[mythtv-users] Most reliable path to a working MythTV system?

[Bruce Markey]

Kenneth Aafløy wrote:
...
> Bruce, you have a TiVo right? If so, and if you would, what is
> the major points for, and against MythTV as a competetive solution
> (only considering the software software aspect of it all)?

I do have a TiVo. It is a solid consumer product and a simple
plug'n'play solution that does it's job well with no fuss.
This is why I'd say it's the "straightfoward path to a
working system" for stan.

I also have a ReplayTV which is, hummm... the case looks nice
and it come with all the wires you need 8-). And, reliable!
I bet it would still work if I plugged it in =).

For me, the signature feature of myth is the multi-host
frontend/backend and multi-tuner scheduler. That plus the
fact that it can display on TVs and monitors and support
multiple types of cards (NTSC, DVB, HDTV, future) in the same
network of systems and schedule programs from different sets
of listings (video sources) and handle multiple inputs into
the same card all makes MythTV a different class of DVR. If
I just wanted a DVR for a TV then TiVo would be good enough
for now.

I used to have a TiVo in the living room, ReplayTV in the
bedroom and xawtv on the desktop. If I wanted to schedule
two shows at once I'd have to go upstairs to schedule the
second show then go up and down stairs to watch the shows
I recorded and not watch any recordings while I was at the
computer.

I now have a dual tuner mythbox on my 70" Mitsubishi in the
living room (master with cards 2 and 5), a single tuner in
my bedroom (card 1 because there is less interference on the
low channels), card 3 on a test machine and card 4 on my
desktop in my computer room. I normally have three tuners
in production but can add up to five if needed. This means
I can do things like add an any channel record for "College
Basketball" the week of conference tournaments to record
every game and choose which ones to fast forward through and
watch. I add any shows that I might want to watch and never
have to worry about conflict resolution. If networks want
to try to pit popular shows against each other to steal
ratings, fine, I'll record them all anyway.

Once I have something recorded I can watch it from either
TV or from my desktop. Where something was recorded doesn't
dictate where I watch it. In fact, most of my favorite shows
are recorded in the bedroom where the signal may be better
then I watch them on the big screen.

Now, as far as comparing the "software aspect of it all"... ;-)

First, I'd like to say that AFAIK no one contributing to myth
has ever had access to TiVo source and no one is trying to
reverse engineer TiVo. I don't like comparing implementation
of specific features in a public forum where some lawyer may
later do a keyword search and pull comments out of context.
MythTV is original code by Isaac and many contributers that
solves problems for DVR users. TiVo's proprietary code needs
to address many of the same problems.

A year ago, scheduling on TiVo was clearly more flexible and
easier to use. However, in recent months there have been many
new features added in myth that allow you to do things that
TiVo can't. My TiVo software version hasn't changed in probably
a year but new things go into myth every day. Right now I can
think of a few situations that TiVo can handle a little better
but there are more and more where myth's approach is better.

They are both very good and much better than anything else that
claims to be "a digital recorder, ya know, just like TiVo" ;-).
At this point it's probably a matter of preference based on
familiarity, habit, personal peeves, etc. I suspect that myth
will continue to become more sophisticated faster but then it
may also become more complicated and may eventually suffer from
creeping featurism.

My own personal interest is to help make myth the best possible
DVR to suit my own needs =). I can't really do anything about
TiVo's quirks.

--  bjm