[mythtv-users] Design a low cost, dual tuner, one box solution.

[jedi]

On Mon, Jul 12, 2010 at 08:54:49PM +0100, Jason Ward wrote:
> On 11 July 2010 23:06, Nick Rout <nick.rout at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> > there have been threads before over the years about "let's make/design
> > a consumer level mythtv box". They usually founder on the fact that
> > everyone wants different things in their myth machine, and that you'll
> > never make something cheaper than the consumer electronics
> > manufacturers can!
> >

    It's even worse than that. State of the art cable tuners are completely
disallowed from open systems entirely. Such tuners are restricted to members
of an industry cartel and those willing to play by their rules. This not only
impacts hobbyists but also smaller "garage" operations that might have a new
take on the PVR.

    Then there are the Tivo patents. There's no telling how far a court will
let them apply those if Tivo Corp threatened by such a garage operation.

> 
> This issue is addressed by having one designer with specific goals in mind,
> and I suspect to create a true consumer class device also forking from
> MythTV, which might not be as bad as it first sounds so long as the designer
> of such a box was submitting patches back to MythTV and then from time to
> time, dropping their own branch, rebranching MythTV and then applying
> patches to bring this "new" branch back to the place they needed for their
> device, chosen interface, chosen feature set.  Much as Ubuntu do the above
> described process each 6 months with Debian.
> 
> However, that's no small commitment and someone would have to be sure they
> could build a viable business model around it, whilst not being better

    Tivo is having enough trouble with their business model an they are a bully
and an early mover in this area.

> served by just going down the exist consumer class devices route.
> 
> It might be that "Another Sillyname" actually has identified a niche best
> addressed by a project like this, but I don't envy him bringing it to
> fruition.