The ZBOX

ZBOX is the provisional name of a joint venture for the development and marketing on a large scale of a TV Media Center (or set-top box) with Digital TV, Internet and remote control with embedded qwerty keyboard, designed to offer wide content choice and ease of use, as well as e-mail, VoIP phone and web browsing. The cost should be around 300 euros.

As of now, ZBOX desired characteristics are:

  • Enjoy a beautiful and ultra-usable user interface and user experience that will make a pleasure finding and organizing your preferred content.
  • Record up to 4000 hours of TV, Digital Terrestrial TV and Radio programs. Even program your recordings ahead of time with full-info online schedule.
  • Enjoy instantly thousands of hours of pre-loaded unique, exclusive, entertaining movies and programs from our partners, some free, as well as loads of high-quality free content under open or free licenses.
  • Choose among tens of millions of movies, videos and songs:
    Download and view legally via legal P2P networks, Video RSS feeds or from any video site of your choice
    View Instantly, in web streaming, via our online streaming catalog, via P2P streaming sites, via your Youtube account, or via any video website of your choice.
  • Manage and organize all media pre-loaded or downloaded to the box, as well as any media on PCs in the home
  • Recommend and Share legally any content with friends: your media, recorded TV shows, downloaded content,favorite web videos, favorite songs
  • Choose when and how to enjoy media:
    View free with ads or pay with no ads
    View now in medium quality or later in high quality;
    View automated trailers for all videos on the box or on our catalog;
  • Access highly-usable basic email, cheap Voice-over-IP telephone (on partner ISP) and mobile-formatted web surfing from your sofa with a full-qwerty keyboard remote control.
  • Backup remotely, very privately and securely, and any or all your email, photos, videos, important files
  • Play any CDs or DVDs through the (optional) USB DVD/CD player
  • Choose among dozens of plug-in applications to extend the power of your box.
In a later version, or through cheap optional accessories, ZBOX will provide access to email and web communications with very high level of privacy, security and authentication.

Draft Specs for the Box Hardware:

  • 2,000 GB hard-drive on fanless super-silent box
  • Integrated analog TV receiver
  • Custom remote control. On one side, apple-remote-style with scroll wheel. On the other, full-qwerty keyboard with small LCD strip
  • Connections: 802.11 b/g, bluetooth, Gigalan
  • Video out: hdmi, DVI, vga, composite, s-video, scart
  • 4-6 USB ports, 1 firewire port, media card reader (5 in 1)

Optional Accessories:

  • USB DTT receiver (w/smartcard reader)
  • USB CD/DVD Drive
  • Full-scale bluetooth keyboard w/touchpad
  • Bluetooth headset (for voip)
  • USB Encrypted Pendrive