Joe sez, "This is an open letter from Neuros to all the AppleTV hackers that appeals to AppleTV hackers to help contribute to Neuros Open Source/Linux Set-top box."
I've had a couple of these circulating in my class at USC this semester and some of the students have had a complete nerdgasm over them (for example, see this post on the class blog). The Neuros offers the best functionality of several devices — a TiVo, an AppleTV — in a small, cheap, functional package. It's built on free/open software and there's a community of hackers working to improve it. I can't wait to get my recorder back from my students so I can start using it at home!
We at Neuros are working to fulfill the vision of the open set-top box, but the path is not an easy one. The embedded components that are typically needed are quite often not nearly as open as many of the components in PCs. We don't have the heritage of mature, free software to support multimedia playback and recording, and we often have constrained computing resources that are a challenge to porting the software designed for PCs. Although each generation of our devices has become increasingly more open, we continue to rely too heavily on licensed proprietary code that would benefit greatly from the kind of help and expertise that you can bring.
Unlike other manufacturers who typically ignore or may even try to suppress or undermine your contributions, we at Neuros rely on them. Your contributions can get quickly incorporated in our official releases, and you will have a say in the creation of future generations of our devices and the ability to work side by side with our internal engineering team.
All while expanding the body of free software for those that follow.
At Neuros, we do not sell content, nor do we sell our devices through content distributors, as most set-top box manufacturers do. We are beholden only to you, the consumer. In a world of DRM, closed systems and proprietary walled garden content distribution, we record content from any legally obtained source to free and non DRM-encumbered MPEG-4 files that allow you to use that content as you wish.
(Thanks, Joe!)
