Difference between revisions of "Frequently Asked Questions"

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See [[User Manual:Introduction]]
 
See [[User Manual:Introduction]]
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=== Q: I can't get ''insert component here'' working.  Help! ===
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A tried and true rule: Get it working '''outside''' of MythTV before you try to get it working inside.
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MythTV isn't an operating system.  It requires working components to work.  You would never try installing a PVR application on Windows before you got your video card, capture card, and audio system working perfectly.  Don't try to do it on Linux.
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Confirm that all of your hardware is working with an application outside of MythTV before attempting to run MythTV.  It will save you innumerable hours of barking up the wrong tree and generally make your MythTV experience better.
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=== Q: I upgraded X, Y, and Z and now everything is broken.  Help! ===
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The one piece of advice I can most often give Myth users is to keep it simple.  Distribution packages, automatic installers, and many other Linux packaging features have made it very easy to get a MythTV system installed by even the most novice MythTV user.  This does not mean that you should arbitrarily run apt-get/yum upgrade on a whim and install every package update that is available to you.
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MythTV is designed as a PVR appliance, first and foremost.  Once it is working, it should be hands off, even for what seems the most innocent of upgrades.  As tinkerers, most of us can't resist installing the lastest this, or the newest that.  But more often than not, a mass upgrade of every component on your system leads to trouble.
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'''If it ain't broke, don't fix it'''
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It may sound simple and foolish, but many people will tell you that once you have your MythTV system working, don't upgrade anything other than the MythTV application unless you absolutely have to.  If you want to tinker with the latest of everything, build a slave backend and mess with it there.
  
 
=== Q: How do I import recordings from other sources into Myth? ===
 
=== Q: How do I import recordings from other sources into Myth? ===

Revision as of 05:16, 24 January 2006

Q: What is MythTV?

See User Manual:Introduction

Q: I can't get insert component here working. Help!

A tried and true rule: Get it working outside of MythTV before you try to get it working inside.

MythTV isn't an operating system. It requires working components to work. You would never try installing a PVR application on Windows before you got your video card, capture card, and audio system working perfectly. Don't try to do it on Linux.

Confirm that all of your hardware is working with an application outside of MythTV before attempting to run MythTV. It will save you innumerable hours of barking up the wrong tree and generally make your MythTV experience better.

Q: I upgraded X, Y, and Z and now everything is broken. Help!

The one piece of advice I can most often give Myth users is to keep it simple. Distribution packages, automatic installers, and many other Linux packaging features have made it very easy to get a MythTV system installed by even the most novice MythTV user. This does not mean that you should arbitrarily run apt-get/yum upgrade on a whim and install every package update that is available to you.

MythTV is designed as a PVR appliance, first and foremost. Once it is working, it should be hands off, even for what seems the most innocent of upgrades. As tinkerers, most of us can't resist installing the lastest this, or the newest that. But more often than not, a mass upgrade of every component on your system leads to trouble.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it

It may sound simple and foolish, but many people will tell you that once you have your MythTV system working, don't upgrade anything other than the MythTV application unless you absolutely have to. If you want to tinker with the latest of everything, build a slave backend and mess with it there.

Q: How do I import recordings from other sources into Myth?

In the contrib folder of the MythTV sources, there is a script named myth.rebuilddatabase.pl which takes an "--ext" command-line option followed by a file extension. This will prompt the script to search for those files that match the extension and prompt you for information about them to import them into the database along-side your existing recordings.

Q: Are there any Debian (Sid) packages for MythTV?

Yes! Add this to your /etc/apt/sources.conf [1] (chapter 2 has config howto)

deb ftp://ftp.nerim.net/debian-marillat/ sid main

Then run (as root) apt-get update and then apt-get install mythtv

Q: Where do I get my TV guide data outside the US?

Australia:

  1. http://www.icetv.com.au (AU$3 per week subscription)
  2. http://immir.com/tv_grab_au (Free)
  3. http://www.tvguide.org.au (Free, requires registration?)

Netherlands

  1. http://visualization.tudelft.nl/~paul/grabber/
  2. http://www.addictivesoftware.net/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=3&Itemid=28

Q: Can I use MythTV without using my cable / satellite companies provided cable box?

United States:

  • Normal Analog Cable: Yes, you can usually use MythTV without their provided cable box
  • Digital Cable: In rare cases you can get analog cable off the same line, but typically no, you will need to continue to use the cable box
  • Satellite: No, you will need the satellite box

Q: Since I need to keep using my Cable/Sat box, how can I control it with MythTV?

A few different ways, and it depends on your specific hardware and the provider. Possibilities include Serial Control, USB Control, Firewire Control, and IR Blaster (using the PC as a programmable IR Remote Control). See the HOWTO for details

Q: Is MythTV development dead? Where is the next stable release?

No, the mythtv developers have been working hard.

An additional note - I'll be adding an "official" link from the main mythtv.org website as soon as 0.19's released (ie., one week-ish)

Isaac

So this should late January 2006.