Mac Slocum
04-20-07, 09:38 AM
MythTV: The Free DVR
MythTV's price can't be beat, but caveats and a learning curve need to be considered.
MythTV is an open source Linux/Mac OS X software application that, when installed with all its components, becomes a home entertainment center, complete with digital video recording (DVR), media streaming, and a host of other capabilities. It’s a free alternative to DVRs and media centers, and it’s constantly updated via add-on modules developed by the MythTV user community.
http://www.electronichouse.com/images/uploads/0407-monolith-hd.jpg (http://www.electronichouse.com/article/mythtv_the_free_dvr/C155)
Once installed, MythTV brings many of the same features as a cable-company-issued DVR. Basic, recognizable features include the ability to pause, rewind, and fast forward live TV. With the proper hardware, dual tuner cards allow for multiple simultaneous recording; a slick user interface and menu interfaces with electronic program guides, enabling shows to be browsed, selected, and recorded by any number of criteria, including genre and actor. With available plug-ins (e.g. MythVideo, MythMusic, MythDVD), the MythTV media center can store, manage, and stream music and video files.
How to Get MythTV: The Hard Way
There are two ways to get MythTV working in your home. The hard way is to build a machine with all the minimum hardware requirements and then go about the somewhat arduous task of installing and configuring MythTV on that machine.
“MythTV is a an open-source application that was written for developers, by developers,” says Andrew Barbaccia, creator of the Monolith Media Center, one of a few units available on the market pre-configured to connect to TVs and home networks and run MythTV virtually out of the box. “Installing the application on your own is a process,” he adds.
To wit, one must first build a system with the necessary hardware. To assist the DIYer, MythTV creator Isaac Richards has set up MythTV.org, an online resource with the necessary downloads, FAQs, and step-by-steps needed to assemble a MythTV machine.
For more about MythTV, check out:
http://www.electronichouse.com/article/mythtv_the_free_dvr/C155/
MythTV's price can't be beat, but caveats and a learning curve need to be considered.
MythTV is an open source Linux/Mac OS X software application that, when installed with all its components, becomes a home entertainment center, complete with digital video recording (DVR), media streaming, and a host of other capabilities. It’s a free alternative to DVRs and media centers, and it’s constantly updated via add-on modules developed by the MythTV user community.
http://www.electronichouse.com/images/uploads/0407-monolith-hd.jpg (http://www.electronichouse.com/article/mythtv_the_free_dvr/C155)
Once installed, MythTV brings many of the same features as a cable-company-issued DVR. Basic, recognizable features include the ability to pause, rewind, and fast forward live TV. With the proper hardware, dual tuner cards allow for multiple simultaneous recording; a slick user interface and menu interfaces with electronic program guides, enabling shows to be browsed, selected, and recorded by any number of criteria, including genre and actor. With available plug-ins (e.g. MythVideo, MythMusic, MythDVD), the MythTV media center can store, manage, and stream music and video files.
How to Get MythTV: The Hard Way
There are two ways to get MythTV working in your home. The hard way is to build a machine with all the minimum hardware requirements and then go about the somewhat arduous task of installing and configuring MythTV on that machine.
“MythTV is a an open-source application that was written for developers, by developers,” says Andrew Barbaccia, creator of the Monolith Media Center, one of a few units available on the market pre-configured to connect to TVs and home networks and run MythTV virtually out of the box. “Installing the application on your own is a process,” he adds.
To wit, one must first build a system with the necessary hardware. To assist the DIYer, MythTV creator Isaac Richards has set up MythTV.org, an online resource with the necessary downloads, FAQs, and step-by-steps needed to assemble a MythTV machine.
For more about MythTV, check out:
http://www.electronichouse.com/article/mythtv_the_free_dvr/C155/