Category Archives: Entertainment / Arts

PVR Experiment with MythTV

MythTV

I’ve been a PVR user for quite some time now. While many people use the Tivo, I started out with the ReplayTV side. My first PVR was the Panasonic Showstopper, a rebranded ReplayTV unit. In fact, I still have and use this quite obsolete PVR today.

But it is obsolete, and the paltry 10 hours of record time at high quality is starting to get to me. I’d like to be able to burn recorded shows to DVD, a process that would require removing the hard disk, hooking it up to a desktop computer, and then returning it.

So, I started out looking for a new unit. I considered four choices: a new ReplayTV, new Tivo, or a homebrew MythTV or Freevo unit.

The ReplayTV options were nice, but would cost $750 for a 160-hour unit with lifetime service (and I don’t want to pay $13/mo for service either!). And while ReplayTVs can now be accessed over a network, still I don’t have much control over the capture format of content.

Tivo’s 140-hour unit would be $650 with lifetime service, but I’d have to also purchase an add-on network module to be able to download content for DVD burning. Again, expensive.

So I looked at MythTV and Freevo. While Freevo appeared to have the easier setup, MythTV clearly was the more mature and featureful product. Some of its features that greatly appealed to me were:

  • Ability to record in MPEG2 DVD format with hardware MPEG2 capture card
  • Versatile client/server setup, permitting TV to be watched, recorded, and played back from various computers on the network (also permitting scattering of video capture cards around the network)
  • Many record options, including nice conflict management/resolution screens
  • User-friendly, intuitive interface
  • No monthly costs
  • Modules to play and rip DVDs, play games on TV via a NES/SNES/whatever emulator, view current weather conditions, etc.
  • Customizable record formats
  • Others too…

So, I’ve ordered the MythTV hardware… more on that next time. I’ll be posting my MythTV experiences here.

Photography at the Edge of Winter

Entertainment / Arts

In a reflective mood at the end of winter? Check out Andy Chen’s winter photography over at Kumquat’s Musings. I’m anxious for the high-res scan to plaster on my desktop.

Photography in unusual lighting conditions like this one is more tricky but well worth the effort. I’ve taken a photo or two in those situations, and almost inevitably end up thinking “Wow, I didn’t notice these detail when I was taking the photo.” The realism of photography is also the most deceiving — a scene that is rushed, loud, noisy, and uncomfortable to the photographer can appear peaceful and serene to the viewer. I can usually tell when I have a good photo if I notice things in the proof that I hadn’t seen when I was physically at the scene.

A Lesson on Influencing Adults

Society, TV

When the news broke yesterday that Fred Rogers had died, it was amazing to see how many adults still remembered the Mr. Rogers show and even were personally moved by the show in later life. I think it goes to show that what children watch on TV and at the movies really does matter to their character development.

A number of stories about Mr. Rogers appeared yesterday in addition to those liked above. We saw appreciations, lists of Fred Rogers quotes, links to an old interview with Mr. Speedy Delivery, and even how to talk to children about his death.

NPR has a webpage about Fred Rogers.