[mythtv-users] OT: MythTV Home Automation

[Glenn Chubak]

Hello all.  I'm new to the list but I hope you won't mind me wading in on the 
mythtv - home automation issue.

>What I would like to do is call my computer, and via touch-tones control the
>X-10 devices. I have DSL, and NEVER use my home phone line. So if I hooked
>it up to a cheap $10 modem card, would it be possible to do this? An example
>might be to call home and turn on the AC on the way home from school by
>punching in *9. Or be able to call home as I am pulling out of the drive way
>in the morning to turn off the porch light by pushing *8. 

Misterhouse and asterisk are the answer to your needs.  There are nice modules 
for MH to interface with asterisk and accomplish what you are looking for.  
If you have festival installed you can even have it respond with generated 
voice prompts.  Misterhouse (MH) will handle the automation part by talking 
to an X10 controller (or almost anything else - I use 1wire and some homebrew 
hardware) and asterisk deals with the phone system.  Personally I prefer the 
idea of using wap pages to control my automation system.  MH will produce 
nice menus and provides a web server to use with your phone.  If you need any 
more info post to the misterhouse users list.

Now to the mythtv related part of this.  I too have been dreaming of a plugin 
for mythtv which would allow me to control my automation system.  I would 
like something that is abstracted in that it is not tied to a particular 
automation system.  I think that the best approach is to produce simple menus 
in a myth plugin which send/receive XAP messages.  I've just been looking at 
the plugin code and it doesn't seem that difficult but I'm not sure I have 
time right now (baby is due this week).  Anyone else interested in this 
approach or have a better suggestion?

Glenn Chubak