[mythtv-users] Advice please: school mythtv project

[Craig Treleaven]

At 10:33 AM +0800 4/29/10, Phil Wild wrote:
> >
>> Tools can be used properly or improperly, and Myth is certainly a tool that
>> has a lot of potential for education.
>
>I have been told that the teachers are quite excited by the idea of
>being able to record material for use in the classrooms. [...]
>
>What are people's thoughts on ad skipping/removal, transcoding and
>de-interlacing?
>

To play devil's advocate...how, specifically, do teachers want to use these recorded programs?  Would it not be more simple to record certain programs and burn them to DVD?  How many different programs/episodes do they think they want to show their class?  Mostly, teachers have their lessons planned out well in advance.  They won't be recording something tonight to show tomorrow, will they?  The Board probably already provides videos that support the curriculum (eg Bill Nye the Science Guy). 

As well, in my experience, computers in primary schools are non-functional--a lot.  Unless there is a keen computer-literate teacher, who doesn't mind putting in a bunch of hours, there will be a lot machines that don't work for one reason or another.  In the same vein, not a few teachers are not very uncomfortable with technology.  The slightest hiccup and they'll loudly proclaim that it is broken or too complicated or...  Perhaps your teachers, school and school board are different from those around here but I don't think a Myth network would get any substantial use in my kid's schools.  I think you'd spending fewer hours burning a few DVD's, as and when requested, than setting up and maintaining Myth in that kind of environment.

Craig