[mythtv-users] Motorola vip1216 (u-verse STB)

[Brian Wood]

On Friday 04 September 2009 19:54:00 Michael Starks wrote:
> I currently have u-verse cable and Internet. With all of the
> entertainment options out there, I really don't need to pay for cable,
> so today I called to cancel. The guy on the phone said if I don't return
> the unit I get charged $150. That got me to thinking. This box does HD
> and SD, has all sorts of nice outputs, is network accessible, fits in an
> entertainment center nicely, has a remote and doesn't use much power.
> And it runs Linux. Specs are here:
> http://74.125.95.132/search?q=cache:VOAZOHAi4SkJ:www.motorola.com/staticfil
>es/Business/Products/TV%2520Video%2520Distribution/Set-tops/IP%2520Set-tops/
>VIP1216/_Documents/Static%2520Files/VIP1216specsheet_082508_f.pdf+motorola+v
>ip1216+linux&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us
>
> All of the posts I have run across talk about grabbing the stream from
> u-verse to get to a Myth box, but what if this *was* the Myth box? A box
> like this for $150 sounds pretty nice. Do you think it's possible to
> blow away the software on the hdd and install a standard distro? The CPU
> is a 400+DMIPS, which I know nothing about yet. The other potential kink
> is that it advertises an "Integrated Secure Processor" so I don't know
> if that ties into the OS.

Just IMHO


I'd be concerned that the box can be turned off, or, more likely, it might 
need some sort of continuing authorization to keep working, maybe even on a 
program by program basis.

If that's not the case, and everything except stealing service works, it might 
be worth considering if the $150 price tag makes sense:

So just to put it in prerspective:

A used/refurbed Xbox 360 is about the same price. Except for DRM it's got the 
same capabilities, though it draws more power I suspect.

There are a lot of UPnP type players out there under $200, some of which run 
Linux (Myka), some may not (D-Link DSM series). A Myka is $199, but you get a 
warranty, it has similar ins and outs, but also USB (host and client).

Some DirectTV receivers have similar capability. So do some TV sets (Sony and 
HP).

So I'd say that if it's a known thing that it will keep working it's probably 
not an unreasonable price to pay, but if it's a "maybe", I wouldn't do it. At 
least you probably get a remote you know works with it.

I wonder if it can only boot from the internal flash, that would make it 
harder to play with. A hack to boot from the HDD would be nice.

I see the word "Microsoft" twice on the spec page, not a good sign.



-- 
Brian Wood
beww at beww.org