[mythtv-users] MythTV Presentation - Requesting Comments/Opinions

[Brad Templeton]

On Thu, Mar 03, 2005 at 03:48:57PM -0600, Andy Long wrote:
> Some other things you might mention:
> -Ability to configure the frontend to have a multitude of different
> themes.  Can really make your box "stand out" as opposed to the more
> generic Tivo/Replay themes

Yet from a technology standpoint, could not be much less important.

DVRs have generated a real revolution in how TV works, and MythTV
is one of the leaders.   But nobody, except a purist comparing the
minutae of all the different types is going to think themability
is one of the revolutions.
> -Ability to add multiple capture cards to record 2, 3 or more shows at
> a time.  The most I've ever seen on a store bought box is two

This does fit with the vision because part of the revolution is "not caring
about when programs are on."   Multiple tuners exist to fix one of
the minor problems 1-tuner systems have in making that happen.
> 
> -Ability to put it whatever casing you want.  Can make it look much
> nicer in the living room

Again, this is style, not substance.  Not that style isn't important,
but the real revolution is in tech.
> 
> -Full customizability.  Only does what you want

Interesting -- though in some cases this is actually a bug, not a
feature.   We all want to custom tune all the features to our exact
needs, but the result is a system whose number of configuration choices
is quite frightening to the typical home electronics user.

Realize that the Tivo and the rest don't have all those configuration
choices _deliberately_.   They could have put them in.  They decided
not to.
> 
> As for a comment:
> 
> I love that MythTV gives me the power to control what I want to watch
> and gives me more control over the interface than any commercial
> product.  How many other people can record 3 shows at once, and watch
> whatever they've recorded in any room of their house?

The multiple frontend thing is important (though it can also be found
in other DVRs today, I think Replay had it first.)


Myth's true vital difference is more abstract.   It's ease of
innovation.   Consider that Tivo's big "innovations" of late have
been things like Tivo to Go and Home Media Option.   Even before
MythTV had plugins for music or pictures, you were always running
on an open linux box with access to all the other tools -- music
players and jukeboxes, slideshow programs etc.   They just didn't
have a similar UI.

TivoToGo?  On Mythtv that's called "file copy"

Two things attracted me to Myth.  The open system where you could
innovate, and support for HDTV.

The ablity to innovate made me develop the TVWish program I just
released here.  I wanted to make that because I think it goes headlong
at the revolutionary aspects of PVRs, changing not just how we watch
our TV, but also what TV we watch.     Myth and Tivo and the rest are
still largely schedule oriented for non-series -- browse the movies and
shows that are on the schedule for the next two weeks regularly, and pick
shows to record.  I wanted to reverse that -- list all the movies you
are interested in watching, and they just show up.  (Sort of like you
might use netflicks.)   But importing other people's recommendations
goes a level beyond that so it's what I will explore next.

But that's what I coded.  Point is lots of people are out there coding
things they want.  Many of them are of no interest to most of the users
but there are so many that you will get new things of value.