[mythtv-users] Homebrew PVR Multi-Circuit

[Simon Kenyon]

On Monday 21 June 2004 04:57, Steven White wrote:
> I read some posts on toggling an LED to show system status and came up
> with something to dress up my MythTV box.  I'm designing a small circuit
> that integrates an IR receiver, IR transmitter, status LEDs, and a 2
> line LCD into one small pc board.  LCD messages would be sent via a
> serial message protocol (hopefully using the same COM port as the one
> used for LIRC..can this be done since I'd only need the TX and RX
> lines???).  Any message could be sent to the display, such as "Now
> Playing: The Simpsons" or "Recording: The Sopranos".  The status LEDs
> could be turned on and off via a serial message also.  The IR
> transmitter LED(s) and status LED(s) could be remotely mounted from the
> board.  Power would be drawn from a hard drive power supply connector.
> The LCD would be optional and autodetected by the onboard
> microcontroller.  The goal of all of this is to combine all of the
> hardware needed for a homebrew PVR into one pcb board to make things
> neat and easy for people who don't have any soldering or electronics
> experience.  If there is enough interest, I can have a batch made after
> the prototypes are tested (I own an electrical engineering business).
> MythTV developers would get free sample boards if these things get
> popular enough to be supported in the project.  Does this sound like
> something useful?  Does anyone else have a wishlist for their MythTV box?

i have 10 lcds (128x64) which i bought for just such a purpose
they were very cheap (about $20 each if i recall)

i was going to use usb for i/o as i wanted to make this "pretty" and not have 
any loopthrough cables. my wish list:

graphic lcd
several buttons
ir in
ir out (via header so it can come out the back of the machine