Mini PC — many ideas one implementation - ViaMyBox Mini Home Raspberry PC

ViaMyBox: mini PC, HTPC (home theater), video and audio recorder, Smart Home — all in one device

The ViamyBox project is our proposal “How to get the maximum functions with just one mobile, inexpensive, reliable mini device”.

The idea of the ViaMyBox project was born as a complex inexpensive solution to several tasks: one mini device and many functions at once; convenient control of home devices and mechanisms (Smart Home); home security; familiar family and private comfortable rest, including one on trips ( on a business trip, to the country, on a trip, etc.).

What is ViaMyBox? This is a minicomputer with the functions we offer:

MINI PC, HTPC (home theater), VIDEO and AUDIO RECORDER, SMART HOME, RADIO, WEB SERVER. Add to this a lot of prospects!

We took a mobile minicomputer and configured it so that you can use it as just a computer, video and audio recorder, home theater, smart home, etc. This functionality is now very popular, but often these functions are performed by separate device . Video recorder is a one unit, home theater is another one.

We have found great solutions for technical implementation of the functionality in open sources. We have linked all the solutions to a common management interface and put them in a single device. We pay tribute to the love and understanding with which different authors created applications to implement specific ideas.

We have taken some of the controls of these programs and simplified the installation and removal mode to a single click! In addition, the ViaMyBox device is fully mobile and miniature — slightly larger than a Bank card.

To offer you a guaranteed quality, we chose Raspberry Pi. Raspberry Pi — mini computers manufactured in the UK. They were first released in 2011. Sales of the first five years amounted to about 12.5 million devices. They have long been known as very reliable and inexpensive devices.

Note that all the functions of the ViaMyBox device are already pre-configured by us. The device is completely ready for use. But! If you have a need for individual setup, we are ready to do it for you! In addition, we offer support for the installation and operation of ViaMyBox!

Smart Home

Home Assistant is a free Smart Home platform that we use in our project. It is designed for automated service management of various home appliances, mechanisms and devices.

Smart Home was created to manage the operation of various devices in your home, making your home life more convenient and comfortable. Thus, the smart home platform is also used in our project to manage the functions of video, audio registration, radio, and some of the functions of your Raspberry pi.

We provide the possibility of room security based on the connected HC-SR501 motion sensor and camera.

Home Assistant can support more than 1400 different sensors and devices. And you can easily increase the range of devices you use at home with our project. For your convenience, in our shop you will find: motion sensors, temperature sensors, camera. You can control the camera using the Home Assistant mechanisms. We have specially configured them for you in the ViaMyBox project.

So, in our shop we offer motion and temperature sensors, a camera and the ability to control it using the Home Assistant mechanisms that we have set u for you in the ViaMyBox project.

Home Theater and Media Player

Kodi is an open platform to play movies, music, TV series, other audio and video products, photo images. Besides, many additional modules can be used to support them (for example, Youtube or music Vevo). Also, content management in Kodi is carried out through a graphical interface (possibly via remote control). This content management is not only possible on the computer, but also on the local network. So, connect your network storage of audio and video content or watch video via usb flash drive.

Youtube Streaming

Manage your youtube viewing via ViaMyBox using your phone or other android device. Just launch the Youtube app on your phone and you will be able to redirect media content to your Raspberry pi mini PC.

Kiosk mode

You can immediately launch ViaMyBox in a full-screen browser window with your favorite media sites. Manage your videos and music using your favorite media services. We included about 2 dozen sites to quickly manage the kiosk from Youtube, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to Spotify, Amazon, Google music.

Manage media content Youtube and Last.fm via the player and search media combine

Easy and fast Mps-youtube media player, allows you to view and listen to videos and music directly from the terminal mode. Play, quickly search and download playlists with music and videos, and much more.

Audio and Video Recording

Video and audio recording is done using technologies such as Gstreamer , Mjpg streamer, MotionEye. Eventually, this allows you to record video with audio synchronization. It is also possible to take pictures and record timelapse video. To claify: timelapse video is formed from images from the camera, as a convenience of video recording. When doing video recording based on motion sensor, the notification was implemented. Consequently, you receive it in the mail with photo report, if the sensor is triggered.

Motion program was created for video surveillance. It is based on the principle of motion detector. And we applied MotionEye as a controlling web interface. So, it controls video monitoring and recording from a usb camera. Plus, the program can work with TV cameras and Webcams. It works via video4linux and with network IP cameras.

So, Motion tracks the signal received from one or more cameras. Further, when changes are detected in the picture, it records movements. Movements are fixed in photos in JPEG, ppm or MPEG video format (which can also be streamed to the network). Also, it is possible to capture frames at certain intervals or by cron command.

Desktop

Viamybox’s desktop download mode allows you to work in a convenient and familiar graphical environment, just like on a large computer. Work with any type of document, read, program, listen to music, and browse the Internet using your favorite browsers.

Web and Console managment interface of our mini PC

To top it off, an easy mini interface for web browser control is designed to work with a video camera. And it will help if Home Assistant or MotionEye are not used. The web interface controls the functions of recording: sound from usb camera,video with audio sync from usb camera,video when motion sensor is triggered.

A small console program allows you to quickly install the functionality that is needed or remove those programs which are not required at the moment. The same console interface is used to launch and manage programs. This allows you to use not only powerful devices like raspberry pi 4, but also low-power and inexpensive devices like raspberry pi zero or raspberry pi 3a, for specific tasks.