[mythtv-users] HD Homerun possible to capture stream with no mythtv installed yet?

[Roger Heflin]

diane mittnik wrote:
> I haven't spec'd out a computer yet for mythtv.  I was waiting for AMD 
> to release some faster phenoms that are low-power (65 watt), but so far 
> 1.8 GHz is it (was waiting for the 2 GHz phenom, 4 core, that was 
> supposed to be released in August).  Since another thread on the HD-PVR 
> states that because the HD-PVR only does single-slice recording and 
> won't put multiple cores to use, therefore requires a high MHz dual-core 
> cpu instead of a lower MHz (and lower power cost) but more cores (4) 
> cpu, I've decided to wait (for faster/low power cpus coming) rather than 
> commit to ordering parts and building a mythtv computer I know I won't 
> be happy with in 6 months.
> 
> In the meantime...if I can catch the HDHomerun on sale with free 
> shipping again, will it be possible to "record" OTA programs by 
> capturing the stream somehow?  Will I also be able to "capture" sound as 
> well?  I'm thinking if I can dump the stream to a file by using a cron 
> job to capture the streams when the programs I want to record are 
> playing... is this possible? 
> 
> Is a command line sufficient to capture a video/audio stream and also 
> tune the HDHomerun to a certain channel for the capture?  If not, can I 
> pre-tune the HDHomerun to a certain channel, capture via a cron job, 
> then manually change the channel on the HDHomerun through a command line 
> or other manual method to record a different channel...
> 
> If possible, this would also allow others who are assembling parts for a 
> mythtv computer to start capturing some programs while the computer is 
> being assembled or while waiting for other parts to arrive.  Or just to 
> test while the mythtv computer is otherwise busy/unavailable.
> 
> Currently using Debian Etch (with backports.org <http://backports.org>, 
> 2.6.24 or 2.6.25), will move to Lenny (with a backported up-to-date 
> kernel) when it's stable, if it matters.
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> D.

I am not sure why you would want to do that.

Just setup mythtv on a weaker box, it will record just fine, almost no cpu is 
required to record ATSC/QAM as things are purely reading a stream from the 
transmission IO is really the only thing required, and each ATSC channel is max 
2MB/second which is pretty easy for almost any disk to do.   Then after you get 
the new mythtv box, backup the database, and anything else you want to move, and 
move it to the new box (or just move the boot devices to the new device 
adjusting the kernel initrd as needed to be able to boot the new machine).

CPU power only becomes an issue if you are doing playback and/or transcoding, 
and on the transcoding if you can wait for the recording to be converted and 
aren't doing so many recordings that the box runs 24-hours a day transcoding 
then you can still transcode, it will just take a while to finish.

                          Roger