[mythtv-users] MythTV vs. Windows Media Center

[Phil Linttell]

On 11-02-10 03:03 PM, mythtv-users-request at mythtv.org wrote:
> Date: Thu, 10 Feb 2011 12:39:35 -0600
> From: "Reynolds, Brian" <Brian.Reynolds at fiserv.com>
> Subject: Re: [mythtv-users] MythTV vs. Windows Media Center
> To: "Discussion about MythTV" <mythtv-users at mythtv.org
> 2)I can go with MythTV and use the HD HomeRun Prime to capture the
> analog HD output of FOUR cable boxes.  However, this costs an extra
> $32/month to rent those cable boxes, and I'm not too sure the
> remote-control interface will work well and integrate seamlessly into
> Myth.  Maybe you guys can help me with that?
I'd be surprised if you really need four tuners with myth to capture the
content you really care about.  If you follow Engadget, they'll have you
believing the idea of building a HTPC with fewer than four tuners is
craziness.  But WMC doesn't have the  scheduling flexibility of MythTV.

I have a household of 4 people, 6 front-ends of different types, and a
back-end with a single HD-PVR and cable box.  I have only one weekly
unresolvable conflict in capturing what everyone wants to watch.  At
some point, I'll add a second HD-PVR and cable box, or maybe an OTA
antenna/capture card.  I have two "main" TV's which each have a simple
HD cable box (in addition to myth front-ends) for watching live.   All
other front-ends just watch recorded.  So a total of 3 cable boxes in
the house, and no cable company PVR.

Here's why:

1) myth doesn't record previously recorded episodes - it can use the
title/subtitle/episode information to automatically exclude them.  A
cable PVR typically dumbly re-record the same episode whenever it airs.

2) myth can search all channels and times for an episode.... so that if
there's a conflict at one time, it may choose to record an episode from
a different channel at a different time to avoid the conflict.   This
works great if you have "time shifting" from your cable provider, so
that there are 3 or four different times that a single episode airs.  
"Dumb" PVRs will insist on a specific time-slot, or a specific channel. 

3) myth recording rules can be set to not record "old" episodes, if
you're only interested in episodes from the current season

4) myth supports a huge range of priorities on programs....  I use
priorities from -20 to +20 (but the allowed range is higher) to ensure
that the stuff we care most about gets chosen above lower priority
stuff.   (By way of explanation, "0" is the default priority for new
things.... I use positive priorities for things I don't want to miss,
and negative priorities for things where I don't care if I miss an
episode.)"

5) you can set myth to record a certain number of episodes, and then
stop....  so that if no ones watching and deleting episode, then no more
get recorded.   I employ this with a lot of the kids programs ("if
you're not watching them, I'm not going to keep recording more!")  
There's only so many episodes of "Cops" or "Hannah Montanna" I can
justify storing!

I know there's people running myth with loads of tuners, but with a
little care when you set up your recordings, I really don't see why
you'd need four just for recording (watching live is different - but we
don't tend to do that much.  Can't stand commercials!)   I can't imagine
needing more than two in my own situation.  You simply don't get the
kind of conflicts that you do with a normal PVR.

So strike two cable boxes and two tuners off if you decide to go with
myth....  unless you're using the extras just for watching live.

> My main concern with using one of those HDHR boxes to capture the HD
> (1080i) output of the cable box is the setup to control the cable box.
> It seems like a kludge that wouldn't work well, even if I can use
> FireWire to control the cable box.  Do any of you have experience with
> this control connection?  How does the control function work on one of
> your front end's?  Is it easy for the end-user (my kids) to change
> channels, rewind/pause/fast-forward, control the VOD menus on the cable
> box, etc. using an IR remote control?  Do any of you have FOUR cable
> boxes connected this way?
There are occasional problems getting firewire or IR blasters set up,
but once running it works fine.  I use firewire to control a cable box,
and it works reliably.... even for four boxes.

One thing to be aware (at least in the case of an HD-PVR), is that
changing channels can takes seconds (up 10 or 12 seconds in my case).  
No really a problem for recording, but it tends to make channel surfing
live TV unbearable.  One advantage for MWC if you're going with
cablecards.... 

> If the Myth route has similar hardware costs ($1800), then it would pay
> for itself in five years.  $32/month for four cable boxes vs. the
> whole-house DVR solution @ $62/month nets a $30/month savings ($30 X 60
> months = $1800).
You can build a myth setup for much less, and probably with fewer
tuners.  However, you will spend more of your own time in getting things
working the way you want.   Myth is more powerful and flexible than WMC,
but at a price - it's more of a hobby than a turnkey solution.

In my case, it took me about 3 months (elapsed) for me to get my first
myth installation working to the point I could return the cable
companies PVR without my family skinning me alive.   I was a year before
I stopped tinkering with it to get various things working the way I
wanted.... and just tinker with it now more for interest than necessity.