Alternative to the MVP? (It's Possible)

[mpking]

http://www.thinkgeek.com/computing/drives/8af5/?cpg=39H

Just think of this thing with a GBPVR backend.


The Neuros OSD Linux Media Recorder
# Updateable Open Source Firmware
# Linux OS (2.6 Kernel)
Hardware Specifications

* TI DM320 Multimedia SOC with 200 MHz ARM926, 120 MHz C54x DSP processor
* MPEG4 encoding and decoding (as many formats and wrappers as possible)
* D1 (720x480)resolution at 30 fps
* MPEG2 decoding
* Ethernet
* Linux (2.6 Kernel)
* Dual Core Processor ARM9/TI DSP
* SD/CF/MS card slots
* USB host
* IR Blaster
* IR remote

I/O Ports

* IR receiver
* USB Host
* Multi-card (SD/MS/MS PRO/MS DUO/MMC)
* Compact Flash (including microdrive)
* Dual color LED (green and Red)
* Power connector
* Serial connector (to conrol tuner boxes and connection to PC for developer debugging)
* IR Blaster (for controlling tuner boxes)
* S-Video input
* Ethernet 10/100
* Composite Audio and Video input and output (RCA connector cables included)

[djtaylor]

I don't see how that's going to help. The MVP *is* already a linux appliance.

The only way that the thing you posted is going to work is if it also runs the same VNC like protocol to talk to GBPVR which would be a rather odd thing to want to do when you can buy...an MVP!!

Now if there were processor offloading from GBPVR to the remote appliance for say .avi playback then fair enough but that's not how it works right now and that's all there is to it.

David.

[sub]

You could probably write an MVP app to run on it that would make behave like MVP, but its more expensive than the MVP at $229.99, only has composite and svideo (so not really a step up), and I dont think it has hardware MPEG decoding like the MVP.

[mvallevand]

I'm pretty sure I could port mvpmc's emulation mode to it but it just doesn't seem logical based on specs and the price in comparsion with the MediaMVP.
If they ever get wlan with WAP then I might reconsider.

Martin

[djtaylor]

I'm pretty sure I could port mvpmc's emulation mode to it but it just doesn't seem logical based on specs and the price in comparsion with the MediaMVP.
If they ever get wlan with WAP then I might reconsider.

Martin

I take it you mean WPA? Even so, you could buy a normal MVP with a WLAN bridge that supports WPA for half the price of the unit posted.

David.

[martint123]

I would have liked to have seen an IR blaster on the MVP - and subs software supporting it of course.

[mvallevand]

I take it you mean WPA? Even so, you could buy a normal MVP with a WLAN bridge that supports WPA for half the price of the unit posted.

Yes I did mean mean WPA, and I would be buying it with the wlan for hacking around not as a mvp alternative.

I would have liked to have seen an IR blaster on the MVP - and subs software supporting it of course.

I actually think the newer mvp's have partial hardware support for an irblaster but as you rightly point out its up to the developers to exploit it when consumers demand it. It's easy for the Neuros to say what it "could" do, and I bet Hauppauge would have added more hardware features if the market was there.

Martin

[zehd]

I think the point is, that there is another possibility. Before folks got into developing for the MVP, it wasn't all that great...

Price is really not an issue. Get it working and people will buy, and price will drop...

Considering the way the MVP keeps losing it's aspect ratio, overscanning, and has poor control for brightness and saturation, I'd say there are fairly cheap components inside... It would be nice to find a beefier gizmo to compete with the MVP. Maybe it would cause Hauppauge to add certain features or use slightly better components... I love my MVP, but it does feel like a toaster sometimes...

I would suspect that the biggest issue with the Nuance is getting the video OUT to your TV, if it were to compete with the MVP. I would have liked to see an S-Video out at least...

It sure does look pretty though

[mpking]

You know, when I first read that... I thought it was S-video out. (I realize I was incorrect)

I also keep confusing Componant and Composite.