# Myth TV



## farlex85 (Mar 26, 2008)

So I am setting up a dvr w/ some of the spare parts I have lying around, and after a bit of research I think I am going to attempt to use Linux and Mythtv, as they are both free and open source. I have never used Linux before, so I was thinking I will probably use ubuntu to try to get me started learning the stuff.

Anyway, I need to get a capture card, and this deal is tempting me greatly: http://www.newegg.com/product/product.aspx?item=N82E16815153002

Its just so cheap. Plus I just have an old 27" crt tv, nothing special, so I don't need any super HDTV encoding atm. However, if the card won't won't work w/ linux, then it won't do me much good. So I was wondering basically: 

1) If anybody knows about this card
2) If anybody has used Mythtv
3) Or if anybody has any other tvtuners they can reccommend (cheap) or dvr programs to use (free).

Thanks in advance.


Oh yea and the other specs I am using for the dvr if needed are: 

Pentium D 915 2.8 Ghz
MSI 650i P6N
2 x 1 GB A-Data pc6400
ati x700 pro
450w psu
250 gb seagate


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## timta2 (Mar 26, 2008)

I wouldn't buy that card. Cheap tuner cards are usually cheap for a reason, um like they suck! You should probably save a little and buy one of the nice Hauppauge cards.

This might be a good place to start in educating yourself about MythTV. 
http://www.mythtv.org/wiki/index.php/Main_Page

There are also bootable ISO images of MythTV out there if you look around (torrentsites, etc) that will let you test things out before you actually install. 

I myself don't have a lot of experience with MythTV. I was going to setup a box until I discovered all of the TV torrent sites  Good Luck.


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## farlex85 (Mar 26, 2008)

Yea I've been reading that page, and will probably much more when it comes time. Their hardware compatibility list is a little lacking though. 

Yea I am also looking at some hauppauge, which I will probably go with, that one is just so cheap though.......


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## farlex85 (Mar 26, 2008)

How about this one: http://www.newegg.com/product/product.aspx?item=N82E16814122180

Could be the same thing, that ones seems to have a sketchy remote, which I will absolutely need.


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## stordoff (Mar 26, 2008)

Might be worth having a look at Mythbuntu

http://www.mythbuntu.org/


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## farlex85 (Mar 26, 2008)

Nice thanx. Bookmarked.


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## farlex85 (Mar 27, 2008)

Ok here is question #2, I have on demand programming right now, which I believe is digital cable. Is there any way to retain this function w/ a tvtuner? Will I need a specific function from it?


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## Zedicus (Mar 27, 2008)

there are tv cards that work with digital cable but they are pricey. and the cards that work the best with linux are the haupage line, they are pure hardware tuners and are really good. a way around digital cable would be to run a digital cable box into the aux input on a tuner card.

as for the distro, theres also knoppmyth, it is prolly the dead simplest way to go. i have a linux htpc that is very basic in its function so i didnt even need the complexity of mythtv. i am just using a customized oxine. it is a media player with a tv friendly gui.

if your sure u need all that functionality then definatly give knoppmyth a whirl. and the ati remote wonder can work pretty good in linux if you need a nice remote. sometimes the most dificult part is the video card and getting tv out to work, something like a ati 9550 or up would b pretty  simple to set up, yur x700 should b fine.


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## farlex85 (Mar 27, 2008)

Ok thanks for the advice. As for now, I might go the simplest route. I eventually would like to have a dvr/emulator/media player, ect. set up, but for now a simple dvr will do the trick. I might try the customized thing you were talking about.

I think I have decided to go w/ this tuner:http://www.newegg.com/product/product.aspx?item=N82E16815116625
as it seems to work well w/ linux. 

I am thinking my best bet for hooking it up to the tv is to run an s-video cable from the cpu through a rf modulator to coaxial to my tv. The picture quality will most likely suffer, but I don't see a way around that until I can get a better tv, and to me I think it will be acceptable. 

Any further advice would be appriciated.


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## Zedicus (Mar 27, 2008)

yeah thas a great tv card.

yur tv doesnt hav any other inputs other then the cable plug? if it does then you could get a video switch box, other wise the rf modulator will be yur only choice.  picture quality will suffer but on SD its not too noticeable anyways.


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## [I.R.A]_FBi (Mar 27, 2008)

get an ati 550 ...


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## farlex85 (Mar 27, 2008)

[I.R.A]_FBi said:


> get an ati 550 ...



Well, I don't wanna pay extra for hdtv, as I don't have an hdtv. I am going to get a new one when I do.


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## farlex85 (Mar 27, 2008)

Zedicus said:


> yeah thas a great tv card.
> 
> yur tv doesnt hav any other inputs other then the cable plug? if it does then you could get a video switch box, other wise the rf modulator will be yur only choice.  picture quality will suffer but on SD its not too noticeable anyways.



No sadly my tv only has a coaxial input. I bought it for like $50 like 7 years ago. I have staved off buying a new one until hdtv prices come down a bit.


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## Zedicus (Mar 27, 2008)

tricky thing thouse HDtv's.   and overpriced they are.   several months ago i picked up a used NICE 720P projector with good bulb and everything for 500$  now with my main media center and ps3 and surond sound i hav an 8 foot screen for literally 1/3rd of what my fiances parents just paid for a lcd tv....

another awsome trick to save some pennies, instead of getting a tv, since you will b using it with a computer that has a tv card and has an aux input on that tuner card where u could hook up consoles and stuff. why not just get a nice largeish computer monitor, then you wouldnt hafta worry about finding the right input on a tv, and you could just use the inputs on the tuner card to get anything you want onto the monitor.

anyways just thoughts, considering HD tv's are so high priced, and the majority of the peeple that i know that have them, hav them conected to digital tuners, and stereos so basically they are using it just like a monitor, so why pay extra for the anologue tuner and built in speakers that come in HD "tv's"  ??


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## [I.R.A]_FBi (Mar 27, 2008)

550 isnt hd, the 650 is


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## Zedicus (Mar 27, 2008)

i dont know how well the ati tuners are supported in linux,   the haupage stuff is sure fire though.


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