Neuros has released a set-top box for receiving streaming video content from providers like Hulu and YouTube, the Neuros Link. Like the company's OSD2, the Link is built on an open-source Linux platform. While the OSD2 could record HD content, the Link is strictly a playback device. Using 802.11 b/g WiFi or wired gigabit Ethernet, the box connects to online video providers to display Adobe Flash-based streams. The Link also supports local playback up to 1080p, using sources from network shares or devices connected to one of the Link's six USB 2.0 ports. With a solid VLC- and mplayer-based Linux video system, the device supports almost every audio and video format under the sun, with the main exception being an inability to play back DRM-crippled files. The Link connects to your A/V system over an optical audio port and HDMI jack, though sadly it lacks component video outputs. Though the system is still being tweaked, you can order a Link now as part of "gamma" release for testers and hackers for $300 with a no-questions-asked four month return policy.

This story around the web: