mythtv

Interested in setting up a MythTV-based media center, but don't know enough about Linux? Just as Ubuntu is designed to make Linux accessible to the casual user, Mythbuntu is designed to bring media center software to the masses. Of course, that's what Windows Vista does, but for anyone interested in open source applications, MythTV is the way to go, and Mythbuntu makes installation a relatively painless process.

The current version is a public alpha, so don't expect everything to work perfectly. But if you download the disc image, burn it to a CD, pop it in your computer and reboot, you should load up a MythTV frontend. That's the part that lets you interact with media. If you want a fully functioning media center that can record record television shows, you'll want to install the backend as well. If you've already got a backend machine running, you can access it from the frontend included on the liveCD.

Still, the LiveCD is a great option for anyone who wants to see how MythTV works without having to repartition or reformat their hard drive.

In a fit of nostalgia, Mike Garcen over at Missing Remote took a trip down memory lane and wrote up a brief history of HTPC technology.

If you're a long time tinkerer, you've probably been finding ways to watch TV on your PC since the late 90s. I'll never forget the thrill of installing my first ATI All-in-Wonder card, only to realize that garbage in = garbage out. I didn't have cable at the time, and trying to encode digital video from bunny ears wasn't the smartest move I'd ever made.

Ironically, 8 years later I've just picked up an HDTV antenna in the hopes of recording over-the-air high definition signals with a PCI TV tuner.

Garcen also takes a look at some early HTPC cases, remote controls, and HDTV sets you may have had your eye on back in 1996.

Ubuntu and its siblings Kubuntu and Xubuntu are widely considered some of the easiest Linux distributions for non-geeks to set up and use. But that doesn't make setting up a Linux based media center any simpler.

Sure, you could just install Knoppmyth or Mythdora if all you want is a PC running MythTV. But what if you want a multipurpose PC?

Well, there's some good documentation for setting up a MythTV frontend, backend, or both on Ubuntu 7.04 Feisty Fawn. A backend is a machine that can record TV shows and store photos, videos, and music. It acts as a server, letting frontend PCs on the network play back those files. Or you can install a frontend and a backend on a single PC.

The process isn't quite as simple as installing PC-based software like BeyondTV or SageTV, but the walkthrough makes installation about as easy as it gets.

So with all this talk about the AppleTV, it's easy to forget that a Mac Mini isn't much larger and doesn't cost much more. And it's a complete computer. So sure, you could spend your time hacking the AppleTV to add support for extra video codecs, Joost, and external hard drives. Or, as Ars Technica points out, you could just make your Mac Mini into your Home Theater PC.

Ars takes a look at various software that can handle video, movies, music, and photos. All Macs ship with Front Row these days, but it has limited file support out of the box. So the article also explores Xhub, Media Central, iTheater, Center Stage, and MythTV as alternatives.

It's important to keep in mind that most of these solutions do not include PVR functionality out of the box. That's partly because the Mac Mini doesn't come with a TV tuner. You can pick up an external tuner and slap on some EyeTV software, but it might not integrate perfectly with your HTPC software of choice.

If Windows Media Center's not your cup of tea, and MythTV is too complicated to set up, you might want to check out LinuxMCE. The program is described as an open-source add-on for Ubuntu, with a 10-foot user interface for a PVR, media center, and automated home control center.

Just a quick warning, this video contains some hardcore Microsoft-bashing, and a narrator with a really smug voice.

CTpvr version 2.1 is out, and while the software isn't as well known as PC based PVRs like Windows Media Center, SageTV, or BeyondTV, CTpvr does have a few nifty features, like support for picture-in-picture.

Here's some of the new features in version 2.1:

• CTpvr now includes its own subscription-free TV listing data, with support for multiple channel lineups.
• Support for alternate composite video input
• Additional hardware support
• Some UI tweaks
• Import video, music, and recording information via plugins
• Play movie trailers for files stored in video libraries

CTpvr is available for $30, or you can run a free trial version for 15 day.

[via Missing Remote]

If you are a PVR enthusiast and it comes time to choose a new PVR, do you build it yourself and possibly save some money, or do you play it safe and buy an off the shelf solution?

DVR Playground decided to toss two of the top PVR solutions into the ring together to see who would win: MythTV or the TiVo Series 3. Some of the factors that they looked at included ease of use, setup and the features included with each product.

DVR Playground made sure to note that the biggest downfall about using MythTV (and most do-it-yourself PVR's) is the hassle involved with setting it up. Whether it be the actual software setup, or even choosing the right hardware (think surround sound and hi-def output), things are never quite as straightforward as is you had a manufactured PVR.

However, if you are technical enough that you feel comfortable playing with the guts of a computer, then MythTV is probably your better choice. But if you are giving this Grandma and you don't want to get calls every day when she can't watch her soap operas, then the good old TiVo is probably your friend.