[mythtv-users] MythTV - Video Distribution Solution?

[MythTV]

Hi everyone!

I am writing from the Hermon School Dept. and we are very interested in
the possibility of using MythTV in our district.

I've been through the documentation, but I have a few questions.

In our case, we are not only looking for a simple DVR, but a network
distribution utility.

Our goal is to have a way for teachers to access recordings in their
classroom through a "frontend" device, that would in turn connect to a
central server with the video storage. It sounds like MythTV would support
this. Also, teachers would need to be able to access cable and Satellite
through the frontend.

I do realize that a cheap server wouldn't work for this environment, and
would be willing to purchase a high-end server to handle the capacity of
the High School. (There would be a server in each building). 

My question is, how many frontend devices can a MythTV server support
concurrently? At the high school, there would be about 45 classrooms with
front end units. (Realistically, they all wouldn't be using them at the
same time.)

What would you say the specs of a server would need to be to support at
least 10 frontends at the same time? The front end devices and the server
would be on their own segment of a 1-Gig backbone network so bandwidth
shouldn't be an issue.

We do understand that only one teacher would be able to change the channel
for live TV at a time (or satellite). What would happen if a second user
tried to change the channel when another person is already controlling the
source? Can multiple people at least see, but not control, cable through
the Front End utility?

Last, but not least, I see that MythTv supports adding multiple recording
servers. Can we add a second recording server (or server with different
sources) and integrate it with the overall program guide that the frontend
use, or would the frontend machines have to be changed to point to a
second server to see the programming available on it?

I ask because we also have DVD players we want to add as a source (a
single channel in the program guide) and to be available to staff. (We
realize that remote control of the DVD players isn't possible this way.)

Thank for you any assistance you can provide! We are planning on getting a
Monolith box for the Video Server.

Signed,
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Alan Owen
Assistant to the Director of Information Services
Hermon Information Services/Hermon School Department
"Using Technology to Empower All Students to Succeed in a Changing World."
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