Neuros Technology

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Neuros Technology is a Chicago, Illinois-based company that produces a number of audio and video devices with the brand name Neuros. The company was previously a division of Digital Innovations and operated under the name Neuros Audio.

Contents 1 Products 1.1 Neuros OSD 1.2 Neuros Digital Audio Computer 1.3 Neuros MPEG 4 Recorder 1.4 Neuros MPEG4 Recorder 2 2 Open source software 3 References 4 External links

[edit] Products

[edit] Neuros OSD

The Neuros OSD is a device to archive, organize, and play video content. It can record from any source with composite output including DVD players, VCRs and others. OSD stands for "open source device", because the device runs Linux and a variety of open source software, as well as to reflect the vision that the device will become a general purpose device for linking computer and electronic devices. Examples of such linking includes viewing downloaded video or digital photos on a TV as well as streaming digital audio to a stereo. As a successor to the Neuros MPEG 4 Recorder, it can also record video content for use on portable devices, such as Sony's Playstation Portable, Apple's iPod, Neuros 442 and other portable devices. The Neuros OSD was released to initial production on September 20, 2006.

The development platform uses a Texas Instruments DM320 system on chip, comprising an ARM926EJ core and a TI C54x DSP core. This design will support the DM320's High Performance mode of operation. The maximum ARM clock is then specified as 203 MHz. The DSP is rated in excess of 120 MHz. In addition, the SoC also contains dedicated hardware acceleration for video encoding and decoding, making it capable of achieving DVD-like quality playback as well as high quality, D1 resolution video encoding using MPEG-4.

[edit] Neuros Digital Audio Computer

The Neuros Digital Audio Computer (Neuros DAC) is a portable audio unit designed for playback and recording of audio in MP3, Ogg Vorbis, WAV, and DRM-free WMA formats.

Neuros DACs feature a two-piece design, separating the unit into a player and a "backpack". The player unit is upgradeable by firmware upgrade from the website. The intended purpose of these design decisions are that you can upgrade your player/backpack without paying for an entirely new model. There are currently two types of backpacks. The smaller backpack contains just a pair of NiMH batteries, so the player depends on the internal flash memory to store music. The larger backpack contains a LiIon battery, a 2.5-inch hard drive and on some models a USB 2.0 connector. The larger backpack can be used, independently of the player unit, as a stand-alone USB hard drive. The Neuros DAC is not currently in production, but a third version of the product has been rumored.

[edit] Neuros MPEG 4 Recorder

The Neuros MPEG 4 Recorder is a flash-based digital recorder that works like a miniature VCR (sans tuner), allowing users to record live TV from an analog video sources (for example a DVD player or camcorder), have it encoded in real-time and stored onto a flash memory card. It is capable of recording and playing back MPEG-4 and has several unique consumer benefits like ignoring Macrovision's automatic gain control copy protection.

The Recorder was first released to the public on February 9, 2005 in woot.com's first product launch. That launch was part of Neuros Technology's gamma test program and consisted of 850 units sold at $119.99 (US) each.

[edit] Neuros MPEG4 Recorder 2

The Neuros MPEG4 Recorder 2 is an updated version of the original Neuros MPEG4 Recorder. The Recorder 2 and Recorder 2 Plus includes some updates and optimization for use with devices such as the iPod, PlayStation Portable, Smartphones and other handhelds.

[edit] Open source software

A distinguishing feature of the Neuros devices is that they use open source software and use open source methods in the development of their devices; soliciting feedback from the community during the development of their products. This also allows it to be adapted for other purposes than the advertised uses, such as including home and auto security recording.

In addition the company advocates consumers digital rights by making products that assert those rights, allowing unfettered recording from a variety of sources.^[1] In December 2007, Neuros developed an "Unlocked Media" name and logo for DRM-free media to allow companies to brand their products in such a way that consumers know they're getting a fully portable file.^[2]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Official Website- neurostechnology.com
• Newsforge Article on Neuros Open Source Approach to Hardware and Software Development
• Review: Neuros MPEG4 Video Recorder 2
• Review: Neuros MPEG4 Video Recorder 2
• Linux Link Tech Show interview (audio), 2005
• Linux Link Tech Show interview (audio), 2006
• DVR Playground's Review of the Neuros MPEG-4 Recorder 2
• ArsGeek reviews the Neuros OSD
• "What This Gadget Can Do Is Up to You" -(New York Times review of the Neuros OSD)