[mythtv-users] distributed video system?

Chris Isip cmisipster at gmail.com
Fri Nov 9 23:51:32 UTC 2007


On Nov 9, 2007 3:02 PM, James Orr <james.orr7 at gmail.com> wrote:

> On 11/9/07, Kevin Nelson <kevin at soundcyst.com> wrote:
> > Hi all, I'm new here and I have a couple of questions.
> >
> > I'm setting up a household distributed video system (one server for
> > the house, each TV as a client). Basically, I was wondering if this
> > has been done before.
> >
> > I have yet to build the computers, so any hardware suggestions would
> > be appreciated. Also, it will be running through Comcast, and I need
> > it to be able to access both digital and onDemand content (ok, so
> > MythTV doesn't really neeeed to be able to record onDemand, but it
> > would be nice. The main requirement is that onDemand works at any of
> > the TVs)
>
> Using onDemand with MythTV will require a lot of jumping through
> hoops. In general the only thing myth will do to a set-top box is
> change the channel and onDemand would require it to also be able to
> navigate the comcast menus.  However, once you have all your recording
> rules in place, you shouldn't really ever have a need to use onDemand.
>
> > I'm assuming we will need one set top box / tuner card in the server
> > per TV.
>
> Nope, you could have one set-top box/tuner card going to 3 TVs if you
> wanted, or you could have 3 tuner cards going to 1 TV (like mine).
> You would only need one tuner/TV if you wanted to watch different
> channels of live programming on every TV in the house.
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I have a backend with 2 PVR 250s and a PVR500.   I needed to have at least 1
tuner available all the time for Live TV  and a second tuner for part of the
time for Live TV. With the number of tuners I have, this is workable.  I'd
say generally you may want to keep 2 tuners for recording duties and add  a
tuner for each tv that you would want to be able to simultaneously watch
live TV without interruptions (the backend asking you if you want to cancel
live TV so it can record) or to guarantee that you can watch live tv anytime
(mythtv not complaining of all tuners busy).  Sometimes, I even have all 4
tuners capturing a scheduled show at the same time (hence no live TV), but
this is rare.  On the average, only 2 tuners are busy recording shows.

One of my PVR 250's is connected to a motorola set top box.   And as long as
that tuner is not busy recording a show, I can access it from any frontend
by changing to a channel that is only assigned to that tuner (example BBC
america).  Mythtv handles the tuner switch transparently.  Of course, only
one frontend at a time can access the set top box programming.

Hope this helps
Chris
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