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Build Your Own Linux PVR
linuxwrangler writes "A few weeks ago Russell Pavlicek, Infoworld's 'Open Source' columnist mentioned a personal linux video time-shifter (PVR) he built. In response to reader requests he has now posted a page describing the project." Escaping the monthly fees of TiVo is a good motivation -- and the total cost here isn't bad either.
In his first article:
"I remember how the process used to go when I'd scope out solutions in the closed-source world. There would be brochures to peruse. There would be data sheets read. Maybe there would be crippleware demos to run. And then there would be a solution to buy.
Unfortunately, this takes time. Significant time. And in the Internet age, time is critical.
But in the world of open source, I had several options right on my Linux CD. I didn't have to waste time with endless marketing materials."
But you DID have to waste time compiling, testing, setting up, configuring, tweaking, this that and the other thing. I mean c'mon. I've seen (and used) several proprietary solutions that work great with *uncrippled* time-trial demos.
And then you had to waste the time searching for compatible hardware, testing that, taking it back to the store, arguing for a refund, paying 15% restocking, trying something else, etc, etc.
And then you get to the box itself. I'm sorry but a Celeron 400? Sure it might 'work', but not all that well. My p3 600 had trouble capturing tv quality streams without siginificant losses. And it at least had the benefit of UDMA/100 and a 133mhz FSB.
Meh, so some guy made a shitty (functionally and aesthetically) PC that runs linux and plugged it into his TV. Kudo's to you, sir.
I'd really like to do something like this, and use linux to do it. But this guy is full of it. I hate when zealots pretend to be informative.
Gimme a useful article, not a thinly veiled 'MS is TeH SUCK Liniz is tEH GODE!' troll.
I don't need no instructions to know how to rock!!!!
Bullshit! Apparently he doesn't have a wife that feels the need to carry on a conversation right in the middle of a critical part of the show. ;-)
and likewise, the rewind feature comes in handy so you can reply what you just missed when the "conversation" started, before you could pause
For $300 that this cost, you could have a TiVO. And TiVO works fine w/o a subscription, you just don't get the guide and suggestions that you do with the monthly fee. And it's kludged beyond all belief.
So this guy built a box that 'kinda' works (15fps, vis problems, etc). Check out the AVScience HTPC (home theatre PC) forums at http://www.avsforum.com (Under the HT PC section, they have a dedicated HTPC Linux section).
The main reason I went with TiVo (before I understood all of the other cool things it does) was because of the limitations of the VCR and tape. I wanted more than 8 shows per week. All VCRs I saw were limited in this capability. I also have to watch all 8 hours of the tape before I can use it again. Not all shows are the same priority, so I don't always want to watch them all before another more important show is on. With a hard disk based recorder (home brew or purchased), this is not an issue. If you want to save it forever, just record to a tape.
Yes, but similar solutions, can be used all over the world...
Not just in the USA.
http://jesus.everdense.com/
Sure you say you can do a Tivo cheaper. Maybe. But to me, the advantages of doing this outweigh the advantages of Tivo. I personally don't care for the thumbs uping and thumbs downing. I know what I want to watch and I don't want it recording anything else. Couple other folks mentioned the Freevo project and that interests me alot. But a lot of folks forget what you could do. You could hack the program a bit and add a button that lets you Zap a show to a standard DVD-R. You could use NFS and make a similar pc with a WiFi card in it, but minimal hard drive and a TV out card and have the view your recorded shows on any tv. Or start watching it in the living room, pause and go to the bedroom to finish. You could run samba and then mount a disc and setup a doze machine for your kids and they can watch Seasame Street in their room (no TV needed). I could go on, but I would have a rather long post. The advantages far outweigh they nice package Tivo provides.
Gorkman
the company with the worst pop-up/under ads ever
Just as MP3.com is only one vendor of MPEG audio files, X10.com is only one vendor of devices that follow the X-10 power-line data communication protocol.
Will I retire or break 10K?
The TV stations want their schedules to be known to as many people as possible, as that's the way they attract a larger audience (and hence ratings go up and they can charge more for advertising). Most offer their lineups on their own sites, with minimal advertising (typically they just advertise their own shows), but to scrape each of these individually would be a daunting task.
What's interesting about XMLTV is that the original author (IMHO) is more concerned with the XML file format than with actually scraping content. It's a full-featured and well-designed markup language for TV programs, and could/should become the defacto standard in disemmenating schedules. If some of the major networks were to offer this openly, and people like me began using it, I think it could catch on, with all tv stations jumping on the bandwagon. Then middlemen like TVguide would have to rethink their business model.
It's too bad information is so expensive... it doesn't have to be.
What's wrong with you people? For years, everyone whined that Linux was being ignored in the server market, in the embedded market, etc.
Suddenly, a few years ago, TiVo produced a Linux-based PVR. They even (*GASP!*) encouraged hacking it!
Now, you want to "avoid the service cost?"
Brilliant. Take one of the few companies that stands to actually make a successful business based on Linux, and attempt to put them out of business because you're too cheap to pay $12 a month for the service, to support a company that has supported the Linux community over the years.
What, exactly, is the reason for not wanting to support TiVo? Besides being complete skinflints, that is...if you can't afford $12/mo., you shouldn't be spending $300-500 for a luxury item like a PVR in the first place.
.@.