[mythtv-users] Commercial PVR offerings - is MythTv still competitive ?

[Adam Stylinski]

George Mogielnicki wrote:
> Hi All;
>
> I have been using MythTv in SD for few years and waited for a move to HD
> until HD-PVR and VDPAU arrived. I wanted a small, quiet, combined box that
> can capture HD from my current satellite HD receiver via component cable,
> video storage is on a network.
>
> I live in Canada and recently my satellite TV provider (Bell TV,
> previously know as ExpressVu) has introduced a new receiver 6131 which I
> think is a re-branded Dish Network ViP 211k. This receiver is controlled
> via IR Remote, so I decided that this model is perfect for a new MythTV
> build. After rebate, I paid 150 CAD, which is around 120 US or so.
>
> This receiver comes with an interesting feature. Plug in a usb drive at
> the back panel usb port and you have an instant PVR. I plugged my 750GB
> usb enclosure, receiver took a while to format it and presto, I have
> working PVR in HD.
>
> To achieve the same result by building my own, I have to spend about 550
> US. I was thinking of Zotac GF8200 miniITX, low end AMD processor, 2 GB
> memory, case, fan plus HD-PVR.
>
> Of course, there is quite a lot of functionality that is not available
> with the receiver - mythvideo comes to mind as one.
>
> But even with all the plugins available, does it still make sense to spend
> 500+ versus 120 and spend quite some time to resolve a lot of potential
> issues with current HD-PVR and VDPAU support. Even when 0.22 is out and
> the drivers are more stable, question still remains.
>
> Has this commercial offering caught up with Myth TV in terms of value ?
>
> I hope you don't misunderstand me here, I enjoy working with Linux, and
> actually was all pumped up to face the challenges, my wife was rolling her
> eyes in anticipation of late nights...
>
> George
>
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>   
Like you mentioned already, the added functionality is unmatched.  I
currently use MythVideo, MythNews, MythMovies, MythMusic, MythBrowser
(with mythnews, of course), Mythweb (something DirecTV is just starting
to do), and Mythgames.  I use it with OTA HDTV on my Pioneer Kuro and I
must say, it's pretty much the only solution to tune to free HD and have
the DVR functionality.  The ability to do just about anything with a
Linux computer makes it so versatile and worth so much more than the
traditional buggy cable DVR.  I have 2.5 combined TB of storage, and the
raw mpeg-2 transports I can move/stream to any computer that I want.  No
commercial DVR solution can even come close to that much storage.  My
1080i is virtually free from compression artifacts, unlike it's unfree
cable bretheren.  My Super Mario 64 (and all other N64, PSX, Genesis,
SNES, NES, GAMEBOY ADVANCE, MAME, and gamegear game) is displayed in
1920x2046 (with a minor bit of cropping), and every texture is filtered
and enhanced.  I can stream my H.264 BD-Rips over my network and watch
1080p video flawlessly now that I've upgraded my frontend.  If I setup
asterisk, I would be able to integrate it with VOIP functionality for
things like video phone and callerid.  I currently have plans to write a
plugin with a POTS phone to understand CID and broadcast it on all the
frontends.  There is oh so much more than can be done with a mythtv
computer than any conventional production on the market right now.  I'm
surprised anybody buys DVR's.