[wplug] I dream of summer and MythTV

[Ryan W. Frenz]

Kinda related to this thread -- can anyone point me to a good how-to on 
getting tv-out under linux.  I've been trying like hell to get my ATI 
Rage 128 Pro working with the 'atitvout' module, with no luck.  Are 
there other cards that work better under linux?

Ryan

Lance Tost wrote:

>On Thu, 5 Feb 2004, Vanco, Don wrote:
>  
>
>>>Depending on your spare hardware, you can easily spend as
>>>much or more on
>>>this as you would a tivo or replaytv but it has some
>>>advantages (as well as disadvantages).
>>>      
>>>
>>	Very true - a refurb Series One TiVo (and believe me that's the one
>>you want)  and lifetime service will cost you aboot $450 - easily less than
>>a decent video card and other required bits if you don't have them laying
>>aboot.... (although you will need to spend an additional $60 for a network
>>interface)
>>    
>>
>
>Well, it really all does depend on what you want.  I spent $100 on two
>hardware mpeg tuner cards because I wanted more than what a tivo can do.  
>I could have spent $50, but I wanted the ability to watch live tv while
>recording or record two shows simultaneously.  I can add a third mpeg card
>for more flexibility.  As for a video card, you don't need the latest
>256MB model.  Most any supported 32MB card will do.  I picked up a 32MB
>NVIDIA MX 400 card for $40 for one of my displays.
>
>With the hardware mpeg cards, you can get away with way less CPU so an 
>800MHz or so would probably do for basic stuff (record+playback but 
>probably not two record streams + playback).  256MB is plenty (and 
>cheap)... so really you could put together a basic system with one tuner 
>card and one display for a couple hundred bucks.  Plus you don't even need 
>a monitor since you'll be attaching to your TV.
>
>  
>
>>>Pros:
>>> - you can rip your cds to disk (I haven't tried this under
>>>myth yet since
>>>      
>>>
>>	You can rip elsewhere and send to TiVo vie the network...
>>    
>>
>
>So Tivo can't actually do this then.
>
>  
>
>>> - I can rip my DVDs to disk and have all my movies available on any
>>>frontend (assuming I have enough disk space)... a pefect rip is over
>>>5GB... Using DIVX or XVID, that can be cut down to around 650MB
>>>keeping pretty good quality
>>>      
>>>
>>	TiVo tools allow you to remove, edit, and re-insert video to your
>>TiVo in 4 different qualities of video and you can transcode the audio in
>>any of several formats (including AC3).
>>    
>>
>
>There is some basic video editing stuff (besides transcoding) in MythTV
>from what I hear but I haven't messed with it yet.  You can define your 
>own quality profiles choosing RJPEG, MPEG-4 or MPEG-2 (hardware MPEG 
>encoding) and set your bitrate anywhere from 0 to several thousands bps.  
>You can also select up to 384bps for the audio.  Again, I haven't messed 
>with theset oo much so I'm not 100% how it all works.  It comes 
>preconfigured with a High Quality and Low Quality profile.
>
>  
>
>>	TiVo tools allow for easy "TiVo stream to DVD" (with full, albeit
>>rudimentary, DVD menu generation).  While no one will comment on it openly -
>>the tools to do this basically allow you to go from .ty (TiVo stream) to
>>.vob (DVD format) and vice versa.  The implications should be obvious....
>>    
>>
>
>But is this something that it does out of the box?  A big selling point 
>for the Tivo is most people that buy it want it to "just work".  If they 
>wanted to hack and play around, then I'd suggest looking at Myth.
>
>  
>
>>> - I can have limited access via the web to record new shows
>>>and manage existing recordings
>>>      
>>>
>>	TiVo has a fairly rich web interface, including the ability to
>>"undelete" shows - some as far back as 60 days depending on your TiVo
>>usage....
>>    
>>
>
>Yes, MythWeb allows you to undelete.  You can also view your MP3s and 
>Videos but as of yet cannot play/stream them.  I think that's planned.
>
>  
>
>>	The TiVoWeb has full "remote emulation" that can be quite fun when
>>someone else has the physical remote.
>>    
>>
>
>It does not have this... but I can xrfbviewer into it and control it 
>remotely with my keyboard.
>
>  
>
>>> - I can record as many stations simultaneously as I have
>>>capture cards (currently two)
>>>      
>>>
>>	TiVo will take 2 inputs and record from them.  I cannot see why
>>you'd ever need more than two... but I suppose there would be that
>>once-a-year time when there's 3 good shows on at once.
>>    
>>
>
>Or if I'm recording something, something is being watched upstairs and I 
>want to watch something different on another frontend.
>
>  
>
>>> - Nobody knows how many times I watched the Janet Jackson
>>>boob shot over and over again
>>>      
>>>
>>	It's a button on the TiVo remote to go back 13 seconds...
>>    
>>
>
>Where do I start.... nevermind, not worth it.
>
>  
>
>>> - If you know C++, you can contribute any features you want to it
>>>      
>>>
>>	Likewise for TiVo hacks to some extent..
>>    
>>
>
>Of course, you void any support that you paid for when you hack your Tivo, 
>right?
>
>  
>
>>Other thumbs up for TiVo
>>	- intelligent show recording (start / stop time flexibility, season
>>pass management, priority, ability to ignore repeats or record at alternate
>>times based on "conflict)
>>    
>>
>
>Myth has these except I'm not sure what "season pass management" is.
>
>  
>
>>	- search tools (actor, channel, keyword, director, genre,
>>combination)
>>    
>>
>
>Myth can search on some of these.. not sure about actor or director 
>though.
>
>  
>
>>	- buffer control (my TiVo always has an hour of something buffered)
>>    
>>
>
>Ditto.  you define the buffer size to determine how much you want 
>buffered.
>
>  
>
>>	- tools for photo management
>>    
>>
>
>Ditto.
>
>  
>
>>	- tools for backing up your TiVo OS are excellent (there's a web
>>module!)  You can essentially recover the OS onto _any_ hard drive (but
>>depending on your backup you _may_ lose all content).  An OS only backup
>>will easily fit on a single CD
>>    
>>
>
>Hrmm... what good is a backup if you lose *all* content?  Obviously, you 
>backup Myth anyway you'd backup any other Linux box. 
>
>  
>
>>	- you can manage it fully via the Internet if you have the
>>connection
>>    
>>
>
>Ditto.
>
>  
>
>>>Cons:
>>> - There are still some glitches -- the occasional hang or
>>>choppy video.
>>>      
>>>
>>	People do have issues in TiVos, but rarely.
>>	I have heard of far more synch issues with MythTV (video
>>leading/lagging audio)
>>
>>    
>>
>
>I don't have any problems with this.  Sometimes people have their hardware 
>wired up wrong (feeding audio out of their capture card to audio in on 
>their sound card) so they hear sound before they see the video (since it's 
>buffered).  The easist solution is to use the btaudio module which 
>transfers the audio via the pci bus with the video.  This isn't supported 
>by all cards.  The other option is to use the wire but be sure you have 
>your mixer settings right (you gotta mute it and enable recording and all 
>that crap).
>
>  
>
>>> - Takes a fair bit of Linux knowledge to get functioning properly
>>>      
>>>
>>	TiVo hacks can be somewhat ethereal for the noob - but Jeff Keegan's
>>book is excellent, and only one portion of the software included needed
>>upgrading for my DTiVo (because I bought a cache card)
>>
>>    
>>
>
>I think it's probably safe to say if you can hack your tivo, you can build 
>a myth box and vice versa.
> 
>  
>
>>> - makes you watch too much tv (but so would a tivo)
>>>      
>>>
>>	I'd argue that - I watch less, and I watch _exactly_ what I want.  I
>>watch more shows in less time, and I watch them when (and how often) I want
>>to...
>>
>>    
>>
>
>I would have never stayed up to watch hours of MacGyver or Taxi before... 
>now if TVLAND would just start airing The Geatest American Hero....
>
>
>  
>
>>> - Interface can be klunky if you don't have a good remote with the
>>>right buttons -- most remotes can be learned by lirc though
>>>      
>>>
>>	Likely one of the biggest benefits of the TiVo - control and
>>interface are excellent.
>>    
>>
>
>Many people buy Tivo remotes from ebay and use them.  The Myth interface 
>isn't klunky... it's only klunky if you have a remote that only has chan 
>up/down, vol up/down and some numbers.  You need some directional buttons, 
>a menu key, an escape/back key and some vcr/dvd control keys.
>
>  
>