National and Century Launch Linux4.tv

Linux has found its place in many devices over the course of the years, from PDAs to servers. It's now also being touted as a serious platform contender for the ever elusive set-top box. Century Embedded Technologies and National Semiconductor are helping in the push to make Linux the platform of choice for TV/Internet crossover devices. The two companies just let us know about the launch of a new website, Linux4.tv , dedicated to supporting Linux developers and promoting open-source projects for Interactive TV and Digital Set Top Box (STB) technologies. Designed for developers and system integrators, Linux4.tv will host freely available open-source software projects and applications for a devices including broadcast and digital TV, web browsing, gaming, and video on demand. Several projects are immediately available for download, including WebMedia, Century's set-top box front-end application that provides a video middleware application programming interface (API) and enhanced Video 4 Linux (V4L2) API with features that include alpha blending, VIP overlay and Picture in Picture (PIP) support. In addition, the web site includes a collection of technical documentation for National's Geode hardware and platforms, video standards, and source code. The software available on Linux4.tv will be designed for National's Geode SP1SC10 demonstration and development platform (not a big surprise). Based on a National Geode SC1200 processor, the Geode SP1SC10 includes a set of multimedia functions, peripheral and network interfaces and two PCI expansion slots. Along with National and Century, Red Hat and Tuxia have also joined the Development Partner Program.