[LINK] US going digital TV in 2009

[Rick Welykochy]

Marghanita da Cruz wrote:

> <http://pcworld.about.com/news/Sep082005id122450.htm>
> 
> Are your "toppy" and pc running linux?

The toppy is running some variant of Unix, judging from the logs
it produces. Possibly Linux. The software running on top of the OS
is proprietary, with the ability (for IceTV for example) to add in
modular application plug-ins to augment its behaviour.

A Windows PC can be used to connect to the toppy via USB. IceTV only
provide a USB driver for Windows, thus Mac and Linux users must use
the web-based wireless connection to talk to it. No biggie, I suppose.
I use Mac OS X to talk to the thing. Any platform with a browser can
do the same, provided you use the wireless option. Sans wireless you
are stuck with Winders and the USB connection.

IceTV also provide some desktop plugins for IceGuide browsing on the
PC, but I eschew these kind of things in general.

Regarding alternatives, one acquaintance was using a home-built MythTV
box. It gradually stopped working because it needed constant maintenance
and tinkering. Sounds like the software was at at the "enthusiast hobby"
level at the time (a year ago). He has since loaded WinXP onto the
same box and just pumps video from the box to a huge plasma display.


cheers
rickw



-- 
_________________________________
Rick Welykochy || Praxis Services

Any belief that can't stand up to objective scrutiny is hardly worth having.
      -- LJ McIntyre