Boston Linux Meeting Wed, July 15, 2009 Another Look at MythTV and MythDora

[david-8uUts6sDVDvs2Lz0fTdYFQ at public.gmane.org]

> On Thu, Jul 09, 2009 at 10:53:29PM -0400, Bill Horne wrote:
>>   2. Advantages over a store-bought unit.
>
> Control. You are in charge. Don't like how something acts or
> looks? Change it. If you can record it in the first place, you
> can transcode it, commercial-flag it, edit it, burn it to a DVD,
> copy it to another machine, put it on a memory card or a USB
> stick or whatever. Want multiple front-ends playing from the
> same store of recordings? Change the interface because that one
> thing annoys you? Go right ahead.
>
> Basically, it's the same arguments as Linux vs Windows.

Some of the other advantages:

- The web interface is VERY powerful.  Being able to diddle with my
schedule, clean up conflicts, verify I recorded something, see the status,
or delete recordings I watched live is indispensible.

- Being able to import/export recordings. I can import DVDs or burn
recordings onto DVD.  I can copy the mpeg files onto my laptop to watch
stuff on vacation without a network connection.  Or transcode to my iPod. 
Or some other form factor.

- Very good commercial skipping.

- More ways to search for programming than you could imagine, down to the
level of actual SQL queries.  For instance, I have to manual searches that
look for names of people associated with a recording, one that sets up an
inactive recording, so matching shows will show in the "upcoming
recording" list so I can see them but won't record automatically, and
another with people I like more that will record the shows automatically. 
THAT's power.

- What do you do when your cable box DVR or Tivo dies?  You lose your
data.  With MythTV, you can back up your configuration/schedules or
recordings or both.