I know I'm chiming in very late... But I've been using MythTV for about 7
years now and one of the previous replies isn't -entirely- true...
Although it is true that you can't just plop a satellite receiver card in
your computer and pull in Sat TV directly to your computer [due to the
encryption], you *can* use Sat tv with MythTV by using the company's STB to
feed an analog tuner on your computer.
I started out doing this exact thing - although with Dish Network - with
MythTV in 2004. I fed the S-Video and Sterio audio from the receivers into
Hauppauge tuners, and used IR blasters to change channels on the STBs. I
ran with that configuration for the first 6 years or so!
Then about a year ago I switched to FiOS HD. So I now have two HD STB's
from Verizon, feeding Hauppauge HD-PVR encoders (Component Video IN, USB Out
[H.264 encoded]). I use Firewire for channel changes on the FiOS boxes.
I also have two Dual-tuner HD-HomeRun tuners for OTA HD [ATSC].
So you *CAN* use MythTV with Satellite TV, but you need to use their STB
(Set-Top-Box), and feed the output from that into a capture device to record
with MythTV.
For SD (Standard Definition), the best picture quality/easiest setup is
feeding S-Video and Analog audio into a Hauppauge PVR tuner (PVR-150, 250,
350 or 500) (500 is a dual-tuner).
For HD, the only current option is to feed Component Video from a STB into
an Hauppauge HD-PVR.
Oh, and you'll need a bit of disk space too! OTA HD broadcasts are
5-7GB/hour, and the HD-PVR's h.264 output is about the same size [maxed out
at 13Mbps max rate]. I currently have 6.5TB of space on my backend - a bit
overkill-- as I have over 1,000 programs recorded at any given time... ;-)
Note that MythTV is *not* the cheapest, nor the *easiest* to setup and
configure - actually, I'd consider it more of a 'hobby' and requires
occasional 'care & feeding'... But the flexibility that it gives you far
exceeds any other offerings -- Like commercial detection and auto-skipping
them during playback - just to name one!
Jeff Artz
----- Original Message -----
From: "Clint Moyer"
Hi,
I am re-working our TV to HDTV currently and trying to decide on a DVR. Currently I use Charter's DVR and not impressed with their DVR layout/features.
Currently I am looking at either the DirectTV whole house DVR option or building a Myth DVR box(s).
Not sure I want to bite off the Myth though due to needing 2 machines, tuner card, and chunks of my time (vs turnkey for an "appliance").
I have read the docs at MythTV website but am asking current Myth users:
1) Others are running for Myth hardware (front and back end specs)
2) Any estimates on install startup hours and monthly maintenance hours.
3) Any tips for a quick & smooth Myth install in late 2011
My current plans include a video source of HD via satellite from Dish or DirectTV and am leaning towards a Samsung 55" LCD/LED set.
I got the impression around three years ago that Myth was a "techie time intensive" thing to setup and run. I could be all wet on that impression or it may have changed.
Thank you,
Joel _______________________________________________ Wlug mailing list Wlug@mail.wlug.org http://mail.wlug.org/mailman/listinfo/wlug
_______________________________________________ Wlug mailing list Wlug@mail.wlug.org http://mail.wlug.org/mailman/listinfo/wlug