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repurposing cheap dvr boxes

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  repurposing cheap dvr boxes asdf <asdf@nospam.com> - 2014-10-08 14:42 +0000
    Re: repurposing cheap dvr boxes Michael Black <et472@ncf.ca> - 2014-10-08 11:45 -0400
      Re: repurposing cheap dvr boxes Robert Heller <heller@deepsoft.com> - 2014-10-08 11:23 -0500
        Re: repurposing cheap dvr boxes The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2014-10-08 17:34 +0100
        Re: repurposing cheap dvr boxes Michael Black <et472@ncf.ca> - 2014-10-09 14:44 -0400
          Re: repurposing cheap dvr boxes Robert Heller <heller@deepsoft.com> - 2014-10-09 14:20 -0500

#12232 — repurposing cheap dvr boxes

(I apologize for the repost from c.o.l.embedded but that group
looks almost dead and the topic may be of interest to others)


Those nice boxes have multiple video inputs, serial/RS485/parallel i/o
for alarms, camera motion etc, one or more audio i/o, HDMI output,
one or more SATA ports, etc and some cost down to less than $50
including case, power supply, cables, mouse and remote. And all of
them run Linux. The logical question is: did anyone manage to flash
some embedded distro on one of these boxes to extend their
capabilities or use them for different purposes? 4 or more channels
video sampling means they use some pretty fast ADCs in there.

Here's one. 
http://www.ebay.com/itm/361044828613
Having placed a few of them I can confirm, regardless of their
brand/model, many use the same firmware save for a few
changes.

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#12233

On Wed, 8 Oct 2014, asdf wrote:

> (I apologize for the repost from c.o.l.embedded but that group
> looks almost dead and the topic may be of interest to others)
>
>
> Those nice boxes have multiple video inputs, serial/RS485/parallel i/o
> for alarms, camera motion etc, one or more audio i/o, HDMI output,
> one or more SATA ports, etc and some cost down to less than $50
> including case, power supply, cables, mouse and remote. And all of
> them run Linux. The logical question is: did anyone manage to flash
> some embedded distro on one of these boxes to extend their
> capabilities or use them for different purposes? 4 or more channels
> video sampling means they use some pretty fast ADCs in there.
>
> Here's one.
> http://www.ebay.com/itm/361044828613
> Having placed a few of them I can confirm, regardless of their
> brand/model, many use the same firmware save for a few
> changes.
>
>
I've wondered about it, I've found a few on the sidewalk. But I've never 
looked into it, so I don't know what might have been done already.  Since 
these I've found, I have no manuals to see if they run Linux, and booting 
up one of them doesn't say.

Blu-ray players also tend to have a board inside that runs linux, probably 
limited in resources, but maybe fitting some uses, and they certainly can 
be small.  At least one of my two blu-ray players will accept a keyboard, 
and one of these days I'll plug one in and see what it might do.

Even my tv sets run Linux, but I can't figure out what use that would be 
as a tv set (though maybe as they die, the controller can be reused for 
something).

But yes, we are now at the point where Linux is out there, and some of the 
devices may be failing, or "obsolete", and we may be able to put some more 
life on them.

   Michael

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#12234

At Wed, 8 Oct 2014 11:45:34 -0400 Michael Black <et472@ncf.ca> wrote:

> 
> On Wed, 8 Oct 2014, asdf wrote:
> 
> > (I apologize for the repost from c.o.l.embedded but that group
> > looks almost dead and the topic may be of interest to others)
> >
> >
> > Those nice boxes have multiple video inputs, serial/RS485/parallel i/o
> > for alarms, camera motion etc, one or more audio i/o, HDMI output,
> > one or more SATA ports, etc and some cost down to less than $50
> > including case, power supply, cables, mouse and remote. And all of
> > them run Linux. The logical question is: did anyone manage to flash
> > some embedded distro on one of these boxes to extend their
> > capabilities or use them for different purposes? 4 or more channels
> > video sampling means they use some pretty fast ADCs in there.
> >
> > Here's one.
> > http://www.ebay.com/itm/361044828613
> > Having placed a few of them I can confirm, regardless of their
> > brand/model, many use the same firmware save for a few
> > changes.
> >
> >
> I've wondered about it, I've found a few on the sidewalk. But I've never 
> looked into it, so I don't know what might have been done already.  Since 
> these I've found, I have no manuals to see if they run Linux, and booting 
> up one of them doesn't say.
> 
> Blu-ray players also tend to have a board inside that runs linux, probably 
> limited in resources, but maybe fitting some uses, and they certainly can 
> be small.  At least one of my two blu-ray players will accept a keyboard, 
> and one of these days I'll plug one in and see what it might do.
> 
> Even my tv sets run Linux, but I can't figure out what use that would be 
> as a tv set (though maybe as they die, the controller can be reused for 
> something).

Can you say iLinux?  Afterall, an iMac is just a processor board + hard drive 
+ display screen.  It sounds like the TV Set is much the same (but probably 
without the hard drive).

> 
> But yes, we are now at the point where Linux is out there, and some of the 
> devices may be failing, or "obsolete", and we may be able to put some more 
> life on them.

Yes.  Much of the electronics will probably last forever (the silicon parts 
will certianly last indefiniately -- only things like the (big) power supply / 
filter capacitors might give out, but probably can be replaced).

> 
>    Michael
> 
>                                    

-- 
Robert Heller             -- 978-544-6933
Deepwoods Software        -- Custom Software Services
http://www.deepsoft.com/  -- Linux Administration Services
heller@deepsoft.com       -- Webhosting Services
                                                                                                               

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#12235

On 08/10/14 17:23, Robert Heller wrote:
> the silicon parts  will certianly last indefiniately


No.

Silicon parts do NOT last indefinitely. They age with temperature and 
200C is a lifetime in milliseconds ;-)


There are lots of modes.  Depending on the actual technology in play.




-- 
Everything you read in newspapers is absolutely true, except for the 
rare story of which you happen to have first-hand knowledge. – Erwin Knoll

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#12251

On Wed, 8 Oct 2014, Robert Heller wrote:

> At Wed, 8 Oct 2014 11:45:34 -0400 Michael Black <et472@ncf.ca> wrote:
>
>>
>> On Wed, 8 Oct 2014, asdf wrote:
>>
>>> (I apologize for the repost from c.o.l.embedded but that group
>>> looks almost dead and the topic may be of interest to others)
>>>
>>>
>>> Those nice boxes have multiple video inputs, serial/RS485/parallel i/o
>>> for alarms, camera motion etc, one or more audio i/o, HDMI output,
>>> one or more SATA ports, etc and some cost down to less than $50
>>> including case, power supply, cables, mouse and remote. And all of
>>> them run Linux. The logical question is: did anyone manage to flash
>>> some embedded distro on one of these boxes to extend their
>>> capabilities or use them for different purposes? 4 or more channels
>>> video sampling means they use some pretty fast ADCs in there.
>>>
>>> Here's one.
>>> http://www.ebay.com/itm/361044828613
>>> Having placed a few of them I can confirm, regardless of their
>>> brand/model, many use the same firmware save for a few
>>> changes.
>>>
>>>
>> I've wondered about it, I've found a few on the sidewalk. But I've never
>> looked into it, so I don't know what might have been done already.  Since
>> these I've found, I have no manuals to see if they run Linux, and booting
>> up one of them doesn't say.
>>
>> Blu-ray players also tend to have a board inside that runs linux, probably
>> limited in resources, but maybe fitting some uses, and they certainly can
>> be small.  At least one of my two blu-ray players will accept a keyboard,
>> and one of these days I'll plug one in and see what it might do.
>>
>> Even my tv sets run Linux, but I can't figure out what use that would be
>> as a tv set (though maybe as they die, the controller can be reused for
>> something).
>
> Can you say iLinux?  Afterall, an iMac is just a processor board + hard drive
> + display screen.  It sounds like the TV Set is much the same (but probably
> without the hard drive).
>
But limited memory, only one USB port and no ethernet.

It's easier to imagine reusing a blu-ray player, since they either have 
ethernet or built in wifi.

    Michael

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#12252

At Thu, 9 Oct 2014 14:44:24 -0400 Michael Black <et472@ncf.ca> wrote:

> 
> On Wed, 8 Oct 2014, Robert Heller wrote:
> 
> > At Wed, 8 Oct 2014 11:45:34 -0400 Michael Black <et472@ncf.ca> wrote:
> >
> >>
> >> On Wed, 8 Oct 2014, asdf wrote:
> >>
> >>> (I apologize for the repost from c.o.l.embedded but that group
> >>> looks almost dead and the topic may be of interest to others)
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> Those nice boxes have multiple video inputs, serial/RS485/parallel i/o
> >>> for alarms, camera motion etc, one or more audio i/o, HDMI output,
> >>> one or more SATA ports, etc and some cost down to less than $50
> >>> including case, power supply, cables, mouse and remote. And all of
> >>> them run Linux. The logical question is: did anyone manage to flash
> >>> some embedded distro on one of these boxes to extend their
> >>> capabilities or use them for different purposes? 4 or more channels
> >>> video sampling means they use some pretty fast ADCs in there.
> >>>
> >>> Here's one.
> >>> http://www.ebay.com/itm/361044828613
> >>> Having placed a few of them I can confirm, regardless of their
> >>> brand/model, many use the same firmware save for a few
> >>> changes.
> >>>
> >>>
> >> I've wondered about it, I've found a few on the sidewalk. But I've never
> >> looked into it, so I don't know what might have been done already.  Since
> >> these I've found, I have no manuals to see if they run Linux, and booting
> >> up one of them doesn't say.
> >>
> >> Blu-ray players also tend to have a board inside that runs linux, probably
> >> limited in resources, but maybe fitting some uses, and they certainly can
> >> be small.  At least one of my two blu-ray players will accept a keyboard,
> >> and one of these days I'll plug one in and see what it might do.
> >>
> >> Even my tv sets run Linux, but I can't figure out what use that would be
> >> as a tv set (though maybe as they die, the controller can be reused for
> >> something).
> >
> > Can you say iLinux?  Afterall, an iMac is just a processor board + hard drive
> > + display screen.  It sounds like the TV Set is much the same (but probably
> > without the hard drive).
> >
> But limited memory, only one USB port and no ethernet.
> 
> It's easier to imagine reusing a blu-ray player, since they either have 
> ethernet or built in wifi.

Again it *depends* on what you want to do with it...  The TV set is likely to 
have a tuner and an assortment of video inputs...

> 
>     Michael
>                                                    

-- 
Robert Heller             -- 978-544-6933
Deepwoods Software        -- Custom Software Services
http://www.deepsoft.com/  -- Linux Administration Services
heller@deepsoft.com       -- Webhosting Services
                                                                                                                         

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