[mythtv] TiVo Out! MythTV In! Help me buy the right stuff...
John
mythtv-dev@snowman.net
Tue, 17 Dec 2002 17:39:55 -0500
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Hi all,
First time member of the list here, but hope to be quite active. I need =
your help in selecting the right equipment to setup my new MythTV =
system. I know that there are lots of choices for video output, =
capture, remotes, etc. and don't want to make a wrong decision. Thanks =
in advance for your help!
Background...
I currently have a ReplayTV and a TiVo. I'm going to be giving the Tivo =
(which we like better than Replay by the way - actually we love the =
Tivo) to my in-laws for a Christmas present. Reason we're giving it =
away is 1) The "free" store demo programming subscription has expired =
and we have to cough up $250 for lifetime which I just hate, 2) It's =
only 14 hours (and I know I could add a hard drive), my (retired) =
in-laws really need this - they watch TV about 10 hours a day easy, the =
whole family is going in on the $250 so the subscription is covered. =
Anyway, after using both Replay and TiVo for over a year, our family of =
four is totally SOLD on a PVR. They're simply awesome. Tivo is the =
best and their remote and interface is outstanding. Well, anyway, I =
really like the idea of using a PC with a network card wired into our =
home network to our cable modem, and being able to edit out commercials, =
send to other PCs in the house, etc. I think MythTv is the answer. It =
blows away everything else out there.
Equipment...
I have recently freed up a Dell Dimension 8100 PIII-800 w/512mb RAM and =
80gb 7200rpm drive, SoundBlaster 64 PCI. I'll need to buy a video =
capture card, video card with video out, and wireless remote/recvr. =
This system will be sitting in our family room and will be wired up to =
our TV at all times. I'll tuck the keyboard, processor and 14" monitor =
out of the way for the occasional updates, etc. but I want the remote to =
be the main control for daily use. That's why it is so important that =
it's as powerful as possible. I know that MythTV can make do with =
something like 4 arrows and Enter, but if I've got a pause, play, rec, =
stop, ff, rew, skip back, slow mo, last channel, vol up/down and channel =
up/down, I'll be all set!
Typical Use...
We'll mostly use it for recording shows for later playback, and =
timeshifting - watching shows delayed to eliminate the need for watching =
commercials and allow pausing to do other things. We also want to be =
able to watch pre-recorded shows while recording new live ones. Dual =
tuners would be a fantastic addition, but I understand it requires h/w =
assistance. Ok, so I'm game? I also like being able to edit out =
commercials and then save to tape will be nice for those "special" shows =
that we want to archive. The unit will get used a LOT by our typical =
family of four (kids 12, 13) so a great interface like MythTv is =
essential.
What I need...
I need you "experts" out there to help me go shopping! I already bought =
and returned an ATI All-in-wonder 8500 DV. It worked, but the on-screen =
guide was lame with ads filling up 1/3 of the screen, it couldn't record =
live and play back pre-recorded shows simultaneously, a/v got out of =
sync easily, and it crashed too much. So, I'm back to square one. =
While I'm mainly a Windows s/w developer by profession, I have tinkered =
with various flavors of Linux and am willing to reformat the h.d. to any =
install you all recommend. The sole purpose of this machine is a PVR so =
the O/S is irrelevant. Whatever flavor is most "supported" and "stable" =
is all that counts.
So...
Can you please tell me, if you had to start making a clean fresh system, =
what would be your recommended:
1) Capture card
2) Video output card (S-Video would be nice)
3) Remote control & receiver (the more powerful the better!)
4) Linux version (stable and compatible is all I want)
5) Is there a hardware encoder/decoder card out there? If so, which one =
to buy?
6) Do any of those USB boxes work? I see a lot in the catalogs. They =
even claim MPEG 2. They've obviously got some encoder/decoder h/w =
onboard right? Are they the way to go?
I'm trying to keep the expenditure to around $200 or less, but will =
listen to all ideas.
THANKS A MILLION for your feedback. It's going to be a Mythical =
Christmas!
John
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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Hi all,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>First time member of the list here, but hope to be
quite active. I need your help in selecting the right equipment to
setup my new MythTV system. I know that there are lots of choices for
video output, capture, remotes, etc. and don't want to make a wrong
decision. Thanks in advance for your help!</FONT></DIV><FONT face=Arial
size=2>
<DIV><BR>Background...</DIV>
<DIV>I currently have a ReplayTV and a TiVo. I'm going to be giving the
Tivo (which we like better than Replay by the way - actually we love the Tivo)
to my in-laws for a Christmas present. Reason we're giving it away is 1)
The "free" store demo programming subscription has expired and we have to cough
up $250 for lifetime which I just hate, 2) It's only 14 hours (and I know I
could add a hard drive), my (retired) in-laws really need this - they watch TV
about 10 hours a day easy, the whole family is going in on the $250 so the
subscription is covered. Anyway, after using both Replay and TiVo for
over a year, our family of four is totally SOLD on a PVR. They're simply
awesome. Tivo is the best and their remote and interface is
outstanding. Well, anyway, I really like the idea of using a PC with a
network card wired into our home network to our cable modem, and being able to
edit out commercials, send to other PCs in the house, etc. I think MythTv
is the answer. It blows away everything else out there.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Equipment...</DIV>
<DIV>I have recently freed up a Dell Dimension 8100 PIII-800 w/512mb RAM and
80gb 7200rpm drive, SoundBlaster 64 PCI. I'll need to buy a video capture
card, video card with video out, and wireless remote/recvr. This system
will be sitting in our family room and will be wired up to our TV at all
times. I'll tuck the keyboard, processor and 14" monitor out of the way
for the occasional updates, etc. but I want the remote to be the main control
for daily use. That's why it is so important that it's as powerful as
possible. I know that MythTV can make do with something
like 4 arrows and Enter, but if I've got a pause, play, rec, stop, ff,
rew, skip back, slow mo, last channel, vol up/down and channel up/down,
I'll be all set!</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Typical Use...</DIV>
<DIV>We'll mostly use it for recording shows for later playback, and
timeshifting - watching shows delayed to eliminate the need for watching
commercials and allow pausing to do other things. We also want to be able
to watch pre-recorded shows while recording new live ones. Dual tuners
would be a fantastic addition, but I understand it requires h/w
assistance. Ok, so I'm game? I also like being able to edit out
commercials and then save to tape will be nice for those "special" shows that we
want to archive. The unit will get used a LOT by our typical family
of four (kids 12, 13) so a great interface like MythTv is essential.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>What I need...</DIV>
<DIV>I need you "experts" out there to help me go shopping! I already
bought and returned an ATI All-in-wonder 8500 DV. It worked, but the
on-screen guide was lame with ads filling up 1/3 of the screen, it couldn't
record live and play back pre-recorded shows simultaneously, a/v got out of sync
easily, and it crashed too much. So, I'm back to square one. While
I'm mainly a Windows s/w developer by profession, I have tinkered with various
flavors of Linux and am willing to reformat the h.d. to any install you all
recommend. The sole purpose of this machine is a PVR so the O/S is
irrelevant. Whatever flavor is most "supported" and "stable" is all that
counts.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>So...</DIV>
<DIV>Can you please tell me, if you had to start making a clean fresh system,
what would be your recommended:</DIV>
<DIV>1) Capture card</DIV>
<DIV>2) Video output card (S-Video would be nice)</DIV>
<DIV>3) Remote control & receiver (the more powerful the better!)</DIV>
<DIV>4) Linux version (stable and compatible is all I want)</DIV>
<DIV>5) Is there a hardware encoder/decoder card out there? If so,
which one to buy?</DIV>
<DIV>6) Do any of those USB boxes work? I see a lot in the catalogs.
They even claim MPEG 2. They've obviously got some encoder/decoder h/w
onboard right? Are they the way to go?</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I'm trying to keep the expenditure to around $200 or less, but will listen
to all ideas.</DIV>
<DIV><BR>THANKS A MILLION for your feedback. It's going to be a Mythical
Christmas!</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>John</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV></FONT> </DIV></BODY></HTML>
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