Cheapest car pc ever. - Page 2

Rafster · 07-12-2006, 10:50 PM

That's cool about the Cheap car pc... But, just out of cuiosity, how hard would it be to convert this into a REALLY CHEAP DVR?

Peace,

Rafster

pandy · 07-12-2006, 10:58 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by Rafster

That's cool about the Cheap car pc... But, just out of cuiosity, how hard would it be to convert this into a REALLY CHEAP DVR?

Peace,

Rafster

Well providing there is DVR software out there somewhere for linux (it would be too slow through VMware) then its plenty possible tbh.

You would only need a USB DVR box.. (like a TV adapter wintv or something)

Pinnacle make capture boxes like that, but the problem you would have for SURE is none of them would be recognised by linux (AFAIK of course, I could be wrong).

Not many peripheral companies support linux as theyre too lazy to write the drivers lol.

Give me some time and Ill see what the possibility of running windows is, it might even be possible to run a complete fresh install of windows and use linux to boot it with (multiboot screen).

CorMan · 07-13-2006, 12:57 AM

would it be possible to connect a dc to dc power supply to this?

PURDooM · 07-13-2006, 01:05 AM

But will it play divx movies via mplayer in linux?

Might be a cheap divx player... gonna have to get one now.

PURDooM · 07-13-2006, 01:06 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by pandy

Well providing there is DVR software out there somewhere for linux .

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mythtv

I'm bidding on one on ebay right now. Peeps, please don't bid against labythan or i'll kill you all.

pandy · 07-13-2006, 01:23 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by CorMan

would it be possible to connect a dc to dc power supply to this?

Absolutely no idea mang tbh.. it comes with a PSU and attempt 1 with mine is going to end up atop of the 52" TV.

attempt 2 will definitely end up in my tiburon...

Ill no doubt use a power inverter and plug the PSU for the MSNTV2 into that

Divx? Im sure that Linux can play whatever anything else does and then some.. Is there a version of VLC for linux?

Lemme go see

pandy · 07-13-2006, 01:26 AM

Select your operating system to download precompiled binaries:

Windows Windows Mac OS X Mac OS X BeOS BeOS
Debian GNU/Linux Debian GNU/Linux Mandriva Linux Mandriva Linux Fedora Core Fedora Core
Familiar Linux Familiar Linux YOPY/Linupy YOPY/Linupy Zaurus Zaurus
SUSE Linux SUSE Linux Red Hat Linux Red Hat Linux WinCE / PocketPC WinCE / PocketPC
Slackware Linux Slackware Linux Ubuntu Linux Ubuntu Linux ALT Linux ALT Linux

For the other operating systems supported, there are no precompiled binaries. You will have to get the source code for VLC and its required libraries and build them yourself:

NetBSD NetBSD OpenBSD OpenBSD FreeBSD FreeBSD
Solaris Solaris QNX QNX Gentoo Linux Gentoo Linux
Crux Linux Crux Linux

LMAO well there's your DIVX worries over and answered

VLC Will play *Anything* you throw at it, even the vobs directly from a DVD.

And you know what that means? yip, you can dump a complete DVD movie uncompressed and watch it

PURDooM · 07-13-2006, 01:26 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by pandy

Divx? Im sure that Linux can play whatever anything else does and then some.. Is there a version of VLC for linux?

Yes there is, its just a matter of if the guy managed to make sound output work on the box. And what we can install in a 64 mb CF. Even Damn Small Linux isn't that small.

What I am interested in is if these could be a cheap replacement to xbox media center. Used xboxes cost about 8 times more.

pandy · 07-13-2006, 01:52 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by PURDooM

Yes there is, its just a matter of if the guy managed to make sound output work on the box. And what we can install in a 64 mb CF. Even Damn Small Linux isn't that small.

What I am interested in is if these could be a cheap replacement to xbox media center. Used xboxes cost about 8 times more.

Compact flash is either here nor there, as I said in post #1 you can use an external hard drive, and, I am going to experiment with USB flash drives.

What Im doing is putting a 2.5 laptop drive in and looping the USB out of the case (the msns case) and plugging it in, it will, of course, be internal and unviewable (take a 2.5" external case apart like and rip out the best bit

)

Sound and video IIRC are done, I know that video is definitely done, the last thing he was working on was the ability to take larger CF so that you dont even need a hard drive at all.

Remember, the USB's work, so anything you can plug into there that is compatible with linux (hard drives, dvd drives, cameras and so on) will all work.

The chipset in the msntv is an intel, at a pinch I would say its the 900 but I cant be sure.. either way there are alot of different linuxes out there, suse is the one I will try as I have the pro boxed version with the manual (which is really handy sometimes

)

Edit : So the compact flash is only used as the proprietory boot decvice, and, as such all you need to do is install a boot kernel for linux on there and then use that to multiboot using the lizard or whatever it is called boot loader (or was it lilo? its been a while but linux basically allows you to create a boot menu with multiple OS's..) so you would have a cut down bootloader linux on the compact flash and then in theory whatever you want on the hard drive (suse for me

)

pandy · 07-13-2006, 01:54 AM

BTW the psu is nothing but a 2.5 amp 12v psu, single output.

turbocad6 · 07-13-2006, 02:04 AM

so this thing has a BUILT IN 12V DC-dc POWER SUPPLY?????? it must, if it only gets powered by a 12v power supply... it's gonna need the 3.3v & the 5v too..... wonder how much you can add to it before it runs out of juice?

pandy · 07-13-2006, 02:42 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by turbocad6

so this thing has a BUILT IN 12V DC-dc POWER SUPPLY?????? it must, if it only gets powered by a 12v power supply... it's gonna need the 3.3v & the 5v too..... wonder how much you can add to it before it runs out of juice?

It doesnt have any optic drives or a hard drive...

Anything you add would be plugged into USB and powered off it's own PSU

Hence why Im using an inverter when I go for the car one.

Here is a nicer bigger pic of the internals that I took when the sun was out today (crap camera you see

)

pandy · 07-13-2006, 02:56 AM

And just for those who are going to/thinking about ordering/buying one here is what you can do, which IMO is fantastic.

All of the flashy plastic casings can be removed, the unit is in a steel 'case' and has one of those press on lids that is vented.

So you dont even need to use the shell (and I have seen alot of people with car pcs with cases like this one here)

So in theory it can be mounted exactly as you see here.

And this is why I think this unit is such an ideal candidate for carpc, simply as all you could possibly need with this is a hard drive, power inverter and a LCD and you are literally ready to rock and roll, no building, soldering and certainly not alo t of fuss, just bolt this wee bugger under your seat, extend the power adapter's wire and the USB drive/s wires and then in the trunk you fit an inverter, and a power strip (and you can encase the power strip in an MDF carpetted case so all the PSU's are neatly hidden (vent and fan this part though) and then all you have to do is connect the unit's video or svideo out into your LCD and the RCA sound outputs into your head unit's inputs and you are ready to go.

6 foot USB cables can be had for about what? a dollar each now? www.txmicro.com

And that's it, this has to be THE cheapest (beginner) car PC ever

pandy · 07-13-2006, 02:59 AM

Just to add (to the functionality) you could always run a USB A2B cable to the trunk, add a USB hub (again the psu for this would plug into the power strip, these are all terribly low amp/watt items) and then you can add more USB goodness.. wireless G USB NIC, and so on

Rafster · 07-13-2006, 03:06 AM

Something I just noticed....

No vga....

Peace,

Rafster