TVSquad

Could the Netflix Player by Roku be used as a MythTV frontend?

Posted Jul 11th 2008 8:57AM by Brad Linder
Filed under: PVR Wire, Hardware, Software

Roku, the company behind the $99 box that lets you stream Netflix movies over the internet to your TV has released the source code for the set top box. And the hacking has already begun. Some folks have already reported they can access the box via telnet.

MythTV News raises an interesting question: Could the Netflix Player be a cheap frontend for the Linux-based MythTV media suite? MythTV's backend software requires a full computer with a decent CPU, hard drive, and RAM to run. But it might be possibel to shoehorn the frontend software, which lets you access media stored on the backend, onto a less powerful device.

As Dave Zatz points out, the software used on the Netflix Player is signed. What that means is that modified code will not run properly, and the box should automatically revert to the last good version of its software if it encounters hacked or modified code. But it is at least theoretically possible to send software updates to the box, and to update the bootloader. And that means it's possible that someone might be able to find a way to run MythTV or other software on the Netflix Player. Just because a platform is locked doesn't mean it can't be unlocked. Just look at the iPhone.

[via eHomeUpgrade and Hack A Day]

Tags: hack, linux, mod, mythtv, netflix, netflix-player, netflix-player-by-roku, open-source, roku

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

1

7-12-2008 @ 2:31PM

Owen Uridge said...

That type of box is the future for for home media users. Run a Myth type of OS though a box like this with a USB for an external HD and you have a pretty inexpensive solution that i could see replacing my Replay TV box. I've read articles like this before, so I'll take this with a grain of salt until i see further updates.

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