[mythtv-users] Linux on TV

[Alex Harford]

CC'd to the MythTV list as I think it would be interesting to that
list as well...

On Tue, Jun 17, 2008 at 10:22 AM, Unnikrishnan V <ukv1977 at yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> http://www.sony.com/linux
>
> Now question is, Is some body gone beyond this point ie  hack into the
> television and done some exp: ( like running  myth tv or some  SDK for
> hooking program  or like enabling wireless interface (it has a USB - i think)
> or a browser porting google apps or a mac dash board (widgets) to TV etc ).

Very interesting!  I downloaded a random tarball for a TV and compared
it to the original Linux kernel.  It appears to run an ATI processor:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xilleon
which makes sense if they can receive digital OTA broadcasts.  The
serial console appears to be enabled, although who knows what is
actually in the distributed firmware.  USB serial is not enabled. :(
Have you tried plugging the USB to a computer to see what it appears
as?  It looks like does USB Gadget mode.

Wow, if MPEG streams could be read through the USB port, MythTV boxes
wouldn't even need video cards, they could just spit the MPEG-2
streams out over USB!

At the very minimum, if I could reprogram the IR receiver to turn
on/off with my Myth remote, I would hide the TV's remote from my wife
and kid. :)

Hmm.. Sharp has GPL sources available as well:
http://mktg.sharpusa.com/newsletters/files/

Alex