[Discuss] MythTV: from bad to worse. Start over?

[mark at buttery.org (Shirley Márquez Dúlcey)]

On 12/5/2011 2:51 PM, Derek Martin wrote:
>
> Sure it will.  You can use TiVo Desktop to copy the backups back to
> TiVo.  They do need to be in a supported format, so you may need to
> transcode them, and yes you do need to copy them, but it can be done.

I think the original poster mentioned .ISO images of DVDs. TiVo 
certainly won't play those without transcoding. I don't think it will 
play directories containing the files from a DVD (the other common way 
of backing up DVDs) either; MythTV will, as will other computer 
applications such as VLC. So you can get there from here, but not 
without some work.

>> TiVo would also be an awkward solution if your high-resolution
>> display device is a computer monitor rather than a TV set, though
>> there are workarounds.
>
> Not so sure about that either. TiVo supports both HDMI and composite
> connections to my TV... and so does my computer monitor.  Though it
> has no speakers, but I believe it's possible to connect some.  On that
> point I'd need to double-check.  But TiVo also has standard RCA out,
> so ultimately this shouldn't be a problem.  A cheap
> RCA-to-1/8-inch adapter or cable (or whatever your speakers take) will
> solve it.

The inputs to a typical desktop monitor are VGA and DVI. TiVo doesn't 
have either of those outputs though a DVI to HDMI adapter will take care 
of that. Some newer monitors have HDMI inputs.

The audio situation I was thinking of is where all you have is a set of 
computer speakers connected to the computer that is currently being used 
for MythTV playback. If you're still going to be using that computer for 
some other purposes, you'll need a way to switch the speakers between 
the computer and the TiVo. Aside from that you're fine unless your 
computer has USB speakers (rare).

The HDMI output from TiVo carries audio (which is handy if you're using 
a new home theater receiver with HDMI switching) but the computer and 
monitor in the MythTV setup are unlikely to be able to take advantage of 
that.

So perhaps no showstoppers (I might consider the need to recode a stored 
DVD collection to be one) but certainly some stuff to deal with.