Slashdot Log In
New Linux Set-Top Project
Posted by
CmdrTaco
on Wed Aug 22, 2001 09:47 AM
from the stuff-to-see dept.
from the stuff-to-see dept.
An anonymous reader says
"Linux4.TV is the official open-source website for interactive set-top box technologies based on the National Semiconductor Geode? SC1200 integrated processor and SP1SC10 development platform." Looks to be an interesting project, although since they require registration to download stuff, I'll never know.
This discussion has been archived.
No new comments can be posted.
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
what the? (Score:2)
Could be... (Score:4, Funny)
b) Their clock is off.
c) It's an honest mistake.
d) It's a conspriracy involving time travel - since you've discovered it you may be marked for elimination.
Couch potatoes (Score:2, Funny)
Who cares about the API's (Score:1)
Note my optimisim, I actually think it might come out.
Good God! (Score:3, Funny)
I hear their mailing lists require registration as well. Those bastards!
Man of principles (Score:2)
Right, but you'll send thousands of your closest friends over to check it out. Way to stand by your principles.
On a less serious note, is Linux 4 TV anything like AOLTV [bbspot.com]?
GPL Violation (Score:1, Interesting)
box mad (Score:3, Funny)
an xp version will only show adverts and will crash after excess channel hopping (patch to follow)!
What's the target audience? (Score:1)
In what way do you think the Linux.4TV platform will simplify configuration and updates for the end user? With an environment that revs as frequently as Linux, a purely automated system that keeps the kit up to date would be a major boon, and very much at odds with the normal end-user expectation for electrical devices - they're great for a few months but before you know it, they're yesteryear's technology and the only option is to junk them.
Will these guys be paying attention to security, too? An automated "keep it current, keep it secure" mechanism a la Ximian Red Carpet would be another major selling point.
Aegilops
sourceforge registration (Score:2)
Hmmm ... (Score:2, Interesting)
On the one hand, I have no choice but to applaud National Semiconductor and the linux4.tv people for coming up with such an ingenious way to leverage the open source community to make a buck. On the other hand, it bothers me that they plan to use freely donated software to make their product more appealing. It's one thing for companies like RedHat and Mandrake to charge you for the physical version of their linux distros, but somehow it feels wrong to me for a company to set up a situation where people will want to essentially write their software for them for free. It feels like they're setting a trap for programmers and baiting it with the increased acceptance and use of linux.
I guess the bottom line is just whether or not they can save enough money buy getting free software to make their product cheaper than everyone else's, without having to use buggy code.
Random thought: Since all the software is free, I suppose you could just buy a blank, unbranded model and install everythign yourself. Now that's an appealing idea, and truer to the ideas behind the open source movement.
Mr. Spey
Interesting.... (Score:2, Interesting)
They seem pretty set on using the SC1200 semi, but never really say why...I mean, there are a lot of chips to choose from, and I would be interested to know why the SC1200 is the one to use. Oh...okay. I get it: National Semiconductor [national.com] is one of the sponsors.
But that's not bad, though. Personally I've had good experiences ordering parts from National. I wonder, when they get this done, could you choose to get the schematics and parts lists and build it yourself? Or maybe just get the printed circuit boards and key components as a kit?
I read something yesterday that said that TiVo (http://www.tivo.com [tivo.com]) used GPLed code in their set-top system, and released the source code to the public. I am looking around on their site right now and haven't found it yet, but I would think that Linux4tv would be silly not to try to use it, if possible.
Their web site doesn't give a whole heck of a lot of information on it, but I'll give them some slack, seeing as it only launched "officially" twelve minutes ago.
I like the .TV TLD, though. Wonder if it was a bargain or if they had to pay a premium? And why the heck do you have to register to download?
Set ?Top? Box (Score:1)
The black box shown on their site looks like a PC to me. I wouldn't like to try balancing it on a TV, especially not a dinky European TV. Now before someone points out that the picture is the development platform, this begs the question of what the target STB will be like. Consumer electronics has to be living room and family friendly, not some big black technophile status symbol. Reminds me of the Xbox - try lugging that around to your friends house on a pushbike.
Hmmph (Score:1)
To me, this is a childish and silly reason to not get involved in a project and just shows the pig-headed mentality of Taco and those like him.
I don't want to drive a car, because that would mean giving my address to the government so I can get a license! Sounds pretty stupid, huh? Yep.
Don't worry, Rob (Score:2)
I'm sure that SOMEONE will take care of that registration for you so that you won't have to.
"You've got mail!"
Commercial project?! (Score:1)
Just compare http://www.linux4.tv [linux4.tv] and http://embedded.censoft.com/ [censoft.com]. Seems like the guys at Century Software are trying to get someone to program software for free so they can sell their set-top boxes later.
BTW, simliar projects have been around over here in Europe for quite a while - and those require no registration to download software and specs. Just have a look at http://dbox2.elxsi.de/ [elxsi.de] or http://www.cadsoft.de/people/kls/vdr/ [cadsoft.de] ;-)
linux set top boxes (Score:1)
You know you want to... (Score:2)
C'mon, Taco. These things would probably make a kick-ass MP3 jukebox. They'll sit right by the stereo and use a remote with more buttons than a Macintosh's mouse.
Competes with TV Linux Alliance? (Score:1)
The latter seems supported by a wide variety of companies.
Development platform (Score:1)
Umm, yeah? (Score:2)
No HDTV Bad long Term (Score:3, Interesting)
Right now most of the current crop of 8VSB computer hardware is based on the TeraLogic Janus platform. While the platform is certainly offers nice features and would be easy to integrate with any open source STB I doubt it will never see the light of day in Linux. Two years ago Teralogic was all over Linux. They sent mail to various lists, offered sample cards. Times have changed. Asking about linux drivers or even docs gets curt responces from the devel team. [Insert standard MPAA rant here].
So, while an actual opensource platform is a cool idea, certainly giving more features than Tivo or WebTV, long term, I just don't know if it's worth while.
Any set top box will fail (Score:1)
The box problem (Score:3, Insightful)
What would you want in such a box?
"No User Serviceable Parts Inside". The end user doesn't open the box. This is TV, not PC.
So no PCI slots. PCMCIA slots, maybe.
Several disk drive bays, with disks installable by non-technical end users. (Device Bay, the packaging spec for plug-in 1394-compatible drives, would have been great for this if anybody used it.)
Set-top-box form factor. Slim, not PCI board height.
Well-shielded tuner section. Must work in fringe areas with poor antennas. (VCRs have this now, but most tuner cards for PCs don't do it well.)
No matter what, it always boots up. If a disk gets corrupted, or a hard drive crashes, you can still watch TV, even if you can't record. The base software belongs in a PCMCIA ROM card.
(OK, developers can use a flash card.)
Etherware (Score:2, Insightful)
Imagine a flight attendant offering you a inflight movie while you were sitting in an airport with a 5 hour delay. A great service, with nowhere to implement it.
Remember those cool AT@T commercials, where those cute kids pushed a button on their TV screen and out pops "Star Wars" immediately, on demand?
Have you ever
That was 7 years ago. I don't have any illusions about all these cool new ideas. I know exactly where they are heading w/out the infrastructure to support them. Cool idea heaven, somewhere is Vaporville.
Re:Destined to fail (Score:2)
/Brian
Re:WTF's going on here? (Score:1, Offtopic)
Re:WTF's going on here? (Score:1)
They aren't. You won't.
Re:Try linuxtv.org if want you code (Score:2)
This is for the integrated demo development platform device. not a pc with a special sattelite reciever card that is useless in the states. two very different projects. with two very different levels of quality. The project talked about here is worlds apart from the linuxtv.org it's useable, can actually be purchased (unlike that sat card for linuxtv.org, I think I found a distributor in germany that might send me one if they can understand my request correctly.) and is a total solution instead of a hack. nothing to dog their work, it's cool and great. but when you do amazing things on hardware that noone can get..... you're pretty much making it a members only club.
Re:Why the snipe? (Score:1)