Media Center
From Organic Design wiki
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
- Analogue (joystick) and switch inputs
Hardware
Note that the first hardware configuration is 'ideal' but a prototype could be made from lower spec components, suitable for the testing phase.
Product
- VIA EPIA-TC10000 1GHz C3 (Nehemiah) & Mini-ITX with CF card option
- Compact flash cards 128mb can be used by the motherboard to boot an OS
- 512 mb CF card
- 512 MB ram
- Plug pack power supply
- PCI 90 degree riser card (to mount PCI card on same horizontal as mother board)
- Ethernet switch
- Wireless Router/DSL
- USB hub
- Firewire hub
- Heatsinks
- Case
- Knob
- Sockets
- Panels
- LEDs
- Microphone
- IR photo-couple
Prototype
- Any 1 ghz + x86 ITX integrated board (audio, video, ethernet on board)
- Power supply
- 128 MB ram
- USB Flash Drive
Hacks Hardware additions to add to the user experience
- IR reciever - built but not tested
- Audio signal and RF switching
Useful bits
- Cases: Component stereo type cases, this will not look or sound like a PC
- Fascia panels with RCA sockets or USB sockets
- Heatsinks suitable for processor and/or power supply for passive cooling
- Any other cool looking bits
Software
- Boot from USB memory stick or compact flash card
- Video player
- 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 interface for design aspects or nodeInterface and PERL-SDL-SWF for development
