Torrent-ready IPTV STB praised in review

By Eric Brown
2009-07-01

Article Rating:

/ 1

Rate This Article:

Add This Article To:

The Myka media-center IP set-top box (STB and BitTorrent receiver is finally shipping in volume -- and it has received a rave review. The Linux-based Myka box, which offloads BitTorrent peer-to-peer duties from a PC, was praised as a "great home theater PC for lazy people."

Myka announced the availability of its Myka system in February, but only recently, it appears, has the device begun to ship in significant quantities. Originally called "TorrentTV" when it was previewed over a year ago, the Myka box is billed as an open source Linux hardware and software platform and a DRM-free (digital rights management-free) alternative to Apple TV.

Myka (rear view)
(Click to enlarge)

The Myka appliance runs embedded Linux on a MIPS32-based Broadcom BCM7403 system-on-chip (SoC), with 256MB of DDR memory and 6MB of flash. It includes two USB ports, and connects to the Internet via Ethernet or WiFi (802.11/g), says Myka. The box also supplies HDMI, composite, S-video, and S/PDIF ports for linking up to a TV, supporting video-out at up to 1080i, as well as 4:3 and 16:9 aspect ratios. A developer's version is also said to be available, and Mkya is building a developer's section on its website.

According to a review by Tim Conneally in BetaNews this week, Myka "could very well be Linux's finest showing in the home media field to date." Although the box "doesn't carry all the functions one would expect in a home theater PC," writes Conneally, Myka delivers "the fantastic customizability of that [Linux] open environment that still manages to 'just work'."

The Myka appliance can be used as a simple home media server for movies, music, and images, or else as an iPod friendly personal media player, says the review. Mass storage devices can plug into Myka via USB for navigation via remote control, and users can view streaming web video from YouTube and CNN.

A weekly scheduler is said to let users set limits on downloads, to avoid throttling or exceeding the bandwidth caps that have troubled Torrent users in the past. According to Conneally, videos at the maximum resolution of 1080p at 59.94Hz played back at high definition with no lagging or crashing.

Services include UPnP AV, myiHome, FTP, Samba, NFS, Usenet, and of course, the Torrent client, which makes the system stand out from the crowd, according to the reviewer. The system is based in part on the Syabas NMT (Networked Media Tank) entertainment system, writes Conneally, who adds that experienced NMT users can call up additional features based on the NMT platform.

In the end, the Myka device did everything it claimed it could do, including plugging in a wide variety of devices via USB, "with zero failures," writes Conneally. He adds that other products offer similar features, "but actually offer less at a higher cost."

Availability

Myka is available now for $200 with a 250GB HDD or $300 with a 1TB drive. More information may be found at the Myka site, here. The BetaNews review may be found here. More information on Myka may be found in our earlier coverage, here.

Related Stories:

	Discuss Torrent-ready IPTV STB praised in review

	Part of this article seems to have been copy/paste from the article of 3rd February...

	>>> Post your comment now!



	>>> More News Articles >>> More By Eric Brown

Email Article To Friend ♦ Print Version Of Article ♦ PDF Version Of Article

FUEL Database on MontaVista Linux
Whether building a mobile handset, a car navigation system, a package tracking device, or a home entertainment console, developers need capable software systems, including an operating system, development tools, and supporting libraries, to gain maximum benefit from their hardware platform and to meet aggressive time-to-market goals.

Breaking New Ground: The Evolution of Linux Clustering
With a platform comprising a complete Linux distribution, enhanced for clustering, and tailored for HPC, Penguin Computing¿s Scyld Software provides the building blocks for organizations from enterprises to workgroups to deploy, manage, and maintain Linux clusters, regardless of their size.

Data Monitoring with NightStar LX
Unlike ordinary debuggers, NightStar LX doesn¿t leave you stranded in the dark. It¿s more than just a debugger, it¿s a whole suite of integrated diagnostic tools designed for time-critical Linux applications to reduce test time, increase productivity and lower costs. You can debug, monitor, analyze and tune with minimal intrusion, so you see real execution behavior. And that¿s positively illuminating.

Virtualizing Service Provider Networks with Vyatta
This paper highlights Vyatta's unique ability to virtualize networking functions using Vyatta's secure routing software in service provider environments.

High Availability Messaging Solution Using AXIGEN, Heartbeat and DRBD
This white paper discusses a high-availability messaging solution relying on the AXIGEN Mail Server, Heartbeat and DRBD. Solution architecture and implementation, as well as benefits of using AXIGEN for this setup are all presented in detail.

Understanding the Financial Benefits of Open Source
Will open source pay off? Open source is becoming standard within enterprises, often because of cost savings. Find out how much of a financial impact it can have on your organization. Get this methodology and calculator now, compliments of JBoss.

Embedded Hardware and OS Technology Empower PC-Based Platforms
The modern embedded computer is the jack of all trades appearing in many forms.

Data Management for Real-Time Distributed Systems
This paper provides an overview of the network-centric computing model, data distribution services, and distributed data management. It then describes how the SkyBoard integration and synchronization service, coupled with an implementation of the OMG¿s Data Distribution Service (DDS) standard, can be used to create an efficient data distribution, storage, and retrieval system.

7 Advantages of D2D Backup
For decades, tape has been the backup medium of choice. But, now, disk-to-disk (D2D) backup is gaining in favor. Learn why you should make the move in this whitepaper.