[mythtv-users] Interesting LCD Display

[Florin Andrei]

Bob Wiegand wrote:
> A 4 line by 20 character display that attaches by USB.
> 
> http://www.mini-box.com/PicoLCD-4X20-Sideshow
> 
> I wonder if it can be made to work with Myth?

I have this 16x2 screen on the Myth box I'm building now. The blue glow 
looks awesome on the pitch black minitower. :-)

http://www.crystalfontz.com/product/CFA633-TMC-KS.html

Works fine with LCDproc, I tested it a few years ago, then forgot about 
it, then dug it up from a dusty box a couple weeks ago for the MythTV 
server I'm building now. Looks like it's still working, at least it 
lights up when I give it power. :-)

There's a lot you can do with LCDproc, like create your own LCD menus so 
you can control the Myth machine from the tiny buttons on the LCD.
You can assign arbitrary commands to the menu elements, so practically 
there's no limit to what you can do, other than the size of the display 
and the fact that you only have 6 buttons to work with (up, down, left, 
right, ok, escape).
It gives you tools to create stuff like numeric entries, IP address 
entry fields, things like that. Like a scripting language for LCD screens.
LCDproc is included in many Linux distributions.

http://lcdproc.omnipotent.net/

I plan to use this LCD for:
- display the current CPU load and disk usage (on the top row)
- display the backend status (on the bottom row)
- use the LCD buttons to tune in to Internet radio stations (why turn on 
the big 0.5kW plasma screen just to tune in to radio, when it can be 
done via a simple interface in a few button clicks?). I'll have to 
create a custom LCDproc menu with a list of radio stations, then figure 
out how to send the right command to mythfrontend to tune in to the 
correct radio station when I navigate to it in the menu and push OK. Or 
maybe use a different media player instead of mythfrontend, I haven't 
decided yet.
- perform basic tasks like reboot or shutdown

They also have bigger screens, most (all?) supported by LCDproc:

http://www.crystalfontz.com/products/index-ser.html
http://www.crystalfontz.com/products/index-usb.html

This is a great gadget for a MythTV system.

-- 
Florin Andrei

http://florin.myip.org/