[mythtv-users] re:MythTV production run

Wed May 5 00:20:52 EDT 2004

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Hi Mike,

I was on the software end of the project - programs to talk to the new 
hardware - so I did not have any direct dealings with the fabrication 
process.

I can tell you this.  The project was for programmable detonators for 
explosives, and the costs for design and fabrication of just a few exceeded 
$60,000.  Now this is no where near the complexity of a full motherboard.  
These puppies basically had a low speed connector, understood about 32 
commands and thats about it.  Very very simple.

If you really wanted to pursue it maybe contact one of the micro motherboard 
manufactures and cut a deal.  They could leave off components, but the rest 
is already done.  Why would you want to start from scratch?  Heck you could 
probably already find a bare bones board out there for embedded work that 
could do what you are looking for.

I'll check with some of my EE buddies on a project I am on now and see if they 
can point you in the right direction.   http://www.microindustries.com/ makes 
embeddable ATX boards...  Something similar could get you where you want to 
go.  I still think that it would be easier to go the COTS route for a small 
production run.

Later

On Tuesday 04 May 2004 09:15 pm, you wrote:
> Hi Bill,
>
>
>         I am thinking of how much it would cost to design or hire a company
> to design a specialized  motherboard to cut cost like Tivo did, e.g, no
> mouse/keyboard/VGA interfaces, with integrated tuner/mpeg en/decoders.
>     Would you give us some ideas of how costly it was for your several
> small projects? and how did you proceed?
>  what tools/companies were involved ?   That would be greatly helpful.
>
>
> Thanks,
>
> Mike
>
>
> Are you still doing the above "design specialized hardware to reduce
> costs"? That would be a significant investment.  Then getting someone set
> up to produce and troubleshoot a few boards would be costly.  I've been on
> a few small design projects and the costs were significant even for
> seemingly trivial (board was a few cm long, 1/4 cm wide).  Unless you are
> going to be able to sell the aforementioned thousands, the payback would
> make it worth just using COTS parts.  Micro boards, etc...
>
> > Ok,
> > Cable companies would not allow you to advertise mythtv, like what
>
> happened
>
> > to Tivo, but there are many other ways to advertise like
>
> Cable companies are starting to develop ways to compete with Tivo... 
> Pretty soon the Cable box will have a DVR built in for only a higher
> monthly fee. Everything I read says Tivo is going to be in trouble from all
> the competition coming along.
>
> > newspapers/radio/mails/.... When the startup company is small, the big
> > companies would not bother to sue you.
>
> Either that or you never hear about the smaller companies getting sued or
> stamped out by lawyers.  I'm sure the Microsoft media lawyers would just
> drive by and slap you with a lawsuit just so they don't have to compete
> sometime down the line.
>
> >   Any other major hurdles for a startup company?  Anyone interested in
>
> this
>
> > topic?
>
> The problem is that the market will soon be firmly established as the big
> firms (Pioneer, Panasonic, JVC, Microsoft) finish their offerings.  Tivo
> has a chance because they got backing and they were there first.   Myth is
> probably a superior product but would take such backing to make it the way
> your talking about.
>
> This seemed decent about what else is going on in dvr land:
> http://www.sltrib.com/2004/apr/04252004/business/160155.asp
>
> The one thought that sounded good was building a real high end box...  If
> you
> did that, got some advertising in some of the audiophile magazines then
> maybe
> you could sell some high end system...  You know... DVR of the rich and
> famous...
>
> I'm interested from a thinking exercise point of view - not to actually
> implement something.
>
> Later
>
> > Thanks
> >
> > Mike
> >
> > _________________________________________________________________
> > Getting married? Find tips, tools and the latest trends at MSN Life
>
> Events.
>
> > http://lifeevents.msn.com/category.aspx?cid=married
>
> - --
>
> Bill Chmura
>
> w. http://www.fistfullofcode.com
> w. http://www.explosivo.com
>
> - ------------------------------------------------------
>
> "No matter what, never, ever, ever, ever tell your girl friend she is
> looking
> a little puffy."
> - -Ancient chinese proverb
>
> "Some people go to bed with Lucifer, then they cry when they don't greet
> the day with God"
> - -Monster Magnet
>
> Without good motivation, science and technology, instead of helping, bring
> more fear and threaten global destruction. Compassionate thought is very
> important for humankind.
> - -His Holiness the Dalai Lama
>
> - -------------------------------------------------------
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- -- 

Bill Chmura

w. http://www.fistfullofcode.com
w. http://www.explosivo.com

- ------------------------------------------------------

"No matter what, never, ever, ever, ever tell your girl friend she is looking 
a little puffy."
- -Ancient chinese proverb

"Some people go to bed with Lucifer, then they cry when they don't greet the 
day with God"
- -Monster Magnet

Without good motivation, science and technology, instead of helping, bring 
more fear and threaten global destruction. Compassionate thought is very 
important for humankind.
- -His Holiness the Dalai Lama

- -------------------------------------------------------
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