Open source DVR

The Neuros OSD seems like a good idea. New York Socialist Times:

“HACKERS, welcome! Here are detailed circuit diagrams of our products — modify them as you wish.”

That’s not an announcement you’ll find on the Web sites of most consumer electronics manufacturers, who tend to keep information on the innards of their machines as private as possible.

But Neuros Technology International, creator of a new video recorder, has decided to go in a different direction. The company, based in Chicago, is providing full documentation of the hardware platform for its recorder, the Neuros OSD (for open source device), so that skilled users can customize or “hack” the device — and then pass along the improvements to others.

The OSD is a versatile recorder. Using a memory card or a U.S.B. storage device, it saves copies of DVDs, VHS tapes and television programs from satellite receivers, cable boxes, TVs and any other device with standard video output.

I have been doing this sort of thing for a while -- converting DVDs, VHS tapes, and cable TV recordings to MPEG. My method involves a lot of wires, adapters, and, generally speaking, fucking around. This device might help.

Here's an example of the creativity the box inspires -- the video was made with the Neuros:



The real power of the box is open source. The OS is Linux.

Links
Neuros Technology