from ThinkGeek

Fancy yourself a programmer? Well Neuros is looking for your coding help to make their new OSD Linux-based media appliance a video-ripping, YouTube playing, TCPIP media monster. And what’s better, Neuros is putting their money where your hot little hand is with a series of cash bounties for coding certain new features into the firmware of the OSD… plus Neuros comes through with a $70 manufacturer rebate and a no questions asked 90 day return policy. Out of the box, the Neuros OSD functions as a media recorder and player. Connect the OSD to your TV and give it an analog video input from your DVD or cable box and it can encode video in various formats for your portable devices like PSP or mobile phones. Files can be stored and played either using media cards or using a USB external hard drive plugged into the OSD. However, the really special part about the OSD is its wealth of ports and the completely open source firmware. You get analog video/audio input and output, ethernet, USB, infrared, serial, two card slots to accommodate CF and SD/MS/MMC cards, plus a full-function universal remote. [Check out a detailed photo the ports here]

Please be aware that ThinkGeek is the exclusive retailer of the OSD and there is a limited quantity of 200 Neuros OSD Beta units available.

Important Note:
The Neuros OSD Beta unit is a work in progress. You need some technical knowledge to get the most out of the device. Obviously people with the aptitude to code new features into the firmware will benefit the most. Updating the firmware on the OSD requires the ability to download a file to an extra SD/MMC or CF Card (not included) insert it into the OSD and power cycle it. If you don’t know what we are talking about… you probably should not buy the OSD.

Current Product Features

(Subject to change as more features are coded into the OSD firmware)

  • Standalone Linux Based Media Player connects to your TV
  • Record from any external analog audio/video source such as a DVD player or Cable box
  • Automatically encode video/audio for playback on mobile devices such as PSP and mobile phones
  • Playback a variety of media formats on your TV including MP4, AVI, ASF, MP3, OGG, WMA, AC3
  • Timed recording feature allows scheduled recordings in advance
  • Storage via media cards (SD/MMC and CF) or external USB hard drive
  • IR Remote Learning and Playback
  • Future Implementation for Network Attached Storage functionality
  • Updateable Open Source Firmware
  • Linux OS (2.6 Kernel)

    More Information Regarding Programming the Neuros can be found here

Bounty Details

    Code your own improvements into the Open Source Neuros OSD firmware and get a cash reward.

    From Neuros:
    “These bounties are a community style thing that is just a modest way to put a little money back into the Neuros community as a token for our appreciation. We hope and expect for people to collaborate, split bounties and credit and share information, etc. The deliverables and rules are sketchy and the interpretation is completely subject to the whim of the selection committee”

    YouTube or Google video Browser
    Bounty: $1000

    Flickr Photo Browser

    Bounty: $600

    Implement a wireless remote using a WiFi PDA (or PSP) as the remote.
    Bounty: $500

    TiVo style functionality for radio. Hook up the OSD to a FM/AM or Satellite receiver and do timed recordings or FF/RW and Pause Live Radio.
    Bounty: $700

    Voip on the OSD. Plug a USB phone into the OSD and make calls without touching any of your PCs.
    Bounty: $500

    More information regarding bounties can be found on the Neuros Website.

Hardware Specifications

  • TI DM320 Multimedia SOC with 200 MHz ARM926, 120 MHz C54x DSP processor
  • MPEG4 encoding and decoding (as many formats and wrappers as possible)
  • D1 (720×480)resolution at 30 fps
  • MPEG2 encoding and decoding
  • Ethernet
  • Linux (2.6 Kernel)
  • Dual Core Processor ARM9/TI DSP
  • SD/CF/MS card slots
  • USB host
  • IR Blaster
  • IR remote

I/O Ports

  • IR receiver
  • USB Host
  • Multi-card (SD/MS/MS PRO/MS DUO/MMC)
  • Compact Flash (including microdrive)
  • Dual color LED (green and Red)
  • Power connector
  • Serial connector (to conrol tuner boxes and connection to PC for developer debugging)
  • IR Blaster (for controlling tuner boxes)
  • S-Video input
  • Ethernet 10/100
  • Composite Audio and Video input and output (RCA connector cables included)