Click any image to enlarge

A quick study note before diving into this controversial and exciting topic. According to Wikipedia:

“Digital rights management (DRM) is an umbrella term that refers to access control technologies used by publishers and copyright holders to limit usage of digital media or devices. It may also refer to restrictions associated with specific instances of digital works or devices. To some extent, DRM overlaps with copy protection, but DRM is usually applied to creative media (music, films, etc.) whereas copy protection typically refers to software.”

You will remember Neurostechnology from my review of the Neuros MPEG4 Video Recorder 2 PLUS back in November 2006. One of the many great things about using the Neuros mpeg4 Video Recorder 2 Plus was that it copied, unconditionally, whatever was in your video library. Along with the release of the OSD (more on that later), Neurostechnology has gone on a crusade against the use of DRM.

They believe that media should be free of restrictions so that you can do what you want with your own property. Obviously, they are not in favor of sharing purchased media and media piracy, but if you own music or movies, you should be free to listen and watch how and where you want, and not restricted to your living room and home entertainment system. Neurostechnology believes that locking media will not put an end to piracy, whereas DRM-free media will benefit both the consumer and media sales. It is for this reason that they have begun their crusade towards the use of Unlocked media by and for everyone.

That being said, I regularly record tv shows that I can’t watch due to scheduling conflicts of one type or another. I like to buy and record movies on PPV during the week while I’m at school so I don’t have to worry about finding time. Sometimes it is just easier for me to watch these programs on my Centro while I’m sitting in the waiting room at the vet, standing online at the DMV, or holding a class of freshmen who are not taking standardized tests.

So how do I get these tv shows and movies onto my Centro? Simple. I use the latest and greatest offering from Neurostechnology: the OSD. There are some startling differences between the original MPEG4 Video Recorder 2 PLUS and the OSD. The major complaint in the mtdn forums about the Video Recorder was the remote control. It was about the size of a credit card, and way too easy to lose. The remote that comes with the OSD is full size, and works like most remotes. The OSD itself, is still buttonless, so you need to take care of the remote.

My favorite improvement is the network connectivity. I can plug the OSD into my router and save my recordings directly to any of my network drives. I can also view movies via the OSD that I have saved to any of my networked drives. In addition, I can save directly to an sd card, memory stick, mmc, or external usb drive. This gives me virtually unlimited “library” space.

Setting up the OSD is a snap. I can record directly from my DirecTV, DVD player, or my trusty old VCR. I have mine set up for one touch record, but you can set it so that you verify the source every time you record. Timed recordings are also extremely easy on the OSD. Just use the remote and follow the onscreen prompts for time, day, and recording length.

If you have connected your OSD to your router, you get a rather neat feature: you can watch youtube video direct on your tv! I’m hoping they eventually go the one step further and allow you to save those videos to your library. In the meanwhile I’m happy watching youtube live on my Centro.

I love having all my media available in digital format to watch at my convenience. Watching television shows and movies on my Centro has never been easier. The Neuros OSD teams brilliantly with TCPMP, The Core Player, and Kinoma so that you can watch on any mobile device. Free yourself from the living room and watch on your Palm or WinMob Treo, Centro, HTC, or iPhone. Unlock your media.

Related Links

Purchase the Neuros MPEG4 Video Recorder 2 PLUS

Neurostechnologies website

Filed under: Accessory reviews