openBOXware

openBOXware is a graphical environment that enables you to use your smartphone or your Android tablet to power your home multimedia experience: connect your device to your TV set, switch to the custom openBOXware launcher and browse the available channels using any Bluetooth remote control, comfortably from your couch, while still relying on the full capabilities of your Android handset.

openBOXware provides an easily browsable "media library" interface, designed to be used as easily as any set-top-box, which can be extended by any number of plug-in "media sources". These sources are also available through the Android marketplace and extend the openBOXware launcher with the ability to connect to more multimedia sources, for instance web radios, Internet TVs, video streaming services, local UPnP media servers and the list goes on.

openBOXware is an open-source project and can be freely extended by its users in order to widen the list of supported sources, with new media sources, additional applications and other services that improve your TV watching experience.

When you're done, simply switch back to the usual launcher and your Android device will go back from set-top-box to being your mobile phone.

Once installed, you will be able to enter “openBOXware mode” by clicking on the system home button. The device will ask which home screen to display. By picking openBOXware from the list you will start up the framework and be able to start using it. You may also check the option to select openBOXware as the default home screen.

openBOXware for Android offers a touch interface for the user to interact with its main interface and allowing her/him to launch applications developed specifically for openBOXware or any other Android application. The user may also browse the media library for media content, play back from a media source, raise the sidebar to get a glance at some quick information, manage the widgets displayed and interact with the status bar (which on its turn controls the functions of the media player).

With a simple touch of by drawing a gesture, the user can access all functionalities of the openBOXware home screen.

A device, running openBOXware for Android, can be connected to a TV set or any screen by using a standard HDMI cable (if supported by the device). openBOXware's interface will thus be replicated on the bigger screen and the user will be able to interact with it by using the device's touch controls or any compatible remote controller.

By using a remote control, all functionalities of the openBOXware home screen are accessible while still providing the same simplicity ensured by the default touch interface.

Once a device running openBOXware for Android is connected to a screen you can start watching TV adopting the “lean back” stance while still keeping all functionalities of a “lean forward” usage at the tips of your fingers. Browsing contents, zapping through channels, configuring your favorite channels or watching the slideshow of your last holiday's pictures is easy and quick.

The graphical interface of openBOXware for Android is structured in order to be browsed easily and maintaining clearness, both by using the remote control and the touch screen interface.

Once the device is connected to the screen, the contents of the graphical interface shown on the touch screen are maximized and rescaled in order to be presented on a larger screen.