MythTv
Latest
XBMC celebrates 10 years, latest build works in mainline PVR and Raspberry Pi support
First, we must congratulate the entire XBMC team on reaching the tenth anniversary of one of the project's first betas hitting the internet, when Yet Another Media Play (YAMP) and Xbox Media Player joined forces to create something beautiful. It's outlived the original console by far, powered other projects and spinoffs (Boxee, Plex, GeeXBox -- just to name a few) and is still going strong. Just to show how much progress it's making there's a new monthly build that adds two features most will have to wait for XBMC 12 Frodo to try out. If you like to live on the edge, the September cycle includes mainline PVR support, which pulls in TV broadcasts thanks to PVR add-ons like MythTV or MediaPortal, as well as integrated support for the Raspberry Pi. Other tweaks include performance enhancements on Android, better picture zooming and rotation on mobiles and much, much more. Hit the source links for a full changelog and details on what dangers running a build hot off the presses may entail.
MythTV updated to 0.26, hints at 'more exciting' 0.27 coming next year
After releasing one long-awaited update back in April, venerable media PC platform MythTV has quickly pushed out another update to version 0.26. The changelog isn't particularly long this time around, though it does claim HTTP Live Streaming playback and recording, some clock tweaks and the requisite performance improvements. With that wrapped, the team has already shifted its focus to the next version, 0.27, which it says should be a more exciting release. It's scheduled for release in April of next year so we'll mark our calendars -- in pencil, not pen.
MythTV 0.25 is finally available with a bundle of new features
One year, four months and 30 days after its last major release, MythTV has -- after a short delay -- released v0.25 to the world. We've already discussed many of its new features including DirectX acceleration, out of the box support for CableCARD tuners, AirPlay and HTTP Live Streaming, but there are others, like HDMI-CEC control, 3D support, improved audio and more. Hit the source link to get your dose of open sourced media center action, we'll check in in another ten years for version 0.5.
MythTV turns 0.25, is actually ten in human years
Perhaps it's to help it keep that start-up vibe but, for whatever reason, on the eve of its tenth birthday MythTV is about to release version 0.25. That's right, it's the two bit anniversary of one of our favorite open source HTPC programs. So, what's new in this edition? A lot. In fact, for full details you'll have to hit up the changelog at the source. But, we can guarantee that the new MythTV Services API will open up a whole new frontier to devs. If you're looking for more, well, don't worry -- the creators have also added support for IPv6, AirPlay, HTTP Live Streaming, and DirectX acceleration. For more details and to download the beta for yourself, hit up the source link.Update: One more major feature added to 0.25 is the support for CableCARD tuners. That capability was added to 0.24 through patches, but this next version supports it out of the proverbial box.
Code wizardry turns MythTV into Windows legend
There are plenty of myths that surround MythTV: it's for hardcore enthusiasts only, you need a dedicated Linux box and that it's totally incompatible with Redmond's offerings. Whilst Microsoft HTPC users could previously access recordings, they didn't get the live TV, commercial skipping and DVR powers that the software is famous for. That's all changing, thanks to a group of developers who have ported the native front end to Windows. You can either grab a pre-compiled binary of the project, or for those who wish to do it themselves, follow our source link to find all the details.
HDHomeRun Prime TV tuner passes CableLabs tests - Update: Preorder pulled, 6-tuner ships first
We've been waiting for SiliconDust's CableCARD-compatible HDHomeRun Prime for a little over a year and it seems finally ready to bring its triple tuner TV magic home, having gained CableLabs certification as of April 28th and subsequently showing up for preorder on Amazon. While this is mostly big news for Windows Media Center fans who need a new way to get premium channels on their box it also supports other DVR software like MythTV on Copy Freely-marked content. HTPC builders don't have to choose between this HDHR3-CC and the (suddenly in abundant supply and still $399) Ceton InfiniTV 4 just yet, since the listing has no shipping date and the last we'd heard from SiliconDust was that preorders would ship around 30 days after it completed certification. Check out our hands-on impressions from CES a few months ago if you're on the fence, but right now all that's standing between you and that grey box is a little bit of time... and $207. Update: According to a post on its forum, SiliconDust confirmed the HDHomeRun Prime has been certified and an email announcement will follow shortly, however it expects to deliver a 6-tuner Theater version first with the three tuner box appearing afterwards. The post also notes sites are "incorrectly listing" the HDHomeRun Prime for preorder and "will not be first in line for delivering product" so you may want to wait for the official word on which "major retailer" has the go-ahead to make sure you're first in line. The option to preorder disappeared from Amazon this morning, we'll let you know when and where the option to purchase pops up next. [Thanks, robniep] %Gallery-113086% [Thanks, Neil]
CableLabs amends OCUR spec, tuner sharing and MythTV are on
We told you that CableLabs had received a few requests to amend the OCUR spec that dictates what a CableCARD tuner for a PC can and can't do, and as expected the organization that many love to hate has come through -- we, expected it anyways. The first change is the most significant which is that each tuner in an OCUR can be paired with different PCs at the same time. This lets you buy one quad tuner and use it on four HTPCs simultaneously; one tuner per PC (a single tuner can't be shared simultaneous though). When we originally asked CableLabs about changing this they said, maybe, but it'd take three to six months to run through the process. The other change we're glad didn't take forever to become a reality is the one that stated that even Copy Freely content had to be transmitted securely, which meant that Windows 7 Media Center was the only way to watch any CableCARD tuner stuff, and while there isn't much encrypted QAM content out there marked Copy Freely, MythTV and SageTV fans will have access to at least some premium HD content. This isn't as big a deal as changing the meaning of Copy Once to something less draconian, it is welcomed news for those who just received their InfiniTV 4 (pictured above) and felt constrained by the old rules. We're sure there could be considerable time between when the change is made official and when the firmware is released to the public, but hopefully Ceton and SiliconDust don't waste any time making it happen.
HDHomeRun Prime with CableCARD might work with MythTV after all
We've been following the developments of SiliconDust's HDHomeRun Prime for some time and while there's still no word on when it'll be ready to sell, the latest interesting news is that SiliconDust hopes to make it work with MythTV. Unfortunately the OCUR spec requires that any content marked Copy Once, or worse, be locked down with PlayReady DRM before it leaves the tuner, and there's almost no chance of that changing. But believe it or not there is plenty of programming delivered via encrypted digital cable that is marked Copy Freely (depending on your provider of course). So apparently CableLabs is considering a engineering change recommendation made by SiliconDust that would allow Copy Freely content to stream to DVR software that isn't CableLabs certified, and thus can't participate in the encrypted connection -- yes that's right, the content is encrypted as well as the communications between the hardware and software -- which means that software like MythTV could work with the tuner. Depending on your provider and your DVR software of choice this could be very good news.
Apple TV linux bootloader
If the native hackability of the version of OS X on the Apple TV isn't enough for you, there's now a convenient boot loader that allows you to install linux. This also opens up the possibility of running linux based video software, particularly MPlayer, Myth TV, and XMBC. Further, since there are linux drivers for the NVIDIA hardware decoder in the Apple TV there's also the possibility of higher resolution 1080i output as opposed to the 720p it's normally limited to. Unfortunately, this is project is still in the early stages and none of this is working perfectly yet. Nonetheless, it's a interesting development on the Apple TV hacking front.[via Apple TV Hacks]
MythTV 0.21 available, adds ClearQAM support via HDHomeRun
It's been a while since we checked in on the MythTV project, just updated to version 0.21, most notably adding QAM recording for HDHomeRun owners. If merely recording unencrypted HDTV via cable isn't enough, upgraded users may notice lowered memory consumption, the ability to record main and/or secondary audio channels, a couple new official plugins and a bunch of other tweaks. Check the wiki for the full list and get your Linux DVR going.[Via TV Squad]
Monolith Media Center brings MythTV to the technophobe
If MythTV's promise of a free Windows Media Center alternative sounds exciting, but you can't quite bring yourself to navigate the trials of a Linux install on your own, then you might be interested in Monolith's pre-built Media Center PCs, which come with MythTV pre-installed on top of Ubuntu Linux. Models start at $650, and include a remote, an IRBlaster, and free electronic programming guide access -- none of those silly TiVo-style monthly fees. Specs range from a single analog tuner to dual HDTV tuners, and you can get a 400GB HDD and DVD burner as well. The 3.2GHz P4 CPU isn't exactly cutting edge, but all the same, the Monolith box should be fine for someone who doesn't want to mess with setup, and isn't afraid to spend a bit more than they would otherwise.
Stream MythTV content to any 3G phone
When a person is on a mission, he/she can accomplish anything, no matter how Rube Goldberg-esque the solution turns out to be, so you can forgive Gary Lerhaupt's rather complicated how-to on streaming recorded programs to any 3G-enabled cellphone. Far too detailed to go into the specifics here, Lerhaupt's method basically programs your MythTV box to send recorded TV shows to a computer running Apple's open source Darwin Streaming Server software, which sets up dedicated URLs for each file and allows you to stream from your handset's browser at will. Those without pretty decent tech skillz should probably not attempt this one, as even the how-to assumes some knowledge of 3gp video conversion, script running, and something called an rtsp streaming protocol; instead, you're probably better off spending a few extra bucks on that Windows Mobile phone and employing the no-brainer solutions that the good folks at Orb and Sling Media have already come up with.
New MythTV media centers available
Got to be honest with ya. Home theater boxes are a dime-a-dozen any more. Slap some hardware into a desktop enclosure home theater case, throw in a big hard drive, install Windows Media Center and call it day. This box is a bit different. OpenMedia has a mythTV based systems available for purchase. It appears, based on a link on their site, that they use the KnoppMyth release of mythTV. This is a cool and easy type of the Linux system as it animates a lot of the installation and set up of mythTV. These home theater PCs can be upgraded to met your specifications and are currently available for sale; they start at $1500.[via Digg]
MythTV update available
MythTV, a Linux-DVR alternative to WMCE that supports HDTV via over-the-air, just announced a sizable upgrade. Version 0.19 has an abundant list of features and fixes, so we won't bore you with the full list; you can read it while you download the latest and greatest version. Actually we'll share one just because use a similar function on the Xbox 360 as a Windows Media Extender: a popup keyboard so you don't have to use the remote for text input. And then there's the new support for DTS passthrough audio. Don't forget the signal monitoring support. Oh wait, we said we weren't going to hit you with the list...[via eHomeUpgrade]
Build a better HTPC with Engadget
Eliot Phillips just built a killer HTPC over at Engadget, maybe he had some DTV-envy from our WMCE how to? It's all good because he's got space for a killer amount of storage in the box: can you say 4TB in the future? There's no HDTV tuner in the box just yet, buy we forgive him; besides, he's already stated his intentions to add a card that's both OTA and QAM-capable. The HTPC costs a little more than a grand, but has some spunky components including an Intel P4 at 3.0GHz, 2GB of memory, and an inexpensive graphics card can power a 1920 x 1200 display. The step-by-step instructions are easy to follow if you want your very own HTPC that runs MythTV on Linux, but we'll warn you now: due to graphic pics of PC guts throughout the post, viewer discretion is advised.
How-To: Build a practical HTPC
We've seen a lot of home theater PCs lately and being in need of a new workstation, we decide to build one of our own. We started planning by looking around to see what others had done. It would be fun to own a HD capable 2TB box , but we're not going to drop $7,400. SnapStream's 11-tuner performance art piece looked fun too, but not practical. Even Ars Technica and ExtremeTech had decent looking guides, but both systems broke $2K. We wanted to build a machine that had: Good desktop performance Long life through upgradability Cost close to $1,000 So here's how we did it, click on to check it out!
Where's the Linux Media Center?
If someone has the time to cook up the excellent Xbox Media Center modification, why isn't there a killer media center setup for Linux PC's? Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols investigates, pointing out MythTV and a few others, but seems mostly unsatisfied.Also for the interested is a rundown on how to get MythTV up and running with Linux (via digg) thats a bit less complicated that the guide we previously posted.
