Reading Time: 4 minutes‚WizArm‘ project creators have informed us about this device, which is basically a powerful HD-PVR packed with tons of features to make it easy capturing or recording a 2D or 3D movie clip. It can copy any HDMI source to digital, passing all security, etc.
Wizarm – DVR/HD-PVR/mediaplayer from Julien DUPAYS on Sketchfab.
The interesting thing is that this „All-in-One“ device also allows you to run Android apps and games on your TV. It’s Open Source and already Rooted. It can also run Linux!
The project is now on Indiegogo, and they need $200,000 to reach their goal.
Here’s the info:
Devices that let you run Android apps and games on your TV are a dime a dozen (or as cheap as $30 anyway). But the Wizarm might be the most powerful, feature-packed model to date.
It’s a set-top box with a dual-core ARM Cortex-A15 processor, 16GB of storage, 2GB of RAM, a large number of input and output options, and the ability to act as a digital video recorder.
A startup called Wizarm has launched an Indiegogo campaign for a hackable media player with DVR recording, HDMI pass-through, scaling and video overlay capabilities.
The Wizarm incorporates the same Samsung 5250 SoC that appeared in Google’s Nexus 10 tablet. This “Big.Little” hybrid SoC combines dual ARM Cortex-A15 cores clocked to 1.7GHz with four lower-power Cortex-A7 cores. It also offers a quad-core Mali-T604 graphics processing unit (GPU).
The Wizarm can multi-boot Android or Ubuntu, and considering the device is rooted and fully open source“, it can also load any other ARM-ready Linux distribution. The system ships with 2GB of DDR3 RAM and 16GB of eMMC 4.5 flash memory.
Additional storage capabilities are provided by a micro-SDXC slot and a SATA 3 storage bay. If that’s not enough, there are three USB 3.0 ports and three more USB 2.0 ports.
Both dual-band WiFi and a gigabit Ethernet port are provided for data sharing and Internet access, while Bluetooth 4.0 and IR interfaces connect various input devices. On the A/V side, HDMI is supported with separate in and out ports, and a DisplayPort connection is provided as well. In addition, the box provides S/PDIF audio out and analog line-in and line-out.
The device is designed to receive input form a USB keyboard and mouse, a PS3 or Xbox 360 joypad, an Android device, or even a Mac or PC, including Linux computers
While the specs alone are enough to help set this box apart from the crowd, the ability to act as a high-definition digital video recorder is probably its most unusual characteristic. You can use the HDMI input to record videos at 1080p60 resolutions.
Yet Wizarm worth a look by A/V enthusiasts and hackers, who might be interested in exploring the new digital video possibilities enabled by the device’s open source, rooted design. Wizarm dubs its device a “synergic mediabox for smart handling of digital streams,” and indeed it’s far more than just an overpriced Android media player. Yes, it can plug into your TV and play Internet video and display browser screens or run Apps, but it can also process and store recorded video from any HDMI/DVI-D source, as well as capture and enhance the video signal with features like scaling and overlay processing. Starting at $259, the box is touted for offering some features found only on PC video capture cards that cost hundreds of dollars more.
The campaign is up and running now over at Indiegogo with the goal to reach $200,000. The funds will be used to initiate tooling and manufacturing so that the device will become available in the market.
A pledge of $259 makes you an early backer to the campaign and snags you a fully functional Wizarm device which is expected to ship out by April 2014.
This is already a discounted price since once the early bird special is gone the regular price of $299 will kick in.
Specifications listed for the Wizarm include:
Processor — Samsung Exynos 5250 (2x Cortex-A15 cores @ 1.7GHz, 4x Cortex-A7 cores @ 1.2GHz); Mali-T604 GPU (4x cores @ 533MHz)
Memory/storage:
- 2GB DDR3 RAM @ 800MHz
- 16GB eMMC 4.5 flash
- Micro-SDXC slot (up to 64GB
- SATA 3 storage bay
Wireless:
- 802.11 a/b/g/n dual-band WiFi
- Bluetooth 4.0
- FM radio
- IR receiver
Networking — gigabit Ethernet
Other I/O:
- 3x USB 3.0 host
- 2x USB 2.0 powered (HHD)
- USB 2.0 device
- DisplayPort out
- HDMI 1.4 in
- HDMI 1.4 out
- Optical S/PDIF out
- Analog audio out; mic in
Power — 19V 3.5A DC In
Dimensions — 210 x 140 x 50mm (8.2 x 5.5 x 1.8 inches)
Operating system — dual-boot Android and Ubuntu (or other Linux)
Official Source: http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/wizarm-a-synergic-computer-box-for-a-smart-dvr-pvr-and-media-player-experience
