[mythtv-users] Considering a MythTV

[jose rubio]

On Sun, 2003-08-24 at 16:26, Jason Williams wrote:
> 
> I've just recently discovered the whole DVR concept and have grown quite
> fond of the idea.  I am now considering setting something up and will be
> choosing between the 3 viable options I have discovered:  TiVo, MythTV for
> Linux, or ShowShifter for Windows.
> 
I have had a Tivo for a long time, love it.  It's great for watching
tv...  Now I also have a Myth box... funny thing (like Isaac says) i
don't watch that much tv anymore... I'm always tweaking the myth box.

So, let me tell you why Myth is better than Tivo (I won't even mention
the third option)

1.- With myth you can record as many simultaneous programs as tv card
you can fit into your system.

2.- If you have a fast enough network you can put frontend boxes next to
each tv in your house and use them to watch recorded programs.

3.- MythTV's quality is (depends on your settings) much better than
Tivo's.

4.- No monthly fee.

5.- You can play music, view photos, check the weather, play DVD's and
even copy them to the hard drive.

6.- Most people watch too much tv already, with Myth you'll be playing
around too much to even care about what you are recording.

BUT, if you want to just plug and forget, get a Tivo, I love mine (I of
course mean in a plutonic way)

read on...


> 1.	What is the video quality like?  I'm aware that even a VCR has a
> lesser quality than broadcast TV, but I don't use my VCR partly for that
> reason.  VHS looks terrible, especially if the tapes been watched a few
> times.  I expect that the quality will be near broadcast if not equal to it.
> Does anyone have any experience with both MythTV and TiVo?  Can someone
> describe a comparison using quantifying terms other than those like
> "awesome" or "sucks"?

I must admit that I don't concer myself about quality much but the
MythTV quality is (deps. on settings) the best of all three.

> 
> 2.	While quality is important, so is file size.  I want to be able to
> build a system that can store some music and downloaded/ripped movies as
> well.  I've been unable to locate a good comparison of quality vs size of
> the rtjpeg vs. mpeg2 vs. mpeg4 codecs.  Can anyone shed some light on this?
> 

File size should not be of concern to you, just get yourself a BIG hard
disk.  PVR-250 can eat up 4Gigs per hour but, if you want to record more
than one show at a time you would want at least one in order not to use
up too much CPU ticks.



>  
> 
> 3.	I'm thinking mpeg4 is going to give my quality vs size compromise
> I'm looking for.  Are the mpeg4 files compatible with Windows?  If not, what
> can be done to make them compatible?  I'll most likely want copy select
> programs over my network, clean up commercials etc.. then save it back to
> the MythTV box so that it will concerve space.  
> 
I don't know if I would worry so much about file size...  Maybe someone
else will disagree with me.  If you want to save movies for a long time
then get yourself a DVD burner and save them that way...

> 4.	I'm assuming that the TV Tuner will stay on one channel (3?) like a
> VCR does and somehow you control the cable box?  It seems there are ways to
> remote control the box.  Does anyone have any experience with Comcast Cable
> in Dallas, TX?  I've had this box since my provider was TCI Cablevision.  I
> looked up some info on my box.  It is a Motorolla for my Digital Cable.  The
> menu system indicates that it is a model DCT, SW Ver. 15.22, IR Blast = No,
> Firmware 07.54, and RF Bypass = On.  It does have a DB9 Female connector on
> the back of the unit.
I can't help you much there, I don't use a cable box (no pay channels)
so the tuner in the card does all the work.


> 5.	Hardware Selection.  I have some items available to me already. I've
> not decided if I will recycle them or just build an overpowered system to
> ensure quality.  The expense will really dictate that.  Available to me is
> a:  P3-1000, 512+ SDRAM, Guillemot 3D DDR-DVI (GeForce 256 DDR) with TV-Out,
> various NIC's, and a SB Live!  I figure I'll buy a Avermedia TV Studio for
> it's high resolution and remote, and either a DVD/CDRW combo or just a DVD
> for it.  If I end up buying a DVD-RW it will go in my pc =)

Sounds good.

> 
>  
> 
> 6.	It seems that I need a Ghz per tuner basically if I want to utilize
> more than one function at a time?  So if I want two cards to be able to
> watch (timeshift) and record something else, I will need at least 2Ghz CPU?
> I would like to be able to watch something and record something else
> simultaneously if possible.  More than that is not necessary.  Most of my
> watching will be of programs that ran when I was not home.  As a single
> parent, I don't get much time for TV until the little man goes to bed.
> That's when I'm hoping to make the most use of this system.  Maybe on the
> weekends also.
> 

I think you should really think about the PVR-250, it uses almost no
CPU...  As a matter of fact, you may want to get a 350, I hear that the
tv-out functions of it will be up and running soon......


>  
> 
> 7.	Will the TV out on this card (Guillemot GeForce 256 DDR) be
> sufficient for my quality concerns, or should I look into something to
> convert the DVI to TV for me?  Or should I really consider something else
> that's on the market today?
> 
>  
> 
> 8.	I may have missed this in the documentation, but I didn't see where
> the videos are stored.  I'd like to know this to plan my file system.
> 
>  
Videos go wherever you want, I have a dedicated 120Gig HD mounted on
/mnt/store.  If you have a fast enough network (no wifi unfortunately)
you may be able to even store the videos in another computer in the
house.


> 
> 9.	Are there any other concerns that a MythTV n00b should be aware of?
> 
Good luck!



-Jose Rubio-