Myth(HD)TV, part 2.

Geek said:

In part 2 of my Myth(HD)TV series I want to discuss an overview of the hardware and software that goes into building a MythTV based HTPC.

When I first started with MythTV it was in version .15 if my memory serves and it was a #$#!@$@ (for Beetle Bailey Fans) to setup and configure and required nothing short of "uber geek" status to accomplish. The project has matured significantly since then and thanks to the community there are modified Linux Distros dedicated to the project. Mythbuntu for instance makes configuring and setting up MythTV on a new system (or a virtual machine) and absolute cake walk.

When it comes to hardware for a new project I am definitely not one to run out and buy a bunch of new stuff. I scrounge up whatever I can find and build a frankenputer which usually gets referred to as "Sandbox" because in essence that is exactly what the computer is, my big boy sandbox. Once my proof-of-concept is operational then I look into buying new hardware to make it come alive.

Hardware requirements vary greatly based on the wants/needs of the user. My HTPC runs 24/7/365 so I do my best to keep the power consumption down while still having enough horsepower to do things such as transcoding video. If you have no desire to transcode video then an ultra low power CPU like the Intel Atom on an ION platform is perfect. My needs are a little hungrier than that. I use the MythWeb interface to stream back recorded shows online. If you've heard a Slingbox, I have enough of that functionality in MythWeb. It's not as easy to get to and use away from my home network, but it is possible.

The ability to stream video through MythWeb requires the HTPC to transcode the file to a reduced quality that is small enough to transfer over the Internet. That process requires a significant amount of resources and a more powerful CPU.

My current system consists of the following:

CPU: AMD64 X2 5050e (65Watt, 2.6GHz, Dual-Core, 64bit)

RAM: 4GB DDR2-800

HDD: 1x 500GB (System), 1x 1.5TB (User Files), 1x 750GB (MythTV Recordings) all are SATA II

For an operating system I run Ubuntu 64bit, but I've added on the Mythbuntu packages for ease of configuration. My suggestion for a dedicated Mythbox is to use Mythbuntu and if you want to use Boxee or Hulu, stick with 32bit unless you want to hate yourself and start over. Boxee doesn't have an official 64bit version and making the 32bit version work is a headache you don't want. Hulu on the other hand relies on Flash which is also a bit of a nightmare when it comes to 64bit Ubuntu. One thing that is really missing in my HTPC is the ability to stream Netflix, however I solved the problem by purchasing a blu-ray player with built-in support for Netflix streaming. Before that purchase I was considering a move to a Mac or even (God forbid) Windows based HTPC just for Netflix functionality.

TV tuners is where it gets really interesting because you need to know what source you are going to record from. There are so many possibilities.

1. OTA (over-the-air) broadcasts using an Antenna with an ATSC tuner.
2. Analog Cable broadcasts using an NTSC tuner.
3. Unencrypted Digital Cable broadcasts using a ClearQAM tuner.
4. Digital Encrypted Cable broadcasts using analog outputs of a STB (set-top box)
5. Digital Encrypted Cable broadcasts using a firewire enabled STB
6. Digital Encrypted Satellite broadcasts using analog outputs of a STB

Personally, I'm doing 2 and 3. I record analog cable and digital unencrypted cable which as far as I'm concerned are two of the three easiest setups. OTA for someone close enough to pick up the broadcasts with an antenna would be just as easy.

Anytime you involve a STB it will complicate matters and what's the point of recording an analog version of a digital broadcast? To be honest you'd be better off using the satellite service DVR. That's not to say that MythTV and an HTPC wouldn't be useful to you because it is way more than just a DVR which I will get into in future posts. Cable STB's can be a little different, the FCC requires that cable companies provide a STB with a functional firewire port upon request allowing the use of a DVR like MythTV to record the digital programming. Getting the cable company to enable the port on your STB will probably be a bit of a challenge, most are completely unaware of the FCC's requirement.

There are NTSC, ATSC, ATSC/ClearQAM and hybrid NTSC/ATSC/ClearQAM tuners, with single and multiple tuners in various configurations, but if you're using a set top box you want one with S-Video inputs as well. In part three of Myth(HD)TV I will go in depth on my TV tuner selection and why I chose the ones that I did.

Geek out...

She Said:

...she didn't say, but hopefully some day she'll chime back in. Farmville seems to be more important.

Myth(HD)TV, part 1.

Geek said:

Several years ago, around the year 2001 a former coworker of mine was trying out a piece of software and was experiencing some difficulty, he called me and challenged me to figure it out. My life would never be the same. This started my long and storied history with MythTV a Linux based DVR/Media Center application. I can't begin to tell you the number of hours I have put in making it work; accidentally breaking it and fixing it; replacing and upgrading hardware.

In the beginning I begged, borrowed and adopted old, used and unwanted hardware to create my Frankenstein Mythbox. It wasn't pretty but it got the job done. I managed to squeeze everything I could out of the hardware and was able to record two shows simultaneously which was a feat because it required the CPU to encode the analog video to digital on the fly. The quality was cranked down so low it looked worse than a VCR recording, but have you ever seen a VCR record two shows at once? A far cry from what my current system is capable of: 4 digital (HD) and 4 analog simultaneous recordings on a single mythbackend.

This post is the start of a series of HTPC posts centered around MythTV. However because I am a geek (and often times a glutton for punishment) I plan to play with Windows Media Center on Windows 7 as well as EyeTV on the Mac and will share my findings.

Geek out,

Sherm

She said:

A *free DVR (TiVo)? When Kelly first starting playing with the Myth TV (not meth, I've had to clarify that a few times), I didn't understand the benefit. This was when TiVo was either non-existent or just unheard of to most people. Essentially, what Kelly was doing, was using the computer to record tv shows, for later playback.

What made it different from a VCR (closest comparison at that time)? Well, we could record multiple shows at the same time on different channels, while watching live tv. The bigger benefit though was that you set the schedule once, through the web application. So, I named a show I like to watch but never get to see. Kelly would locate it in the schedule through the Myth web interface and click 'record'. No setting times and channels, no tapes to mess with, and it recorded that show every time it came on.

Now, it wasn't always roses. The 'Frankenstein' Kelly mentioned - he was using the old, crappy computer parts that weren't cutting it in other machines. This resulted in a lot of system failures and rebuilding work. Imagine building your house on sand, and you'll understand the difficulty this created.

As the Myth software became more sophisticated, we decided it was worth the investment of better hardware. Over the years, Myth has become an expectation in our home.

Of course - if you know anything about Kelly, you know that he's not satisfied with things working and running smoothly. He's continued to push the envelope with Myth. He set up a commercial skip method, where the system would id the commercial breaks and automatically skip them. This wasn't always perfect, there were times when we would miss some of the show as well. He has worked it to a science now and I haven't watched a commercial (outside of the Super Bowl) in two years.

Where does that bring us now? This year Kelly has been dabbling with other tv offerings, including Boxee and Hulu. For the past several months, we haven't watched tv from a tv - all from the computer to a wide screen computer monitor mounted in our bedroom. We use the apple remote (or iPod Touch) to select the show we want to watch and click play. This set up brings with it all the expected features of a dvr (Digital Video Recorder), with pausing, replaying, etc.

Kelly is now working on building our home theater PC set up (HTPC), and leveraging our dvr recordings as well as web based media such as Netflix streaming, Boxee and Hulu. The newest set up allows us to record up to 4 shows at once, in HD quality. I personally think this goal came from my challenge - "Why do we need a HD TV when everything we watch comes from Myth - which is all compressed video quality**?" Now the video quality is clear enough to project onto our 9' movie screen in the basement, with no pixalation.

To me - the absolute best part of this is the freedom to live our busy life, and watch the TV shows we actually enjoy, on our schedule. As a result, we, and our children, watch a lot less TV (and no commercials, not even to skip through them).

Stay tuned as Kelly continues to change and build this system as I point out opportunities for improvement.

*Free - we don't pay for any services,software or subscriptions, only the hardware of the machine. Plus, the time to tinker. (Geed Edit: We do pay about $20 a year for the TV listings and then there is that pesky monthly cable fee...)

**think of the fuzzy picture from trying to make a small picture into a poster

Wendi (Wifey)

Geek Said, She Said

...and it begins.

Geek Said:

I am a self proclaimed geek that works in IT and spends countless hours pounding the keys at home as well. My job duties include Mac and Windows desktop administration and imaging; Windows, Mac and Linux server administration; Cisco Voice-Over-IP telephony administration; Flash, Windows, Quicktime and Real media streaming; H.323 video conferencing support; Cisco ASA, Switch, and Router administration. About the only thing I don't do is Active Directory and Exchange administration, but I have done that in the past as well. At home I am constantly working to improve my home media center and occasionally play with some interesting technology.

My wife had an idea for me to do a blog titled "Geek Speak" where she would translate my geeky ramblings into easy-to-understand, not-so-techie, somebody-might-actually-read blog entries. A twist on her idea struck me almost immediately and "Geek Said, She Said" was born.

The idea is that I will still do my rambling and everybody will have an opportunity to not understand me, followed by my wife's interpretation of said rambling.

If you want to see short bursts of geek, follow me on Twitter.

Geek out,

Sherm

She Said:

Yes, my husband is a self proclaimed geek. His interests vary across platforms and devices and applications. I would consider him an early adopter and a tinker-er. Kelly has always enjoyed building and rebuilding systems and trying new things.

Kelly has a deep passion for technology and loves to share the progress of his different projects with friends of all technology levels. What that usually translates into - is a lot of people that don't understand what he's talking about. It's not uncommon for friends and family to comment on his facebook status with a 'I have know idea what your status means'. So - I consider my role in this blog, to take the projects he's working on and make them relevant to the average user.

I'll warn you - I'm in marketing, so its in my nature to take the details and translate them into features and benefits.

Note: I will always have Kelly review and approve my translations to ensure accuracy.

Wendi (Wifey)