<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">There's a full
walk-through video in HD with a professional voice-over that starts with a
clean PC and shows everything so there are no surprises, and you know exactly
what you'll get.<span style=""> </span>You can get a quick low-res
view on Google Video: <a href="http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2176025602905109829&hl=en">http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2176025602905109829&hl=en</a>
or download it in high-def ogg theora & wmv formats on <a href="http://linuxmce.org">linuxmce.org</a>. This new version of LinuxMCE is now integrated with MythTV, and a big improvement; the "yes it worked as expected" rate in our poll
went from 23% for 1.0 to 86% for this one.</span></p><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Installation
is 3 keystrokes and <20 minutes.<span style=""> </span>For U.S. users with
a compatible pvr card you only put in your name, your room, your data direct
username/password and pick your lineup.<span style=""> </span>Everything
else is done automatically and you don't need to run myth-setup.<span style=""> </span>I/R tx/rx (usb uirt, tira or IRTrans) are
fully PNP.<span style=""> </span>Cable or satellite boxes are
automatically setup, including the i/r, as shown in the video.<span style=""> </span>Most TV's and stereo's with serial control
are also PNP, and there's a 'direct av' mode to handle all the inputs so you
can watch it in high-def while you record.<span style="">
</span><span style=""> </span>It offers a pxe/network boot, so
you can enable network boot on any other pc's in the house and they
automatically boot as MythTV slaves with no configuration.</span>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Both MythTV's
UI and LinuxMCE's work in parallel and are synced.<span style=""> </span>Hit 'guide' and use Myth's EPG, or hit 'media'
and use LinuxMCE's alpha-blended 3d-cube flipping guide.<span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span>There's
1 click recording that syncs with Myth and you can navigate 100 channels in
about 10 seconds and schedule 10 recordings on different channels in < 1
minute.<span style=""> </span>There's an add-on to mythweb to
upload icons for your shows and channels so you can quickly spot them in the 3d
guide as they fly by.<span style=""> </span>Choose Menu,
Recording to view recordings in Myth's UI, or Media, Video within LinuxMCE's,
and it has the same 3d gyro-controlled visual navigation.<span style=""> </span>Everything is shown in the new video.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">As far as when
to use LinuxMCE vs. KnoppMyth vs. others…<span style="">
</span>KnoppMyth is hands-down the lightest Myth installation out there.<span style=""> </span>LinuxMCE isn't trying to compete there; it's
a 4GB DVD installer and is a lot more picky about the graphics hardware it runs
on because it uses 3d open gl extensions, x11 compositing/alpha blending, etc.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Where
LinuxMCE adds value is: 1) If you have an nVidia graphics card and like the
alpha-blended opengl UI.<span style=""> </span>It really is 10x
faster to navigate an EPG.<span style=""> </span>2) If you
want a multi-room setup.<span style=""> </span>AFAIK it's the
only solution to automatically set up network boot for the whole house so you
can add more myth slaves. 3) If you want to integrate other a/v devices, like cable/satellite
box or tv/av control it's all pretty much automatic; no conf files, just use
the remote. <span style=""> </span>4) If you want
smarthome.<span style=""> </span>You don't need to use it, but
if you want it, it will control your lights, give you a VOIP pbx, add home
security, etc.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">There seems
to have been a mis-understanding after the first release. <span style=""> </span>I heard that LinuxMCE was 'ripping off' Myth
or trying to take credit for it.<span style=""> </span>Sorry
if it came across that way.<span style=""> </span>LinuxMCE is a
desktop + distro, like KDE is a desktop and KnoppMyth is a distro.<span style=""> </span>When KDE shows the eye-candy and the bouncy Firefox
icon, they're not trying to suggest they developed Firefox; they're just
showing the cool stuff they added it to it.<span style="">
</span>And when KnoppMyth shows Myth, they're not taking credit for Myth, but
showing their distro they that makes Myth easier to install.<span style=""> </span>The new demo video makes it clear that the TV
component is from MythTV and gives explicit credit.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Lastly, in
response to the earlier post that LinuxMCE was a repackage of Pluto, which was
a repackage of Myth + Mister house.<span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span>Pluto has no connection to Misterhouse, and afaik
they never even used MythTV since they had a commercially licensed PVR.<span style=""> </span>Pluto's Myth integration was non-functional
and almost non-existent.<span style=""> </span>I did most of the
Myth integration.<span style=""> </span>I dug through their code.<span style=""> </span>They have around 5 million lines of their own
code; it took me 8 hours just to compile what was in their own svn.<span style=""> </span>Afaik that's several times bigger than myth and
most all other FOSS projects, so it can't be called a 'repackage'.<span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span>Pluto helped
and encouraged me to do LinuxMCE so it wasn't a 'rip off' either, but rather a
port so a Linux user could get a solution like their Einstein solution for
Monster Cable I saw at CES but for 1/10 the price, and it would be part of a
normal Linux desktop rather than a separate and proprietary distro which is
useless to a normal Linux user.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Bottom line…<span style=""> </span>I'm trying to build bridges.<span style=""> </span>MythTV is a critical and central component of
LinuxMCE, and I think LinuxMCE adds a lot of value to MythTV, and we'd both be
better off if there was better communication and collaboration.<span style=""> </span>So, I'd encourage Myth's users to check out
the new video and comment if they think this is on the right track and adds
value to Myth and would like to see more integration with Myth or not, and I'll
watch the thread.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p>