In need of a kitchen entertainment system, [BoaSoft] headed to the parts bin and produced a project that can easily be called a mutant. That being said, we love the results!
Here’s the link to the original Russian language post. If your Russian is a bit rusty here’s a really awful machine translation. So let’s see if we can decipher this hack.
Sounds like [BoaSoft] had a broken Acer laptop on hand. Problem was the laptop can’t play over-the-air television (and similarly, a television can’t surf the net). The solution was to figure out how to utilized a TV tuner of unknown origin, combine that with the laptop and a computer monitor, then add back all the user interface you’d expect from an entertainment device.
The board shown in the first post of the thread is familiar to us. It seems to be based on the IgorPlug board which is a hack that goes waaaay back. This allows for the use of an IR media center remote and those input signals are easy to map to functions. The computer runs Windows Media Center which is already optimized for remote control but can use a wireless keyboard and mouse when more computer-centric functions are necessary.
With all on track the rest of the hack deals with hacking together a case. The laptop’s original body was ditched for some extended sides for the back of the monitor. [BoaSoft] did a great job of installing all the necessary ports in these extensions. Once in the kitchen everything is nice and neat and should stand the test of time.
[Thanks Dmitry]
Looks like the TV tuner’s a FlyTV Platinum Mini miniPCI card.
Are there any other good reliable works-anywhere TV tuners out there for a more modernized hardware version of this?
Here is a similar one i did long ago. ;)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45F3Va1h9Jk
neat project, and OMG that translation; “bleat, so here took it and soldered TV. after reading the post there’s a disturbing sense of inferiority, ritual soozhzheniem pondered his diploma. ts no longer post – you can accidentally cause a wave of suicide techies.”
I’m so very glad that unlike 95% of the rest of the world, me and my family doesn’t have ADHA and the need for “entertainment” in the kitchen. I know, we’re the odd people out that can actually just enjoy cooking, eating, conversation, and clean up duties in the kitchen without feeling the need for external stimulus. Wow, what a concept.
Well, if you are cooking alone, it can be really, really boring. The “external stimuli” is the effective distraction from the boredom. Just like people listen to radio at work, it just makes time go faster.
Ever thought of quiet contemplation? Perhaps pondering important things in your life or the world? Boredom is name given to missed opportunities to think deeply.
TV, the rudest most crass form of multimedia. I wouldn’t want to eat food prepared by someone engaged to a TV yet alone it be in the bedroom.
In Soviet Russia… Laptop fixes YOU!!!
In need of a kitchen entertainment system, [BoaSoft] headed to the parts bin and produced a project that can easily be called a mutant.