[mythtv-users] Output to h.264

[Joseph Fry]

On Thu, Aug 5, 2010 at 2:08 PM, mike at grounded.net <mike at grounded.net> wrote:

> This isn't an argument, I think people are over analyzing this. I'm simply
> asking for input so that I can determine steps to take.
>
> > This argument doesn't make sense at all -- you say you want to replace
> > 'power hungry' modulators with Computer systems running MythTV???   So
> > going from 10-20W per modulator to 200-400W per computer?
>
> Yes, the modulators use about 10W each and I've got 15 or so sitting in a
> rack. I have camera's, various video players, DTV boxes and so on connected
> to these things. Each outputs it's own channel onto the coax and we simply
> tune into what ever channel we want to watch.
>
> I have a lot of hardware running at any given time since my environment is
> a development one. Most of my computers are in fact blade chassis and I have
> older ones which could be used for this since they are sitting idle.
>
> So yes, I would be using more power by about 150W per blade in fact.
> However, by doing this, I would also eliminate the modulators and have
> better use of the video if it were on the LAN. So it's not really a power
> savings need but it would allow me to get rid of these modulators which are
> mostly mono anyhow.
>
> In the process, I would learn something new and interesting.
>
> > In order to use MythTV properly, you need one or more Backend servers,
> with
> > one or more tuners (to capture the video content), and one or more
> frontend
> > systems connected via ethernet (to play back the content).
>
> As I understand at this time, a front end is any device which can talk to
> the backend. Meaning, it could be another myth box or it could be a set top
> box which talks with the backend. I would want a set top box which allows
> for IR signals so that when I am tuned to a certain backend, I could in turn
> control that device, such as pausing live TV, etc.
>
> > You can also use the UPnP functionality in Myth to play it's recordings
> on -
> > many- (but not all) upnp players, without the need to build a full
> > frontend, but with much less functionality than a 'real' frontend system.
>
> > (IE: No scheduling recordings, searching, etc.)
>
> For example, perhaps I would have a full front end (assuming you mean a
> full blown PC) for my home theater setup. But for any other TV or PC in the
> building, the above is what I am interested in.
>
> I'm just trying to get a handle on all of the components that I need to do
> this. I have plenty of hardware to build as many backends as I need or I
> could stuff at least some of it into a PC like I have now for testing. In
> this case, I have the nvidia card, local TV card and satellite card.
>
>

You keep talking about backends as though they are video sources... they are
not.  A backend is simply a mythtv server.  Every myth setup has one master
backend with the database... and may have additional backends and/or
frontends.  A frontend can also be a backend too, or even the master
backend.

A backend can have many video sources, including analog video capture
devices, firewire enabled cable company provided tuners, digital TV tuners,
satellite tuners, etc.  All video is recorded to disk from one of these
sources and made available for playback via a frontend, mythweb, and/or
UPNP.  Watching one of these video sources (inputs) live is possible,
however it is rarely done... typically people just record what they want to
watch.

Mythtv is not a video distribution system like you use now... it's a video
recording and playback system like TIVO, but with some added benefits of
being a distributed system with seperate frontends and backends.  Mythtv
would make a terrible video distribution system, as each frontend playing a
video would have it's own independant stream of data from the backend.  It's
not a broadcast onto your network that you can just "tune" into.

I think  you need to really study what mythtv is, and what it isn't and
decide if it's the right tool for the job of replacing your current
system... I have a feeling it isn't.
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