Linux-based home entertainment server shrinks in size, price

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Dec. 04, 2003

[Updated 4:30pm PST] -- Interact-TV has introduced a less expensive version of its embedded Linux and open source software based "Telly" home entertainment server. The $749 Telly model MC800 provides broadband Internet, cable and satellite TV, digital audio and video entertainment, and digital home networking. It features a sleeker, more compact case than its predecessor, the $899 MC1000.

The new MC800 measures just 15 x 4.5 x 11.5 inches (w x h x d), and, according to Interact-TV, "provides the most entertainment power in the smallest package delivered by any manufacturer to date."

New slimmed-down Telly Linux-based entertainment server
(Click image to enlarge)

Despite its smaller size, the MC800 supports the full Telly feature set, including:

digital video recording (with a subscription-free electronic program guide)
CD playback
ripping and, with optical drive upgrade, burning
music "jukebox" to manage and retrieve all music
DVD playback
digital photo album slide shows
Internet information including weather, financial, and movie listings

Cost savings in the new, smaller MC800 have been achieved in part through a smaller hard drive and a DVD-only optical drive instead of a combo drive, but these features will be upgradable through Interact-TV's online configurator, expected to launch tomorrow. The device supports easy upgrade and expansion, according to Interact-TV.

The MC800 has been optimized for low noise output, with a specially designed power supply; low-noise, high-performance main board; and, an all-aluminum chassis, "making it ideal for quiet home entertainment environments."

"Our newest model fits into our strategy to have a range of products that meet customers demands from very expandable systems, such as our well-received MC1000, to the new small form-factor MC800," said Ken Fuhrman, Interact-TV's CEO.

The company sold out of its initial run of "about 600" MC1000 boxes in September, according to Fuhrman, and more are on the way from Taiwan. Meanwhile, 1,000 units of the new MC800 are expected in three days.

More options and features coming

Fuhrman says Interact-TV will announce a 3.0 version of its Telly software at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Feb., 2004. The new release will be distributed to customers by CD, and will add support for:

DVD burning
DVD ripping
MPEG4 DVD storage
Ability to pause live TV
Other small feature additions to already major functional groups in the system

Fuhrman notes that some new features -- including DVD burning -- were contributed by Interact-TV's vibrant user/developer community.

Developer appeal

Besides the core group of eight developers behind Interact-TV's Linux-based "Entertainment Operating System" (EOS), EOS has between ten and fifteen external contract/contributing developers. "A lot of current Telly owners are very close to being developers," notes Fuhrman.

Interact-TV customers that want to hack the Telly are encouraged to do so, and can request a free software development kit (SDK) to help them. The downloadable SDK includes libraries, headers, and docs. Typical customer projects include expansions to program guides, better searches, better ability to predict things users may want to record, and even serial control interfaces to cable boxes, according to Fuhrman.

The Telly's Linux-based EOS operating system provides a fairly standard Linux environment based on Red Hat 7.3 (soon to be upgraded, according to Fuhrman). It uses the SDL graphics library, running on X to facilitate launching graphical applications (earlier versions used a framebuffer). A lightweight window manager based on fvwm2 is provided.

The company is working on an online resource for its developer community, according to Fuhrman.

Meanwhile, at the other end of the cable . . .

Interact-TV is exploring vertical market and "semi-professional" applications for its Telly systems, and may release another exciting new product at CES in January: a rack mount version with a pared down version of Interact-TV's Linux-based Entertainment Operating System (EOS) for use as an edge server for content delivery to cable head ends. This version would provide a very inexpensive way for content providers to distribute local commercials, movie trailers, and content previews, according Fuhrman.

For more details about the "Telly" feature set, be sure to read our previous story about the MC1000, which has more complete technical details and screenshots:

Read more about the Telly MC1000

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