Media Center

A silent compact PC with an embedded OS and multimedia capability.

Specifications

• 8 USB ports
• 4 Firewire ports
• Wireless networking 802.11
• Fast ethernet
• Boots from flash card or USB device
• Video: Composite RGB (NTSC/PAL), VGA
• Integrated multi-format flash-card reader (CF, xD, Memory Stick) NZ$35
• Infra-red interface for remote control
• Web-based interface
• Audio in/out
• Microphone input

Hardware

Prototype

• VIA EPIA-TC10000 1GHz C3 (Nehemiah) & Mini-ITX Motherboard
• SDRAM
• USB Flash Drive

Product

• VIA EPIA-TC10000 1GHz C3 (Nehemiah) & Mini-ITX
• Compact flash cards 128mb can be used by the motherboard to boot an OS
• Ethernet switch
• Wireless Router/DSL
• USB hub
• Firewire hub
• Heatsinks
• Case
• Knob
• Sockets
• Panels
• LEDs
• Microphone
• IR photo-couple

Software

• Boot from USB memory stick or compact flash card
• Video player (MPlayer, VLC(**), Xine)
• Audio player plays all audio formats including
  • mp3
  • aiff, wave
  • ogg
• Picture viewing and organising software (via ImageMagick)
• File transfering and sharing software
• Can handle multiple audio and video interfaces. To play different music to two different rooms for example.

Application

see User interface for design aspects or nodeInterface and PERL-SDL-SWF for development