[mythtv-users] Recommendation for WD Live/similar player for not-tech-savvy sister?

[Brian Wood]

On Monday, December 13, 2010 12:10:21 pm Bobby Gill wrote:
> > I hadn't realized you were in Canada (I used to live in
> > Peterborough, Ontario).
> > 
> > Bandwidth caps are a problem, but I suspect they are the wave of
> > the future in the USA. Funny how they always seem to have enough
> > bandwidth for their own VOD services.
> 
> Yeah, Brampton here. Bandwidth is really terrible here, and the new
> CRTC caving to Bell's billing change is another stake through the
> heart.

I left Canada in 1977, haven't been back since I went to Larcan 
transmitter school in T.O. in 1991 (those transmitters are now in the 
landfill with the rest of the WTC debris).

I used to think the CRTC was better than the FCC, but I'm beginning to 
wonder.

> 
> Hmm, yeah I figured since flash is primarily CPU-intensive vs. GPU
> for videos on these things it wouldn't do it. This isn't really
> important, just a nice little bonus if it was going to be possible,
> but no biggie. And with the Myka, are you able to install apps like
> PlayOn or does that come with it? I mean, as far as the interface
> are you able to get into a shell or something and have your way, or
> how do you add scripts and apps to it?

The Myka has telnet access (be careful with your network access 
permissions), so you can pretty much do what you want. There is an SDK 
available, or at least there was, so you can implement your own stuff.

PlayOn requires a Windows machine. The Myka is a Linux box, so it can't 
run Playon. The Myka does come with a torrent client, though I've never 
used it. You can install simple software, but it has to be able to run 
on the MIPs CPU with limited RAM.

Myka just accesses the UPnP server in Playon, and Plays its content that 
way.

Myka tech specs are here:

http://www.myka.tv/myka-consumer/technology.html

Note that it has both a host and a client USB port, something the WD 
does not have. You can even connect an external DVD player, if you want 
to make it a complete A/V player solution.

A software overview is here:

http://www.myka.tv/developers/architecture.html

The Myka is definitely more of a hacker box than you probably want, I'm 
thinking for your sister you probably want the WD or something similar.

Myka is a lot of machine for the money, especially at the closeout 
price, but for a non-technical user it may be too much, though my 83-
year old Mom can use it, with the remote.


> 
> Indeed, I have been through it with Maxtor when they were on their
> own way back in the day (still remember paying $350 for a 640mb
> drive lol), to Seagate to WD. I have to say, I have bought 3 of the
> Samsung Spinpoint F1s and zero issues so far (had 2 at the same time
> for almost a year now). They're solid.
> 
If you think $350 was high:

http://mail5.beww.org/pictures/drive.jpg