On explaining MythTV (and why some parts are hard)

Because I've mentioned it a lot recently, I want to take a stab at explaining MythTV as a system.

MythTV is a software project that has as its goal the "Mythical Convergence of Television and Computing". The end result should be a vastly improved system for watching video: what you want, when you want it, how you want it.

The various components can each run on separate computers, or all on one, or on as many as you want.

Required bits:

• master backend -- you need exactly one of these. It handles all the scheduling and recording decisions, and bosses around everything else. You must have at least one tuner configured for the master backend.
  
• database -- you need exactly one of these, and it must be a MySQL database.
  
• frontend -- you can have as many of these as you want. All user interaction, including watching video and scheduling it, is done here.
  
• tuner -- you need at least one, but can add as many as you have the hardware to support. Each tuner brings in video from an outside source -- typically TV of some flavor.
  
• program schedule source -- you need one for each tuner, but tuners with exactly the same channels available can share sources. In the US, the easiest to deal with is Schedules Direct, which will sell you a year of programming information for $20, for as many as four different sources.
  

All of that can be installed easily, by non-nerds.

Optional bits:

• slave backend(s) -- can handle recording and postprocessing under the direction of the master backend.
  
• extra frontends -- so you can watch several programs in different locations.
  
• DVD and/or CD burner -- to copy out programs, in VCD/SVCD format, DVD, or just the raw files.
  
• television output -- most modern video cards have DVI output, and most HDTVs have HDMI or DVI input. That's easy. If you want to use a VGA monitor, that's easy too. But if you have a standard TV that you want to watch on, you'll need a video card that has SVideo or Composite output.
  
• remote control and IR sensor -- because people like to wave their magic wands about
  

On television.

Considering only television in the US, there are five common program types:

• NTSC -- standard analog television
  
• ATSC 480i -- standard digital television
  
• ATSC 480p -- enhanced digital
  
• ATSC 720p -- high-def digital, used by ABC, FOX, ESPN
  
• ATSC 1080i -- high-def digital, used by NBC, CBS, PBS
  

Those programs can get to you via:

• over-the-air (OTA) analog TV broadcast -- going away next year
  
• OTA digital
  
• satellite, via a box that will output NTSC on SVideo or Composite jacks, and ATSC on DVI/HDMI and Component jacks
  
• cable, same as satellite
  
• the internet
  
• DVDs, VHS, etc.
  

In order to set up a tuner, you need to have hardware that matches the kind of signal you have available, and
operating system support to drive it. Here are the tuner types that MythTV currently or should soon support:

• dumb framebuffer capture card
  
• smart MPEG2 capture cards
  
• ATSC over USB
  
• ATSC over PCI
  
• ATSC over ethernet
  
• NTSC to MPEG4 over USB
  
• component capture at ATSC resolution to MPEG4 over USB
  
• DVB Satellite capture
  
• DVB Terrestrial capture
  
• DV over FireWire
  

Most of those have multiple manufacturers, models, submodels, and quirky software interfaces. Many cannot be automatically recognized.

But all you wanted to do was watch television.

A TivoHD costs about $180 plus $400 for a lifetime subscription to their programming schedule feed. Setup time is about 15 minutes. It can record two shows at once, doesn't do many of the fancy things that MythTV can do, but is much, much simpler to deal with.

On explaining MythTV (and why some parts are hard)

Because I've mentioned it a lot recently, I want to take a stab at explaining MythTV as a system.

MythTV is a software project that has as its goal the "Mythical Convergence of Television and Computing". The end result should be a vastly improved system for watching video: what you want, when you want it, how you want it.

The various components can each run on separate computers, or all on one, or on as many as you want.

Required bits:

• master backend -- you need exactly one of these. It handles all the scheduling and recording decisions, and bosses around everything else. You must have at least one tuner configured for the master backend.
  
• database -- you need exactly one of these, and it must be a MySQL database.
  
• frontend -- you can have as many of these as you want. All user interaction, including watching video and scheduling it, is done here.
  
• tuner -- you need at least one, but can add as many as you have the hardware to support. Each tuner brings in video from an outside source -- typically TV of some flavor.
  
• program schedule source -- you need one for each tuner, but tuners with exactly the same channels available can share sources. In the US, the easiest to deal with is Schedules Direct, which will sell you a year of programming information for $20, for as many as four different sources.
  

All of that can be installed easily, by non-nerds.

Optional bits:

• slave backend(s) -- can handle recording and postprocessing under the direction of the master backend.
  
• extra frontends -- so you can watch several programs in different locations.
  
• DVD and/or CD burner -- to copy out programs, in VCD/SVCD format, DVD, or just the raw files.
  
• television output -- most modern video cards have DVI output, and most HDTVs have HDMI or DVI input. That's easy. If you want to use a VGA monitor, that's easy too. But if you have a standard TV that you want to watch on, you'll need a video card that has SVideo or Composite output.
  
• remote control and IR sensor -- because people like to wave their magic wands about
  

On television.

Considering only television in the US, there are five common program types:

• NTSC -- standard analog television
  
• ATSC 480i -- standard digital television
  
• ATSC 480p -- enhanced digital
  
• ATSC 720p -- high-def digital, used by ABC, FOX, ESPN
  
• ATSC 1080i -- high-def digital, used by NBC, CBS, PBS
  

Those programs can get to you via:

• over-the-air (OTA) analog TV broadcast -- going away next year
  
• OTA digital
  
• satellite, via a box that will output NTSC on SVideo or Composite jacks, and ATSC on DVI/HDMI and Component jacks
  
• cable, same as satellite
  
• the internet
  
• DVDs, VHS, etc.
  

In order to set up a tuner, you need to have hardware that matches the kind of signal you have available, and
operating system support to drive it. Here are the tuner types that MythTV currently or should soon support:

• dumb framebuffer capture card
  
• smart MPEG2 capture cards
  
• ATSC over USB
  
• ATSC over PCI
  
• ATSC over ethernet
  
• NTSC to MPEG4 over USB
  
• component capture at ATSC resolution to MPEG4 over USB
  
• DVB Satellite capture
  
• DVB Terrestrial capture
  
• DV over FireWire
  

Most of those have multiple manufacturers, models, submodels, and quirky software interfaces. Many cannot be automatically recognized.

But all you wanted to do was watch television.

A TivoHD costs about $180 plus $400 for a lifetime subscription to their programming schedule feed. Setup time is about 15 minutes. It can record two shows at once, doesn't do many of the fancy things that MythTV can do, but is much, much simpler to deal with.