Interact-TV unveils MyTellyHD Linux-based media server

While Interact-TV is no stranger to the media center arena, the company is taking a diversion from its previous PMP / storage-based offerings to unveil a fully-featured Linux-based media center for your AV rack. Aside from sporting a sleek, almost space-aged design, the unit can play back / save DVDs to your video library, automatically lookup DVD cover art and meta data, burn recorded TV shows to DVD, import video files from a networked PC, output in 480i or 720p, and handle AVI, DivX, MPEG1/2/3/4, WMV, JPEG, Cinepak, DV, QuickTime, RealMedia, H.263, and H.264 formats. Moreover, this box offers up a thorough audio / photo management system, one-touch recording as a PVR, and access to a bevy of extraneous information via the Telly Portal. As if this weren't enough, you'll also find an upscaling DVD player within, and if you're curious about the components running the show, there's 512MB of RAM, up to a 400GB hard drive, dual-layer DVD burner, six-channel audio, component / S-Video / composite outs, NTSC TV tuner, IR trackball remote, optional wireless keyboard, gigabit Ethernet, FireWire, USB 2.0, and a complete lack of fans due to the passive cooling system. Vista may be getting most of the limelight on this day in particular, but the MyTellyHD packs quite a wallop for a low-key Linux HTPC, and considering the fairly low $899 starting price point, there's not much to grumble about on this one.

[Joe Henson @ Jan 31st 2007 6:53AM]

oooh!
Shiny shiny.... I like it a lot!

aTV not looking so hot to me all a sudden

[Seamus D Dog @ Jan 31st 2007 7:48AM]

$899 versus $299 for the AppleTV. You could buy a Mini and an Apple TV for that much. What gives? I like the specs, but come on . . .

[rj @ Jan 31st 2007 8:18AM]

i really don't know what your getting at? u need both the mac mini and appletv to operate correctly. the base mac mini comes with a 60gb drive. this one is 160gb. oh... and the largest glaring fact of them all... does the appletv allow u to pause and record live tv? what? huh? no? oh... i see.

[Jumpman @ Jan 31st 2007 7:24PM]

Hey Seamus...

This is what the Doctor ordered up for you.

http://www.stopdigitalamnesia.com/

Check this out

[Mike D @ Jan 31st 2007 8:05AM]

its interesting to see this come up because it blatently violates the license for dvd's and I don't think fair use rights cover companies in the US for media servers? I like the idea though this is definately the most reasonably priced media server solution I've seen I wonder how much the pro series is.

[Josh @ Jan 31st 2007 12:14PM]

And ripping CDs to your computer to listen to them isn't a good enough precedent?

[Chris @ Jan 31st 2007 1:18PM]

given the "32 dvd's in 160GB" I'd say they are probably just ripping the ISO to HDD and then point the dvd player software at it saying that the iso is a dvd device (linux is awesome like that). So they aren't cracking any encryption, and they have a license as a player, and YOU have the right to make a backup. So, Fair Use is covering this one.

[doctorSpoc @ Jan 31st 2007 2:04PM]

why do people keep saying that? i, like most people already have a computer and it has a 750GB HD on it, with a TV tuner with PVR with hardware MPEG encoding capability etc... all i need to do is add a $299 appleTV.. no mini, no media center.. no nothing, just $299 and i get the this functionality... why do people insist on buying another box to put in their living room when appleTV makes this completely unnecessary... nice looking box but a waste of money.

[Ian Jardine @ Jan 31st 2007 9:25AM]

Nice machine and well packaged.
Short of the ideal though (not sure why)

1) Output limited to 480i or 720P only
2) Component Video out only no DVI or HGMI
3) NTSC tuner only no QAM/ATSC tuner

[Chris @ Jan 31st 2007 1:14PM]

1) if you've got a TV big enough to tell the difference between 720p and 1080 then you can afford a better PVR
2) what HD set doens't have component?
3) it's a PCI card, replace it with a linux compatable one.

[monkboy @ Jan 31st 2007 10:33AM]

Hey isnt that just the Silverstone LC09 case? (I'd leave a link but dont know the rules here)

[Bill @ Jan 31st 2007 10:00AM]

anyone know what software it uses to rip and catalog DVDs? I've been looking for something to do this for a while.

[Mike Spitalieri @ Jan 31st 2007 10:25AM]

I think these standalone media centers are barking up the wrong tree. I don't really see the need to drop $899 for a PVR/Media PC when I have a number of options available to me for far cheaper. Honestly, I'm still using my modded Xbox with XBMC and I have not seen one alternative that beats it feature or price-wise. Someone needs to put together a fast and cheap alternative for getting content you already have on your PC to your living room, and no one has really nailed it yet.

[Mike D @ Jan 31st 2007 1:36PM]

this product is being marketed towards people who don't want to do that much work. They want a media server and they want it to work.

[mathew @ Jan 31st 2007 11:00AM]

With HDMI and an ATSC tuner, it'd be pretty compelling as the box to get when I upgrade from DirecTiVo. As it is, not really interested...

[Ihar `Philips` Filipau @ Jan 31st 2007 12:13PM]

Gosh! It looks precisely as Mini-ITX system I'm planning to buy now.

Silverstone Lascala LC05 -
http://geizhals.at/deutschland/a105840.html

(Case + MB would cost about 300€)

[Mike D @ Jan 31st 2007 1:28PM]

I just know that kaleidascape got a lot of grief from the movie industry because they used the dvd crack to rip movies.

[Mike D @ Jan 31st 2007 1:29PM]

I just know that kaleidascape got a lot of grief from the movie industry because they used the dvd crack to rip movies.

[Martin @ Jan 31st 2007 2:57PM]

Monkboy, you hit the nail on the head. I would also say the same thing, and they just sent the lid off to get their logo etched in.

[Joe Henson @ Jan 31st 2007 6:49PM]

o.k. I stand corrected aTV it is then!