Installing Ubuntu on a regular LG TV ?

[honeybear]

Hi,

I am wondering if it is possible to install Ubuntu on a TV, eg. LD4 series LG large screen. It would be nice to have mythtv on it and directly one can use the usb for devices.

Is there already a distro from UBUNTU for TV?

Happy Tux

[RoflHaxBbq]

Nope.

[SeijiSensei]

Are you asking whether it would be possible to boot Ubuntu from the TV without a computer? The answer is no. Modern "Internet-ready" TVs have a proprietary operating system (often based on Linux) that can't be circumvented.

If, however, you want to use your TV as a display device, that's easy. Just connect the TV to a computer using either an HDMI or VGA connection. If the computer's video card has only DVI connectors, but not an HDMI port, you can use an converter (http://www.newegg.com/product/ProductList.aspx?DEPA=0&type=&Description=hdmi+to+dvi&Submit=ENE&N=0&Ntk=all).

Getting sound through the HDMI cable can be a tricky proposition. I just connect my normal line out jack to the TV or audio system using a cable with mini plugs (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882021053) or a mini-to-RCA cable (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882021056&nm_mc=OTC-Froogle&cm_mmc=OTC-Froogle-_-Audio+/+Video+Cables-_-Rosewill-_-82021056).

I'm typing this reply using my Sony TV as the display.

[3rdalbum]

Hi,

I am wondering if it is possible to install Ubuntu on a TV, eg. LD4 series LG large screen. It would be nice to have mythtv on it and directly one can use the usb for devices.

Is there already a distro from UBUNTU for TV?

Happy Tux

Lol, that sounds awesome, but I doubt those TVs really have the 512mb of RAM and 3 gigs of storage space required for Ubuntu. Plus the hardware is extremely proprietary and it would be near impossible to change the OS.

[honeybear]

Lol, that sounds awesome, but I doubt those TVs really have the 512mb of RAM and 3 gigs of storage space required for Ubuntu. Plus the hardware is extremely proprietary and it would be near impossible to change the OS.

I have been said that android will be employed for TV.

I do believe that Linux can be installed anywhere onto anything ;)

[whatthefunk]

Nearly all modern electronics have some sort of OS. They need a basic OS to operate normally. The hardware that comes with the electronics is minimal and really only enough to do what the device is supposed to do. My washing machine is electronic and has some sort of OS that makes it work properly. However there is no way I would be able to put Ubuntu on it because the capabilities of the hardware in the washing washing machine are only enough to store the basic operations that the machine has to perform and then to run those operations. Unfortunately, Ubuntu requires slightly more than this and so my washing machine will never have the delight of having Linux surging through its tiny little mind.

[NightwishFan]

my washing machine will never have the delight of having Linux surging through its tiny little mind.

Reminds me of: http://xkcd.com/644/

[honeybear]

Reminds me of: http://xkcd.com/644/

very funny... :)

Look I have managed to install linux on that:
http://www.shallowsky.com/mako/MakoLinux.jpg
So there are always hopes, why not on a TV, then?

I have this one at home. Beloved by daughter. Can I install a minimalist linux on it, sort of coyote Linux? ;) ;)
http://mycalcdb.free.fr/galerie/Olympia/olympia_OP544.1.jpg

A PS2 can be installed and supported with a linux on it.
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/23/26982455_c86cce1780.jpg

we could also install linux onto a Megadrive:
http://images.wikia.com/sonic/images/f/fe/SegaMegadrive2.jpg

I remind that debian offers huge collection of Environment:
Architectures
alpha amd64 arm armel hppa hurd-i386 i386 ia64 kfreebsd-amd64 kfreebsd-i386 mips mipsel powerpc s390 sparc

You dont believe, check this :
http://thierry.fedorawiez.free.fr/st/lin68k.html / http://www.uclinux.org/description/ / http://linuxgazette.net/issue70/arndt.html / http://www.oreilly.de/german/freebooks/rlinux3ger/anhang5.html

[whatthefunk]

Why would you want to install Linux on a calculator?

[honeybear]

Why would you want to install Linux on a calculator?

(that part was a joke)

[whatthefunk]

Why would you want to install Linux on a TV?

[Npl]

Why would you want to install Linux on a TV?why would you want to connect a computer to a TV, if you could just run your stuff directly there?

(Probably because you would be on your own figuring it out, its complicated and your HDMI ports and other TV functionality wouldnt work anymore)

[NMFTM]

A PS2 can be installed and supported with a linux on it.
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/23/26982455_c86cce1780.jpg
I tried Linux on my Dreamcast once. It was pretty cool for about a minute. Then I was like "...what do I do with this?" and took out the CD. I guess I could probably hook the internal 56k modem (broadband/ethernet adapter would make things easier) up to my home's LAN and use it as some sort of dumb terminal for client SSH. But besides that, I'm outta ideas

[honeybear]

Why would you want to install Linux on a TV?

No need to buy a multimedia center if the CPU from the TV is sufficient to show videos ... http://www.zapsonline.com/49314-36195-large/compro-nmc950-1080p-full-hd-25-35-and-usb-networked-media-center-frmp-c950.jpg

Multimedia center are expensive though. Not much money to spend for that, and an old PC is kind of too massive and big.

Or even a very expensive Logitech multimedia device: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdQd7Cxsp1U&feature=related
it really rocks their device.

What are the ARM CPU of those TVs?

A cool link about LG: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAQWvRfE5Rg

[Npl]

No need to buy a multimedia center if the CPU from the TV is sufficient to show videos ... http://www.zapsonline.com/49314-36195-large/compro-nmc950-1080p-full-hd-25-35-and-usb-networked-media-center-frmp-c950.jpg

Multimedia center are expensive though. Not much money to spend for that, and an old PC is kind of too massive and big.

Or even a very expensive Logitech multimedia device: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdQd7Cxsp1U&feature=related
it really rocks their device.

What are the ARM CPU of those TVs?

A cool link about LG: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAQWvRfE5Rg
New TVs play media files fine, from usb or network. for old ones you can get the "lg smart tv", "WDTV live" or similar... not that expensive.

Oh, and LGs have a 500MHz MIPS Cpu, newer ones dualcores.

[honeybear]

New TVs play media files fine, from usb or network. for old ones you can get the "lg smart tv", "WDTV live" or similar... not that expensive.

Oh, and LGs have a 500MHz MIPS Cpu, newer ones dualcores.

So 500MHz would be far sufficient to watch a movie, right?

[NightwishFan]

So 500MHz would be far sufficient to watch a movie, right?
No.

[Npl]

So 500MHz would be far sufficient to watch a movie, right?they have specialized hardware for decoding. 500MHz should be enough for SD-Material still.

[honeybear]

they have specialized hardware for decoding. 500MHz should be enough for SD-Material still.

500MHz is like a pentium III almost. 600MHz is kind of minimum often

[HermanAB]

Well, making an embedded distro run on a TV would be an interesting exercise, IIF you have a proper schematic. Without a schematic it would be an exercise in frustration, unless you are trapped in a cabin in winter with nothing better to do for three months or so...

However, many TVs probably run Linux already and if you can prove it, then *maybe* (pretty darn long shot despite the GPL) you can get a copy from the factory.