Re: MythTV

[Hal Vaughan <hal@thresholddigital.com>]

On Wednesday 29 June 2005 09:14 pm, Paul Johnson wrote:
> On Wednesday June 29 2005 10:38 am, Matt Price wrote:
> > just curious -- how much do you figure on spending for this
> > project? I'm interested in MythTV too, but it seems quite expensive
> > to build one's own box compared e.g. to buyint a tivo.  am I wrong
> > about this?
>
> A couple key factors come into play when comparing a MythTV setup to a
> TiVo:
>
> 1) Do you already have the hardware to build a MythTV?
>
> This project will be considerably cheaper than TiVo if you already
> have the hardware lying around.
>
> 2) Do you plan on keeping your PVR around more than a couple years?
>
> MythTV will be cheaper than TiVo even with a lifetime subscription if
> you're in it for the super-long term.

One other consideration is if your service provider provides any type of 
service.  While I'm planning on eventually building a Myth TV box, I have 
Comcast, and they provide a DVR unit for free (which can be $300 or $400 or 
more for a TiVo), and their monthly fee is less than TiVo.  My Comcast DVR 
has a firewire port, but I understand that only works for HDTV output, which 
I don't yet have.  Otherwise, I could play back a program on my DVR directly 
to my VCR/DVD Burner box.  It also has an ethernet port, but I understand 
that isn't in use yet.  Still, with no upfront charge, it's nice to use until 
I get the time to build a system with MythTV, a CD ripper and playback system 
and everything else in one Linux based entertainment system to replace MOST 
of the equipment in my current entertainment center.

Also, I don't know if this is a factor or not, but most of the channels I want 
to record are digital cable (that includes BBC America, Sci-Fi and many 
others).  I don't know if Myth TV or any other homebrew system handles 
digital cable signals.

Hal