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Good Java Apps For Linux You Never Heard Of

DVArchive, PS3MediaServer

February 24, 2009

Over the years, the value of Java has been replaced by more emphasis on Flash and Ajax on the web front. But what about Linux users who need applications that can deal with changes in the back-end to desktop environments, amongst other changes? I happen to believe that to some extent, Java can be a really beneficial thing to consider for the desktop. Here are my favorite Java apps in no uncertain order.

DVArchive

An oldie but a fan favorite nonetheless. DVArchive was designed to allow ReplayTV owners the option of removing the content from their ReplayTV devices and storing/viewing that content on their PCs. Some other fantastic features for this software include:

  • Direct scheduling right from your PC.

  • Control the actual ReplayTV box, right from the convenience of your own computer.

  • Use your PC as a separate storage device for storing TV content.

  • View TV content from your PC that is stored on the console or the PC, as if you were in front of the TV set.
    • Downsides? Outside of the fact that you are talking about support for a technology before HDTV really took hold, there really are no downsides This software, which did wonders for my early Linux experiences, is what made me rush out to purchase a ReplayTV box in the first place.

    Unfortunately, for those of us who are using HDTVs and no longer rely on the ReplayTV box, this software is really more of a relic than anything. That being said, I do wonder if the core could somehow be moved over to the TiVO world, which could bring this beauty back to life.

    PS3MediaServer

    For Linux users, there is something to be said about using Linux on a PS3. What can I say, Sony really makes it easy to implement with their hardware. But taking things even further is the ability to simply stream video content onto a PS3 via a Windows/OSX/Linux media server. Thanks to the magic of Java, this can be done without a myriad of annoying compatibility problems as we go from platform to platform, which makes using the ps3mediaserver as whole lot more practical than other alternatives.

    Useful features include:

  • Play just about any sort of media without worrying about dealing with specific codecs.

  • Real-time transcoding using Mencorder, AVISmith and of course, tsMuxer.

  • The ability to play DVD ISOs.

  • Fairly straight forward UI to work from.

  • Cross platform support for Windows, Linux and OS X.
    • Downsides? There are some bugs to be sure. Some of the worst of amongst them include issues with PS3 connectivity and even issues when connecting to external hard drives it seems.
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