Itransition developed a home entertainment center based on a “barebone” minicomputer connected to TV. The software provides users with a wide range of multimedia functions, which are accessed by simple button push on their TV remote control. During the project Itransition software specialists developed customized Linux distribution, targeted at support of multiple multimedia functions. A media center box can be connected to a local home network.
The software was written in the C++ object oriented language and uses cross-platform multimedia framework SDL for its graphical user interface, Video4Linux API for TV tuner interfacing, and underlying Linux system utilities for CD recording. Also we implemented the support of shared network folders via an SMB/CIFS protocol using open source Samba project libraries. Sound support was implemented by using an ALSA sound subsystem.
A custom standalone Win32 application was developed to ease access to shared network folders of the media center, such as "My shared videos", "My shared TV recordings". This application also allows user and password management for the media center.
Thanks to the modularized structure of the project it is easy to add or remove necessary functionality, thus enabling different targeting of the product.
The solution features video file playback; DVD playback; watch TV; record TV programs; schedule TV recording; TV program guide; music file playback; CD playback; display photos; organize photo slideshows; download photos from camera; organize video and music playlists; visualization during music playback; photo slideshows during music playback; karaoke; recording from microphone during karaoke playback; web-cam supports; copy DVD support; copy CD support; burn DVD,CD,SVCD; download media content via network; playback of encrypted media content; camcoder control; download video from camcoder; upload media content from home PC to media box.
Technologies: x86, MiniATX, C++, SDL, Samba, Video4Linux, ALSA, Dotproject 2.0, MS Project 2002.
Efforts: 32 man-months.
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