considering the small size of the device, quiet operation, built-in remote control functionality, etc..
Areas for improvement:
- Blue Ray DVD drive would be nice.
- Better Netflix streaming. Silverlight is okay, but could be better.
- Blockbuster, or other video streaming support.
Wrong. The media cartels fight so hard, because they have nearly no money left. :)
Wait some years, and they can't afford to enforce anything anymore and have no business left to get new money.
The more it hurts them, the harder they fight, but the quicker they go away too. :)
And downloading media does not hurt them a bit. Not buying anything from them does "hurt". (In reality it does not hurt too. It just does not make them feel good.
Any sufficiently advanced intelligence is indistinguishable from stupidity.