Comments on: Open Source STB: Wave of the Future or Guaranteed Flop? http://gigaom.com/video/open-source-stb-wave-of-the-future-or-guaranteed-flop/ Sat, 26 May 2012 06:36:48 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: Biodiesel Processors http://gigaom.com/video/open-source-stb-wave-of-the-future-or-guaranteed-flop/#comment-454037 Sat, 27 Sep 2008 23:25:11 +0000 http://newteevee.wordpress.com/2008/01/23/open-source-stb-wave-of-the-future-or-guaranteed-flop/#comment-454037 Very cool, I build biodiesel processors which turn waste vegetable oil into biodiesel. It is really amazing how simple the process is, as well as saving the customer $2-3 per gallon at the pumps. Algae biodiesel looks even more promising. As the other poster said, we just need to keep moving in the right direction technologically.

]]> By: Gerald Z http://gigaom.com/video/open-source-stb-wave-of-the-future-or-guaranteed-flop/#comment-454036 Tue, 19 Feb 2008 23:04:32 +0000 http://newteevee.wordpress.com/2008/01/23/open-source-stb-wave-of-the-future-or-guaranteed-flop/#comment-454036 http://rsslivetv.com/

]]> By: goundoulf http://gigaom.com/video/open-source-stb-wave-of-the-future-or-guaranteed-flop/#comment-454035 Tue, 19 Feb 2008 23:03:12 +0000 http://newteevee.wordpress.com/2008/01/23/open-source-stb-wave-of-the-future-or-guaranteed-flop/#comment-454035 The Tribbox (http://www.osdevices.org/wiki/index.php?title=Tribbox) is not the first open STB.

The Neuros OSD (http://www.osdevices.org/wiki/index.php?title=Neuros_OSD) has been around for more than a year now, and has an active community contributing nice applications.

Open devices are the future, customers don’t need more expensive crippled products which are end-of-lifed 6 months later. Insted, give them the power to be creative with your product, and let them imagine features that you would never have thought of, and there you have your best evangelist and happy users!

]]> By: François Coli http://gigaom.com/video/open-source-stb-wave-of-the-future-or-guaranteed-flop/#comment-454034 Thu, 24 Jan 2008 20:50:29 +0000 http://newteevee.wordpress.com/2008/01/23/open-source-stb-wave-of-the-future-or-guaranteed-flop/#comment-454034 Good review!

We should note that the Tribbox is not only an open source set top box that can compete with Tivo, but also a dandy developer tool and a fun geek toy!

A Linux-based platform, complete SDK, and dedicated support group (tribbox.com) allows us to develop custom applications for personal use, but more importantly for commercial use and large volume sales!

Plus, as I understand, it already runs Tribler P2P.

Ti-who?

]]> By: Ti-rage http://gigaom.com/video/open-source-stb-wave-of-the-future-or-guaranteed-flop/#comment-454033 Thu, 24 Jan 2008 16:28:23 +0000 http://newteevee.wordpress.com/2008/01/23/open-source-stb-wave-of-the-future-or-guaranteed-flop/#comment-454033 Yes, the STB really needs improvement. Actually it’s in need of a new paradigm. Just like AT&T let Steve Jobs reinvent the mobile phone, one of these cable companies needs to let an outside company totally reinvent the set-top box. The cable companies clearly are not going to do it themselves; they are brain dead, like AT&T.

Switched Digital Video is just going to be more of the same.

]]> By: Jon Smirl http://gigaom.com/video/open-source-stb-wave-of-the-future-or-guaranteed-flop/#comment-454032 Thu, 24 Jan 2008 14:48:21 +0000 http://newteevee.wordpress.com/2008/01/23/open-source-stb-wave-of-the-future-or-guaranteed-flop/#comment-454032 Switched Digital Video (SDV) will be here in a couple of years and it may be the end of the STB. The only reason we have these stupid things is because of encryption. We’re ruining the TV viewing experience in order to “protect” Hollywood’s content, but the real effect is to make me watch less TV and use the Internet more.

]]> By: James Gardiner http://gigaom.com/video/open-source-stb-wave-of-the-future-or-guaranteed-flop/#comment-454031 Thu, 24 Jan 2008 11:16:59 +0000 http://newteevee.wordpress.com/2008/01/23/open-source-stb-wave-of-the-future-or-guaranteed-flop/#comment-454031 Don,
I am not sure why you are so negative. I must admit this STB is at first glance, a bit unrealistic.

But really, whats the difference between it and a AppleTV? AppleTV is cheaper sure. But once an AppleTV is hacked, whats the difference. All we are talking about is a platform, if it gets widely adopted, could be a good starting point for a more open Internet TV platform.

Set top boxes like this are very common. When I was involved in developing Hotel video on demand systems, we went though a lot of STB, all linux based. Microsoft was ruled out early (To heavy). Linux is simply the best embeded platform around. Runs in a smaller foot print they any other OS with its added capabilities.
And at the end of the day, the bigest problems with STB back when I was working with them was CPU performance, memory limitations, no FAN and PRICE.

You could cut down on all these but as you do you loose functionality. A STB of today needs to be a small computer that is capable of H.264 at 1080 at 25mbit. Not an easy task. Even AppleTV cannot do that. (But I expect a new AppleTV hardware based on the new micro design seen in the Macbook AIR very soon.)

But Still, some type of STB is going to have to be developed that can do this. Consumers are not simply going to expect a DVB-T/ATSC capable STB that can view terrestrial TV on. They will want a box that can view the thousands of channels on the internet as well.

So what is stoping the TV makers (Who implement small embeded OS type functions in TVs now as to display on screen control and programming of the TV), the Digital STB makers from adding in these features.
Thats a better question to ask. (I am preparing a big blog post on this topic looking at these issues, so look out for it on my site in the future)

James

]]> By: Gerald Z http://gigaom.com/video/open-source-stb-wave-of-the-future-or-guaranteed-flop/#comment-454030 Thu, 24 Jan 2008 01:13:37 +0000 http://newteevee.wordpress.com/2008/01/23/open-source-stb-wave-of-the-future-or-guaranteed-flop/#comment-454030 RSS-TV is an extensible markup language (XML)-based navigation protocol for Internet Media services based on the RSS standard. The adoption of RSS-TV enables video device manufacturers to develop applications to seamlessly navigate premium Internet video services. Example video devices include set top boxes, portable video players, game consoles, broadband-connected digital video disc (DVD) players, digital video recorders (DVRs), portable video players and mobile phones. By implementing the RSS-TV protocol, these devices provide user access to a growing library of online media (video, audio, games) services.

http://www.RSS-TV.org
http://www.RSSLiveTV.com

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