[mythtv-users] Frontend/Backend - newbie question

David Watkins watkinshome at gmail.com
Wed Apr 4 14:49:45 UTC 2007


On 04/04/07, Paul Mason <latepaul at gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi,
>
> Apologies if this is covered in the docs somewhere. I have looked but what I
> found was either too high level or too low level.
>
> I'm trying to get a feel for how the frontend/backend architecture works
> when it comes to playing back recordings etc. The physical file that
> contains the recording is on disk on the backend that recorded it, correct?
> If the frontend that plays it is on another machine how does the data get to
> the frontend? Is it streamed? Is the file copied? Network share?

Recorded TV is streamed fromt the backed to the frontends.  There's no
file copying or network share involved.  I've read of people
configuring a network share, for particular performance reasons, but I
think that's the exception.

However, if you use mythfrontend to play other media files (music or
ripped video files) then you do have to configure network share(s) so
that all the frontends have file access.


> I read some docs on the communication protocal that imply that it's a file
> transfer, but if that's so I would imagine the file begins to play before
> it's fully transferred?

That can happen if you play files through the web interface.


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