[mythtv-users] Why did you pick MythTV VS the other PVRs?

[Ronald Frazier]

The list of why I stick with myth is longer than I care to think of.
However, the reason for why I INITIALLY got into it:

I had a tivo for almost 2 years and loved it. Yet I could only record
1 program at a time. I considered buying a second tivo, but that was
something like $500 for the unit plus lifetime subscription (or $1000
if I wanted to record 3 channels, which I do sometimes). At that time,
I already had spare hardware capable of handling everything except
capture, real time MPEG encoding, and TV out. For about $250, I got a
hauppague PVR-350 and PVR-500, and could now record 3 shows at a time.

Of course, any money I initially saved got blown through (and then
some) when I replace all of the hardware 2 years later with new
core2duo systems (a backend and 2 dedicated frontends). But thats no
longer even a fair comparison, since it handles my CD library
distribution for the entire house, lets me rip a DVD that we rented
but didn't have time to watch, download episodes of TV programs that
aren't even broadcast in the US, run a personal webserver, etc.

So the reason for my initial entry is that it saved me a decent chunk
of money upfront (though it would have saved me more if I had skipped
the original tivo altogether and went straight to myth).

-- 
Ron