[mythtv-users] Getting Started with MythTV

[Ray Olszewski]

At 10:16 PM 7/6/2003 -0400, Robert Empfield wrote:
>Hi everyone.  Just subscribed to this mailing list today and wanted to say 
>hi to everyone.
>
>A couple of days ago, I discovered MythTV and everything that it can 
>do.  I am highly interested in using MythTV but have a view questions 
>before I get too involved.  I know there are a lot of questions listed and 
>I am sorry for this.  Being new to this all, I wanted to get my questions 
>out there so I can decide whether this is for me or not.
>
>1.) I am a Linux newbie.  I am currently learning how to use Red Hat Linux 
>9.  Is MythTV to complex to install and configure for someone who is new 
>to Linux or could I manage with my limited knowledge?

Probably not, but really, who knows? It depends on how quickly you learn 
things and how hard you are willing to work.

>2.) I have an extra computer here that I would like to use for 
>MythTV.  Here are its specs:
>
>Pentium III 800 MHz Processor
>384 MB DIMM Memory
>4.2 GB Hard Drive (OS is located on this drive)
>30 GB Hard Drive (Used as storage)
>Sound Blaster Live! PCI Sound Card
>64MB TNT AGP Video Card
>10/100 Ethernet Card
>56K Modem
>Red Hat Linux 9
>
>Would this hardware be able to handle to use MythTV?  I would like to 
>connect this computer to my entertainment center and use it just like a TIVO.

With a standard capture card, this hardware will be OK for recording TV for 
later viewing, but marginal for watching "live" TV (which actually uses a 
buffer to provide TiVo-like pause capability), in that you may have to use 
a video resolution lower than the default MythTV provides.

One caveat: you don't identify your video card exactly, and I am assuming 
it supports XVideo (a capability of XFree86 that makes video playback 
possible with low CPU load). If you need to use a CPU-intenvise method 
(like xShm) instead, this CPU will not be good enough for any part of Myth 
that involves simultaneous recording and playback.

>3.) In the hardware list above, there was no TV capture card listed.  I 
>know that a video capture card is needed to run MythTV.  I am currently 
>looking at the Hauppauge Win PVR 350.  I know that this card has a 
>hardware encoder.  If this system were unable to handle MythTV because of 
>the processor speed, would this card help?  Is this card capable of 
>working with Linux/MythTV.

This card would reduce the CPU load by a lot. The XV concern still applies, 
though.

The relatively large size of the MPEG-2 files this card captures may press 
the capacity of a 30 GB hard disk fairly quickly. So you may want to adjust 
capture quality down from the card's default.

>4.) Is there a distribution of Linux that is recommended for using with 
>MythTV?  Right now I have Red Hat Linux 9 installed on this 
>computer.  Since I mainly want to use this computer like a TIVO, do I 
>really need this Linux version installed with a GUI?  Being that I am a 
>Linux newbie, could I get away with a text-based version of Linux?

The commonly used distros for myth include RH9, Devbian-Woody, DEbian-Sid, 
Mandrake, and Gentoo. If you are comfortable with RH9, your comfort is 
worth more than find the "best" choice.

>5.) I know that for some Linux distributions that someone must log in 
>because Linux was designed to be a multi-user OS.  Is there a way to 
>automatically log on, when the computer is booted, and also load MythTV?

Yes. You do not say how you start X11, but you can set up a script 
connected with X to start Myth.

>6.) Can MythTV be used with a remote control like the one from Streamzap?

It can be used with any remote that the LIRC package supports (see its Web 
site), or with any device that can emulate t keyboard/mouse combination 
(like a wireless IR keyboard interfac, which some remotes can be taught to 
operate). I don't know what "Streamzap" is so don't konw if controls "like" 
it are among the ones that work.

>Thanks for any help that is given and, again, sorry for the length.

You might find it useful to look in the list archives for the Draft 
Beginner's FAQ I posted here a week or so back. I'd be interested to know 
the extent to which it addresses your initial curiosity.