In yesterday’s post about Blockbuster’s alleged video streaming box, I complained that if we’re forced to use a new set-top box for every service, our living rooms are going to fill up pretty quickly. Joel Johnson from BoingBoing Gadgets agrees,…
In yesterday’s post about Blockbuster’s alleged video streaming box, I complained that if we’re forced to use a new set-top box for every service, our living rooms are going to fill up pretty quickly. Joel Johnson from BoingBoing Gadgets agrees, reasoning that the “The Web Is the Only Set-Top Box That Matters.”
One new box, though, might change the game. The Myka is a set-top BitTorrent device which dispenses with proprietary technology in favor of open standards. Unlike vendor-specific hardware like Apple TV and the forthcoming NetFlix/LG venture, Myka works with anything the web has to offer, downloading and playing MPEG2, h.264, WMV and, of course, DivX media.
The beauty of this box is that it takes the nerd-factor out of BitTorrent, giving you access to all the content (licit and illicit) available on the P2P network without requiring advanced skills. The Linux-based box connects to the TV using HDMI, composite, S-Video or SPDIF connectors and hooks up to your internet connection via ethernet or WiFi. An internal hard drive (80, 160 or 500 GB) takes care of storage, and all the user has to do is point the device’s browser at a torrent tracker file and click.
I know what you’re thinking: There’s no way the content providers will allow this pirate box on the market, right? Wrong. Myka already has the official BitTorrent service on board, which means it will carry legitimate content from 20th Century Fox, MTV, Warner and Playboy, amongst others. And at the NAB, or National Association of Broadcasters, show, which kicks off today in Las Vegas, Myka is planning to announce details of more media partnerships.
Of course, legit movie downloads are great, but if you want to watch anything more current than six-week-old (or six-month-old) releases, you’ll be heading to the darker side of BitTorrent. Myka knows this, and has already teamed up with notorious tracker search site isoHunt. IsoHunt users will even get a $25 discount on the hardware when it ships this summer.
I spoke to Myka president Dan Lovy to learn more about the little box, and to find out just why it looks so much like a chunkier, uglier version of the AppleTV.
Gadget Lab: How do you browse to torrents? Can I go to, say, the Pirate Bay and grab stuff from there? Can I run third-party applications, e.g., Miro?
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