[mythtv-users] MediaMVP Questions

[Tom Metro]

David Frascone wrote:
> I understand that there are a few downsides to mediamvp...

It has far fewer features compared to Myth-frontend (no scheduling, 
editing, and as you noted, commercial skip, but I think the latter is in 
beta testing), but I find the simpler UI easier to use for the basic 
operation of watching TV.

The client software is also less solid than Myth-frontend. It's quite 
usable, but it isn't unusual for it to hang and require a warm reboot 
(which can be done via the remote).


> ...but is there any better solution for a simple SD viewer?

I'd be surprised if there was a smaller/cheaper/lower power alternative 
that worked as well.


> Questions:  Can it view a HD stream?  I mean, if I have a recording in 
> HD, how can I watch it in SD on a media MVP?  Is it possible?

This may be possible via VLC, which provides real time transcoding. I 
haven't set up VLC yet, but my understanding is that it is the mechanism 
used to deal with video formats that the MediaMVP can't handle natively 
with its hardware. Usually that involves transcoding from MPEG4 to 
MPEG2. Perhaps a shift in resolution is possible as well. I think there 
is actually a thread on this topic happening on the mvpmc-users list 
right now.

The down-side to the VLC approach, as I understand it, is that it isn't 
integrated into mvpmc's MythTV client. So you use one UI for playing 
back MythTV shows that are SD MPEG2, and then you have to switch to a 
different UI (browsing a file system via NFS) to access the other content.

As someone mentioned on this list recently, an ideal solution would be 
having MythTV clients indicate their capabilities to the back-end, and 
have the back-end incorporate real-time transcoding to supply an 
appropriate stream to the client.


> Can it fast-forward? 

Yes, though only for about 5 to 10 seconds before the buffers empty.


> I know I can't commercial skip -- but if the fast 
> forward is good enough . . .

Actually skip forward is the answer to the commercial skip problem. It 
works fine.


> Can it change channels?  On all tuners?

I believe it does support switching between multiple tuners, however 
some users find the live TV functionality to be rather buggy, resulting 
in mvpmc crashes or back-end crashes. That was my experience on many of 
the few times I tried it, but I haven't had much need/interest in that 
capability.

  -Tom