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View Full Version : Hack/Mod Advice or Input - DVD Player & Ubuntu Box



d1337
December 31st, 2005, 12:08 AM
This might fit better on the MythTV site, but I'm an avid Ubuntu user and I'll probably rely more on these forums for help than anywhere else.
Briefly, about 2 years ago I bough a DVD player/surround sound system. The DVD drive finally gave out on me and I've been toying with the idea of building a MythTV box for awhile, so I'm not about to invest in another DVD player (w/5.1 sound). So I have this DVD player sans DVD drive. If you've never looked inside of a DVD player, it's pretty much a power supply/transformer and a chopped down board with IDE, video (s-out etc.), sound and RF for the remote. The DVD drive is IDE interface, but is built into a funny chassis that kinda makes it tough to mount a DVD drive into without performing some case mods.

Maybe you get the jest...but here's my thought. An IDE/USB interface can now be had for inside of $25 USD. What if a person (namely myself) ran an IDE to USB adapter from a USB port on an Ubuntu box to the IDE interface on the DVD board? Is it possible that the DVD board could be used like a Video Card/Sound Card/RF receiver combo?

Regardless of the laughs and naysayers, I may give this a shot. If it doesn't work, I can pitch the DVD player (it's shot otherwise) and I'll just have a adapter that I can make a USB backup drive from or something. But I thought I'd throw the idea out there anyway. I think that the majority of the issue will be drivers for the unknown components, but alot of devices use Linux these days anyway...so you never know.

Technical reasons supporting this to be crazy or dooable are welcome :)

Thanks,
d1337

Mr. Electric Wizard
December 31st, 2005, 12:50 AM
That is an Awesome idea!
You should definatly try it. What have you got to lose?
Definatley let us know if it works :p