New set-top box allows you to download torrents and watch them on TV all without the need for a PC.Remember that Magic Box you had always wished for? You know, the one that would finally free your PC of all your favorite movies and shows and put them where you can enjoy them better in all their high-def glory — your TV? Well, now there's Myka - the Magic Box you’ve been waiting for. And Myka has brought a powerful friend to the party: BitTorrent. And what Myka brings into your life is simple: Connect her to the Internet, plug her into your TV and Myka does the rest for you. With the BitTorrent protocol built right in, video torrents can be downloaded directly from the Web or transferred from your computer, freeing up your PC’s or laptop’s memory and processor for work or play.
And you don’t need to do any work to figure out how to get the file to actually play on your TV. With a wide range of file formats supported, you don’t need to think about it at all. Just plug it in and enjoy. Myka comes with an internal hard drive with a choice of an 80-gigabyte, 160-gigabyte and a 500-gigabyte model. That translates into hours of continuous, high-definition video content [full specs]. Features
Embedded Architecture
Video
Audio
The company is currently taking orders for three models: the 80GB ($299), the 160GB ($349) and the 500GB ($459). They expect to deliver sometime this summer. |
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For people without a computer at all, I guess it could be useful. But for five hundred bucks, why not just get a cheap computer? You'd be able to download crap and do all the other things that you can do with a computer -- playing games, chatting to dorks, and reading the great articles on Zeropaid, to cite just three examples.
I mean, I see that it apparently simplifies the process of watching downloaded videos on one's tv. But for one thing, how difficult can it be to do that with a computer? And for another, who actually bothers with watching downloaded videos on one's television. Or cares in the slightest about this? I'd say about two percent of people who download videos are interested in doing this.
It can hook up to a projector as well and with the proper equipment and software you could make it work for just about any AV setup you have.
I use my comp for my TV but the big thing about it is that I use it for events and whatnot that I help set up because it's damn handy and programmable, this is close to a computer like that for a slightly cheaper bill for the TV out hookups (To get a video card that supports TV out can usually be found in the $150-$200 range for a 256 MB card.)
Compound that with a 500 gig drive (about $100-$200 right about now)
Processor (a 2.2 Duo cost me around $250 so assuming you only need a 2ghz single you'd probably be able to pick one up for around $175)
Board (Usually around $80-$120)
Case ($80-$120)
the price is cheaper than building it yourself, probably by around $100-$200, but you loose a bit of functionality that a computer would normally have.
0 gb = add your own hard drive example at http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/ministack/
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3732826&CatId=332
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2568901&CatId=1826
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3645862&CatId=333
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3299539&CatId=933
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2795126&CatId=2459
Computers a dirt cheap now and for a very capable PC you don't have to spend much at all. If you want to go for the better hardware ya it cost you money, but its more then you need for running bittorrent and watching videos.
#7: LOL but you make a good point.