[mythtv-users] The future of MythTV

[Jim Abernathy]

On 6/4/21 9:17 AM, Paul Harrison wrote:
> We can see from the number of Scheduled Direct users and the Smolt 
> data that MythTV is losing users at an ever increasing rate.  We think 
> one reason for this is it's getting harder and harder to record stuff 
> because more services are becoming encrypted requiring proprietary 
> boxes to view and record content and some services are moving to an 
> on-demand type of service that are hard or impossible to record.
>
>
> So the question is what improvements would you like to see in MythTV 
> in the future that would persuade you to continue to use it? Would you 
> like to see better support for YouTube for example or a better video 
> media library. Better music player? Support for IPTV services? What 
> plugins do you use?  What plugins would you like to see? Are you happy 
> with the user interface or would you like to see a more modern one?
>
>
> Give us your thoughts on what direction you would like to see MythTV 
> take now it's original purpose is slowing being killed of.
>
>
> Paul H.


I still use mythtv the same as I did back when the earth first cooled.  
I record USA OTA ATSC 1.0 recordings. They currently are all HD, either 
1080i or 720p. I see no change in that with the exception of possibly 
moving to ATSC 3.0 NextGen TV.

However, my wife and I watch a lot of streaming services like Netflix 
and SlingTV in addition to recorded OTA network shows from CBS, ABC, 
NBC, Fox, and PBS. To make it simple to integrate all of this content, I 
use a Nvidia Shield TV with either mythfrontend or leanfront for mythtv 
content and the streaming services apps for their content. It's seamless 
to switch between them.

My wife's eye isn't as critical as mine so for her Leanfront on a FireTV 
4K stick is very good, meaning no complaints to me. When I test her 
FIreTV 4K I see less quality with the picture using mythfrontend, but my 
wife only uses Leanfront, so no issues.

We both use the TV's builtin tuner for LiveTV, so that feature isn't a 
care for mythtv.

However, I do record sports and watch them a 1/2 hour behind to skip 
commercials.

A key feature for me is mythfrontend's Manage Recordings. Since video 
quality isn't an issue when using that tool, I can run it from any 
device to setup recordings.

However, I do use mythweb through a VPN so I can get back to my MythTV 
while on the road to manage recordings that need immediate attention.

Jim A

P.S. Above describes what we regularly use.  But I'm one of those 70 
year olds with nothing better to do than try everything computer 
related.  So I have a 5x1 HDMI switch on my 4K TV so I can test not only 
Shield TV, but also RPI4, AMD Ryzen gaming PC, etc. But when it comes to 
watching for entertainment, it's the Shield TV for me. It's a very good 
solution for USA OTA Mythtv and streaming.