Plextor is offering a free SDK (software developer's kit) for Linux hobbyists wishing to build PVRs based on its ConvertX video capture devices. The ConvertX interfaces between televisions and PCs, and should now support PCs running Linux, thanks to the free SDK.

(Click for slightly larger view of ConvertX)

According to Plextor, the ConvertX device supports real-time hardware-based MPEG-1, -2, -4, Motion JPEG, and DivX video encoding, through a USB 2.0 connection. The Plextor SDK includes an open source Linux 2.6-series V4L2 (video-for-linux) driver, as well as an ALSA sound driver and an OSS (Open Sound System) compatibility layer. Also included is example code to give PVR hobbyists and other developers a head start, Plextor says.

Dirk Peters, Plextor's director of marketing, said, “This SDK was a direct response to requests from the user community for an easier way to work with Plextor ConvertX video capture devices on computers running Linux.”

Tom Luax, vice president of sales, WISchip International, said, “The combination of low-cost MPEG4/DivX Video compression hardware and Linux OSS software is a great solution for anyone who wants to build a high-quality and low-cost personal video recorder for their PC.”

Availability

The SDK is available for download here.

 
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