[mythtv-users] Mythtv & Roku (was: Yet More Internet TV Choices)

[Brian Wood]

On Thursday, October 28, 2010 05:55:55 pm Ajay Sharma wrote:
> On Wed, Oct 27, 2010 at 12:32 PM, Brian Wood <beww at beww.org> wrote:
> > Don't know yet, but transcoding everything to h264 seems like a fly in
> > the ointment. The only h264 material I have online is HD-PVR recordings,
> > which I do want to see if the Roku can handle, but most of what I have
> > is mpeg2 SD recordings from PVR-x50s, MPEG2 files from an HDHR, and the
> > rest are HD-PVR generated h264 HD files.
> 
> Transcoding everything is going to be a real drag.  But I'm planning
> on upgrading to an HD-PVR soon and was hoping that I can make all my
> recordings h264 going forward.
> 
> > My Myka ($89) can handle any video I have tossed at it (though it has
> > problems with some DTS audio). It can play files from Myth via UPnP, or
> > from any NFS or Samba share. I think this is a better "frontend payer"
> > solution than the Roku, since it doesn't require transcoding anything,
> > installing anything on anything, and no script required to be installed
> > on the server.
> 
> The only real limitation is that you don't get Netflix.  Obviously,
> not a problem for some.

Nor for me, I get Netflix by using the PlayOn server, I get a LOT of other in that manner as well.

> 
> The Roku code is still a little buggy.  If you telnet to the roku box
> you can see the mythtv application crash.  And I still haven't been
> able to play *any* content on the roku box yet.  Something tells me
> that I'm not transcoding the files correctly...

"h264" is not a single standard, it's a blueprint for total confusion.Saying something can "play h264" is almost 
meaningless without additional information about what *parts* of that standard, at what bitrate etc. 

It's right up there with "Supports various audio/video formats", a line I actually saw on a web site for an Android 
tablet.

Try as I might, I am unable to find any "various" codec.

I have no idea if the Roku can plat HD-PVR recordings, they simply have not provided enough information.