To develop a set-top-box-like device for online movie playing

[panyq]

I am planning to develop a set-top-box-like device for online movie playing.
The system has these features:
1. High quality movie play back on big screen TV
2. fast internet data transferring speed
3. fast switch on/off
4. very easy-to-operate remote control
5. a user friendly interface for browsing and choosing online movies
6. use embedded computer as hardware platform
7. use embedded linux for OS
8. support multi-language

I am looking for enthusiastic developers to join this project. Suggestion
and ideas are also welcome.

[Jeff Jonas]

In article <n7OPj.71881$VC1.40505@newsfe10.ams2>,
panyq <panyq@yahoo.com> wrote:
>I am planning to develop a set-top-box-like device for online movie playing.
>The system has these features:
>1. High quality movie play back on big screen TV
>2. fast internet data transferring speed
>3. fast switch on/off
>4. very easy-to-operate remote control
>5. a user friendly interface for browsing and choosing online movies
>6. use embedded computer as hardware platform
>7. use embedded linux for OS
>8. support multi-language

I remember reading Linus Torvold's original posting for Linux
long long ago and thinking "yea, you and what army?"
since GNU's HURD, CMU's MACH, Japan's TRON
and other open Operating Systems went nowhere.
But I clearly missed the boat on Linux!

I wish you good luck knowing that many talented people
have tried and failed

1) AT&T's Inferno system was intended for such things:
see http://www.vitanuova.com/

2) Dr. Alexia Massalin was working on a
next generation cable box at http://www.microunity.com/
since October 1992,

3) Telocity's DSL modems were PowerPC based boxes
that were intended to allow remote upgrades for new classes of services.
The R&D never got that far.

4) There are already multimedia Live Linux CDs that allow
old/spare PCs do a lot of that.

Learn from their experiences!

[panyq]

Thanks for your suggestions, Jeff.
But my idea is different from yours.

It is not just a 'cut-down' computer with some multimedia software.

Most important things with this box are

1. easy to use. As long as one can use a TV, he can use this box to watch
online movie. switch on, a few clicks to choose a movie and watch, that is
it.

2. cheap. I expect it should be $100-$150.

Technically, there is nothing new, but to intergrate all the technologies
and make a pratical and affordable product is different.



"Jeff Jonas" <jeffj@panix.com> wrote in message
news:fuoou0$bce$1@panix5.panix.com...
> In article <n7OPj.71881$VC1.40505@newsfe10.ams2>,
> panyq <panyq@yahoo.com> wrote:
>>I am planning to develop a set-top-box-like device for online movie
>>playing.
>>The system has these features:
>>1. High quality movie play back on big screen TV
>>2. fast internet data transferring speed
>>3. fast switch on/off
>>4. very easy-to-operate remote control
>>5. a user friendly interface for browsing and choosing online movies
>>6. use embedded computer as hardware platform
>>7. use embedded linux for OS
>>8. support multi-language
>
> I remember reading Linus Torvold's original posting for Linux
> long long ago and thinking "yea, you and what army?"
> since GNU's HURD, CMU's MACH, Japan's TRON
> and other open Operating Systems went nowhere.
> But I clearly missed the boat on Linux!
>
> I wish you good luck knowing that many talented people
> have tried and failed
>
> 1) AT&T's Inferno system was intended for such things:
> see http://www.vitanuova.com/
>
> 2) Dr. Alexia Massalin was working on a
> next generation cable box at http://www.microunity.com/
> since October 1992,
>
> 3) Telocity's DSL modems were PowerPC based boxes
> that were intended to allow remote upgrades for new classes of services.
> The R&D never got that far.
>
> 4) There are already multimedia Live Linux CDs that allow
> old/spare PCs do a lot of that.
>
> Learn from their experiences!

[david]

On Wed, 23 Apr 2008 22:47:06 +0100, panyq rearranged some electrons to
say:

> I am planning to develop a set-top-box-like device for online movie
> playing. The system has these features:
> 1. High quality movie play back on big screen TV 2. fast internet data
> transferring speed 3. fast switch on/off
> 4. very easy-to-operate remote control 5. a user friendly interface for
> browsing and choosing online movies 6. use embedded computer as hardware
> platform 7. use embedded linux for OS
> 8. support multi-language
>
> I am looking for enthusiastic developers to join this project.
> Suggestion and ideas are also welcome.

I think someone has beat you to it already:

http://www.tivo.com/whatistivo/tivois/movies/index.html

I don't have any type of DVR, but Tivo claims now that it can download
movies.

[Bob]

david wrote:
> On Wed, 23 Apr 2008 22:47:06 +0100, panyq rearranged some electrons to
> say:
>
>> I am planning to develop a set-top-box-like device for online movie
>> playing. The system has these features:
>> 1. High quality movie play back on big screen TV 2. fast internet data
>> transferring speed 3. fast switch on/off
>> 4. very easy-to-operate remote control 5. a user friendly interface for
>> browsing and choosing online movies 6. use embedded computer as hardware
>> platform 7. use embedded linux for OS
>> 8. support multi-language
>>
>> I am looking for enthusiastic developers to join this project.
>> Suggestion and ideas are also welcome.
>
> I think someone has beat you to it already:
>
> http://www.tivo.com/whatistivo/tivois/movies/index.html
>
> I don't have any type of DVR, but Tivo claims now that it can download
> movies.

more than a claim: I've watched 2 movies that were downloaded to my Tivo
from Amazon Unbox in just the last week. BTW: Tivo runs on Linux.

Bob

[panyq]

How long does it take to download a movie with TiVo? How about the quality
of the movie from Amazon Unbox?

panyq

"Bob" <SkiBoyBob@excite.com> дÈëÏûÏ¢ÐÂÎÅ:67ebnsF2omvs0U1@mid.individual.net...
> david wrote:
>> On Wed, 23 Apr 2008 22:47:06 +0100, panyq rearranged some electrons to
>> say:
>>
>>> I am planning to develop a set-top-box-like device for online movie
>>> playing. The system has these features:
>>> 1. High quality movie play back on big screen TV 2. fast internet data
>>> transferring speed 3. fast switch on/off
>>> 4. very easy-to-operate remote control 5. a user friendly interface for
>>> browsing and choosing online movies 6. use embedded computer as hardware
>>> platform 7. use embedded linux for OS
>>> 8. support multi-language
>>>
>>> I am looking for enthusiastic developers to join this project.
>>> Suggestion and ideas are also welcome.
>>
>> I think someone has beat you to it already:
>>
>> http://www.tivo.com/whatistivo/tivois/movies/index.html
>>
>> I don't have any type of DVR, but Tivo claims now that it can download
>> movies.
>
> more than a claim: I've watched 2 movies that were downloaded to my Tivo
> from Amazon Unbox in just the last week. BTW: Tivo runs on Linux.
>
> Bob