MythTV.org - Linux PVR Project

[johnnyshaka]

Anybody ever attempt this? If so, how well has it worked? If so, how tough was it to get it running?

[Router Help]

I have built several systems. If you have fairly standard hardware it isn't that hard to get things up and running.

I use Ubuntu for my myth system now, but by far the easiest walkthrough that I have found is located at: http://wilsonet.com/mythtv/fcmyth.php

[johnnyshaka]

I do like Ubuntu, I'm running my webserver on it right now...pretty slick.

What kind of hardware are you running right now? Any suggestions for hardware to use or stay away from?

Will definitely browse through the link you posted...thanks.

[Router Help]

I have Myth .20 running on Ubuntu Dapper right now. It took a little fiddling with, but my main two sources for direction were this walkthrough: http://hyams.webhop.net/mythtv/myth_ubuntu.html and this thread: http://www.ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=186747&highlight=mythtv+dapper

For hardware, I would really recommend a hauppauge tv tuner. People seem to have more problems with other tuners.

[johnnyshaka]

Do you have regular cable, digital cable, or satellite??

[Router Help]

Digital, but I only have it hooked up to regular cable for now. I'll leave configuring it to work with the cable box for a later date.

[johnnyshaka]

Hmmm. I'm currently on regular cable but I'm thinking of ditching it for satellite. I'd like to use MythTV to record football/baseball/hockey games as regular cable is pretty limited when it comes to sports...I'm sick of watching the same teams every week. Curious to see how that would work. Guess I've gotta do some more reading to do.

[Router Help]

Here you go:
http://losdos.dyndns.org:8080/public/mythtv-info/MythTV_DISH_IR_LED_TX_via_Modified_LIRC.html
http://iwamble.net/6901.html
http://www.htpcug.com/blaster.htm
http://www.irblaster.info/

[stevew]

I really want to build one of these at some point. How much would I be looking at it costing though? Around 400-500?

[Samdari]

Hmmm. I'm currently on regular cable but I'm thinking of ditching it for satellite. I'd like to use MythTV to record football/baseball/hockey games as regular cable is pretty limited when it comes to sports...I'm sick of watching the same teams every week. Curious to see how that would work. Guess I've gotta do some more reading to do.


The downside is that you can only record the analog output from the satellite receiver. Thus if something is in HD, you can only record it in SD.

[Router Help]

I really want to build one of these at some point. How much would I be looking at it costing though? Around 400-500?

Pretty close to that amount. Most of the cheap $300 dollar computers you see for sale on Dell or wherever are more powerful than my myth box, and mine works just fine for SD content. Add on the cost of a TV tuner card and you should be good to go.

[Tasan]

I am currently watching TV on my GBPVR box, although I'm thinking of moving to MythTV at some point. Linux doesn't scare me, I run a server here in the house for stuff, but the GBPVR was super simple 'out of the box' so to speak.

My advice though, get as big a HD as you can afford, especially if you are wanting to record games. They can take a big chunk and in my experience don't look great at much lower than high quality.

[Easy Mac]

I had a GBPVR box going for a while, but I couldn't get my USB HD card to work with it, so I switched to Media Center 05. That works about as well as could be expected, with minimal upkeep. Added an extra $100 to the cost of everything, but otherwise it was as cheap as could be expected. I tried the whole MythTV thing at first, but it was just too much work, so I wussed out. Someone with a little more time/experience could probably use it pretty easily.

[johnnyshaka]

A little update on this...I've finally got around to setting up a MythTV system of my own. I've still got some tweaking to do...but, here's what I've got so far:

MythTV .20 backend on 10.2 OpenSUSE...here's the site I used as a guide:

hxxp://www.swiftandbored.com/mythtvonsuse.htm

I used my old workstation from work...by no means a slug...bought a Hauppage 150 and a 320 GB SATA drive...so, about $250 in all...as the box is a freebie...yeah for me!!!

For my frontend I've got a Mac mini sitting beside my TV in the living room and the best part of it is that the wife thinks it's "cute" so she doesn't have a problem with it being there. I had to buy a DVI to S-Video converter...$20...and I wanted to use digital optical for audio and paid $30 for that. Again, "borrowed" the Mac from work...so, there's another freebie!!

So, I've got my backend in the basement with the rest of the computers and it's plugged into my wireless router. I've got my frontend sitting above the fireplace next to my TV and my surround sound system and it's using it's builtin wireless capabilities to connect to the backend. Very slick if you ask me.

But, it isn't without it's little gotchyas...that's for sure. Firstly, the wireless NIC in the Mac minis has been notoriously flaky and I've noticed that it likes to timeout all time...especially when I'm not using MythTV to watch TV or record. So, to aleviate that problem somewhat, I've just started a continuous ping to my backend server and that seems to have fixed the issue...but, it still does timeout from time to time. The other issue I'm looking to fix is the remote control issue. The Mac mini comes with a little remote that will do enough for you to get by once MythTV is started but I'd like to get something that will eliminate my other remotes as well as give me the ability to run some macros so I can operate my Mac mini without having a keyboard and mouse handy or my laptop. I'm looking at a Logitech Harmony 550 Universal RC right now...still not sure if it is sophisticated enough to do what I want it to do.

I've got some tweaking to do with appearance, scheduling priorities, along with trying to figure out how to setup a few addons like MythWeb. But, all in all, I'm very happy with what I've got now and look forward to many hours of watching the TV I want to watch and whenever I want to watch it.

Just wondering if any of the other MythTV newbs have gone ahead and built their own? Any new and exciting things by some of the vets?

Again, thanks to Router Help for pointing me in the right direction...much appreciated.