Smart Home Blog

OpenELEC – just another embedded Linux distribution to build HTPC, recently was lunched in version 1.0. It uses XBMC as a front-end and customized back-end. OpenELEC is designed for Intel-based, Nvidia ION-based and AMD Fusion-based systems and run from USB stick or memory card. Special build will be available for Xtreamer Ultra platform (Xtreamer is a partner of OpenELEC). The size of ISO is just about 100MB (depends of the platform type) and it requires less than 130MB on the HDD.

Except a small size and nettop application OpenELEC offers a very simple way for configuration, extending by add-ons (such PVR for LiveTV, Torrent clients, rsync, LCD/VFD display support), an open add-on framework, GPU acceleration (Intel VAAPI, nVidia VDPAU, AMD XVBA (via VAAPI), Broadcom CrystalHD).

So, get OpenELEC 1.0 ISO, make bootable USB and try new HTPC software.

PLEX is coming to Samsung SmartTV. The client is implemented as a widget. It isn’t perfect yet. But it offers quite enough features such a browsing of media library, watching movies and TV shows, pausing, fastforward, continue watching of movie from where it was stopped. Note to be able use PLEX client on your Samsung TV you should have PLEX server. This is the most important difference between XBMC and PLEX. Client-server architecture allows to bring PLEX to various devices like Roku, LG or Samsung TVs and Blu-ray players.

[via AutomatedHome]

XBMC team started prepare to release Eden. No any new features will be added except very important for the new version. There is a lot of changes. One of them are following:

• Files Mode will be moved under Library Mode as Files view.
• Default skin will be with horizontal layout.
• Improvement of CPU/GPU utilization and support of iOS-based devices.
• Ability to add Add-ons to the home screen.

The last feature is simple but very useful. Cause it isn’t so handy go to every time to third menu level to access Youtube or KartinaTV.

iOS app ayControl offers impressive possibility to control EIB/KNX based home automation systems. It doesn’t need any additional hardware or software. Do, using it you may easily turn your iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch into powerful EIB/KNX control panel. So, to manage your home you even shouldn’t be inside it.

To customize ayControl for your needs the application developers offer a free program called iseo Designer 2. Using it you can import ETS group addresses, configure ayControl or create a customized visualization for the iPhone/iPad regarding your EIB/KNX bus system.

As I already mentioned the ayControl is available for iOS only. But there will be market for other platforms like Android or BlackBerry then the ayControl will be ported on them as well.

Once I already wrote about possibility to use a streaming player Roku as a MythTV client. But after that I lost my interest to this device regardless its low price and tiny size. However the situation is changed when FPLEX – a fork of the cross-platform software to build media centers XBMC, announced support of Roku players. So, tiny, noiseless, cheap and energy efficient device turns into full functional 720p/1080p HTPC! Awesome, isn’t it?

Probably I’ll buy Roku XD or XD|S (USB port is useful sometimes) for testing, although initially I thought about ATV2 with ARM version of XBMC. Limited resolution by 720p in ATV2 and support PLEX on Roku are key moments for the new decision.