[mythtv-users] MythTV vs. Windows Media Center

Yeechang Lee ylee at pobox.com
Thu Feb 10 04:52:51 UTC 2011


Ben Kamen <bkamen at benjammin.net> says:
> I assembled my mythtv for the following reasons:
> 
> 1: multi-tuning system to record multiple channels at once (mostly
> to avoid conflicts but not more) 2: more capacity than my TiVo (I
> didn't feel like spnding money on a new TiVo and a new lifetime
> subscription only to be boxed in) 3: being open source, MythTV had
> the promise of always being extended resulting in reasonable and
> incremental upgrades.  4: It's Linux, I can do other things with the
> hardware if I want.  5: consolidate my Music, TV, Some DVD's into an
> all-in-one storage/playback center that's compatible with
> FE's/Extenders.

1-4 for me as well. 

1) I've said it before and will say it again: MythTV's scheduler, as
   simple/simplistic as it is, is a "killer app" feature. It works,
   and works well, in sorting out conflicts with my four tuners. TiVo
   had a priority system for its recording rules, too, but a) it was
   stupendously slow (we're talking minutes for a single rule move)
   and b) I am told it was horrid if used on a two-tuner
   TiVo. MythTV's custom rules and numerous customization options are
   further bonuses.

2) Certainly being able to have 2TB of recordings storage in 2005, not
   to mention 8TB in 2006, was amazing.

3) I've been 100% Unix at home for 15 years now, and am glad MythTV
   furthers this. I've even been able to contribute a few patches over
   the years.

4) My frontend/backend isn't used for anything else, but my slave
   backend also manages 8TB of disk space and as a VirtualBox host.

> If Myth didn't exist, I would not spend one more penny on a system
> that's so closed. (Tivo and other products have taught me that.)

I'm more friendly than you are to TiVo; the company got an amazing
amount of things right for its time, and its interface is *still*
better than any generic cable-box DVR (or so I am told). I had 200GB
(up to 245 hours of SD recordings) by installing two off-the-shelf
drives into mine 10 years ago.

> I spent minimal money on my TiVo -- it got blasted by lightning on
> the phone line

The Series 1 TiVos were notorious for being vulnerable to this. Early
on I hooked mine up to a computer with a serial cable and PPP and
bypassed the issue completely, though.

> I bet TiVo hates customers like me who get 10yrs out of their
> product. (actually, it's idle on the shelf now. Now that Comcast is
> digital, I have no one to lend it to.)

The aforementioned 100GB drives died in my Series 1 after four years
of hard use. I transferred the lifetime subscription to a Series 3
wedding gift to my brother and new bride, so in a sense the Series 1
is still functioning 11 years after purchase.

-- 
MythTV FAQ Q: "Cheap frontend/backend?" A: Revo, $200-300 @ Newegg
Q: "Record HD cable/satellite?" A: Hauppauge HD-PVR, $200 @ Newegg
Q: "Can't change Live TV channels w/multirec!" A: Hit NEXTCARD key
More answers @ <URL:http://www.gossamer-threads.com/lists/mythtv/>


More information about the mythtv-users mailing list