Using MythTV

Using A Myth Box From Day To Day

Ah, yes; the part you've all been waiting for.  :-)

This section identifies all the things you can do with a MythTV unit, and explains how they work and how to control them. Hopefully, it will also identify things which can be done more than one way, and point out the most effective choice (and why you might want to do it another way anyway).

MythTV is, as we've said, a very capable, powerful, and most of all expandable system. The practical effect of this is that as we go along, we will describe things which can only be done with more than the basic configuration, or which work differently if you have more than the basic configuration.

Conventions and notes

Screenshots will vary depending on the Theme you have chosen.

The remote commands refer to common names for remote control keys. In reality these map to physical keyboard key presses.

Remote Control Name	Keyboard Key Equivalent
Pause	p
Left Cursor	Left Arrow
Right Cursor	Right Arrow
Up Cursor	Up Arrow
Down Cursor	Down Arrow
Select	CR
Info	i

Watching Live TV

Changing channels

While watching live tv you can change channels with the "Cursor UP" and "Cursor Down" Keys. There is a pause of several seconds while MythTV buffers the new channel. People often find this pause disconcerting as they are typically coming from a normal TV where they are used to "Channel Surfing".

The way to overcome this is to put MythTV into "Browse Mode", instead of changing channels with the Cursor keys, you just display information on the next/previous programme in the OSD. Then when you see the programme you want press the Select key and Myth will then jump to that channel. You can set this behaviour by checking the box "Always use browse mode when changing channels in LiveTV" under TV settings ->Playback-On Screen Display

MythTV offers some of the most sought after features of modern Media Centres.

1. Pause Live TV

Pausing live tv is great when the phone rings during a show or your little ones need a comfort break during a movie.

By Pressing Pause Key on your remote the picture will freez, and MythTv will start to buffer live TV to the hard drive. An On Screen Display (OSD) will appear showing seconds behind realtime TV as well as how much live TV has been buffered

Press the Pause Key a second time to unpause live tv, you will now be watching behind live TV. This is referred to as Chase TV Playback for obvious reasons.

Press the Right Cursor Key to move in the stream

Press the "Left Cursor" Key to move backwards in the stream

2. Chase TV Playback

With Chase TV Playback the system can be recording live tv while you are watching the same programme behind realtime.

3. Electronic Programme Guide (EPG)

The Electronic programme guide will allow you to get more detailed information on what is being broadcast currently as well as programmes schedules that are coming up.

Press the "Info" Key , and the OSD will show information on what you are currently watching. The OSD will stay up for a default of 3 seconds and then fade out. You can set the duration in the TV settings ->Playback Settings->OSD

Press the "Menu" key and the On Screen Menu will show.

Select Programme Guide and the Full EPG will show.

4. Concurrent Channel Watching