OSNews

The Neuros OSD seems like a great simple device. I would put HD video at the top of my list of suggestions for improvements right along with wireless networking. The following is a summary of my thought process for how to improve OSD.

The first thing that came to my mind was games. I'm thinking about some very simple games that don't require a ton of processor power (pac-man, centipede, asteroids, tetris, solitaire, sudoku, etc.). The games could be played during commercials or just for fun.

Taking that a little further though, I don't see a good reason why this couldn't act as a terminal client for a full-powered computer running Linux since it is ideally connected to a network anyway. Once you go there, you have access to 3D games that are native to Linux or compatible with WINE/Cedega, and you also have access to a full range of applications. This would allow the Neuros OSD to be used for showing presentations in a conference room or surfing the internet to look up a website that you see advertised while watching TV.

I didn't mention Windows because I don't know of a free software package that the manufacturers could leverage to do the same thing with a consumer version of Windows in the same way that it could be done with X and things like LTSP in Linux. If they could do it with Windows it would increase the marketability of the feature. Perhaps they might develop the feature for use with a Windows Server to appeal to corporate users.

Of course, even without integrating terminal client capabilities there are a few applications that I would place at the top of my request list. A fully capable internet browser and an e-mail client would be terrific for quick access to information without needing to get up and go to a computer. Additionally, I have a grandmother who has completely avoided getting her own computer, but I would love to send her an e-mail occasionally. Integrating more internet capabilities would make the OSD a great device for those who might want it to be their only high tech gadget. Since it is possible to connect external hard drives, peripherals, and flash cards to the OSD, full internet access would make this the ultimate device for many grandparents as well as those who may not love using a computer.

For those who aren't as intimidated by technology, it would be nice to have a built-in chat client. The Neuros OSD could even be used to stream videos, pictures, or audio across the line in the same way that a webcam is used.

It should be usable with subscription music services as well as internet photo sites from within a native "browser."

Parental controls should also be included. Even with nothing more than the YouTube browser, it's not terribly difficult to come upon objectionable material.

From a hardware perspective, the suggestions I have made above beg for the use of a keyboard and mouse. I don't know if they are supported through the USB interface, but I think they should be. Even the video showing the YouTube browser would have been much smoother using a keyboard. I think it's great to be able to do things without a keyboard, but support for a USB keyboard should be trivial.

Webcam support might be nice for chatting, but I don't know if very many people would want to use a webcam in that kind of context. So, I would leave that at the bottom of my wish list.

Wireless seems like a no-brainer. The bandwidth of 802.11g hasn't been able to compete with ethernet. So, I can understand the decision to use ethernet exclusively to this point, but it would be far easier for most people to put the OSD in their living room/home theater and connect it to their network if it worked wirelessly. Another thing that will help is the upcoming 802.11n standard. Reviews of recent hardware indicate that it can now compete with 100 Mbit wired connections.

A built-in tuner would be terrific. With the move to digital television in the U.S. coming soon, the Neuros OSD would make the ultimate tuner for all of the old analog sets that are around. CableCard compatibility would be nice, but I don't really know how difficult it would be to achieve (the IR blaster is a decent compromise IMO).

If a tuner is added, PIP should obviously be available as an option.

HD output would also be recommended going forward. I just can't see a good reason for anyone to buy a TV capable of less than 720p anymore. So, it seems that the OSD should be capable of that as well. HD encoding would be very nice to have as well.

I know that one of the design decisions was to leave out certain functionality (like a web browser) due to the low resolutions of older TV sets. If an HD version were sold at a [slightly] higher price, it would practically be guaranteed to be used with TVs capable of providing a good experience with many of my other software suggestions. It could be marketed as a "Super" model to indicate that it offers more than just an HD upgrade.

Audio should also match the video capabilities. If I were to stream a DVD over the network from a computer, I would want to have the possibility of using 5.1 audio output.