MythTV is a Linux application that turns a computer with the necessary hardware into a digital video recorder, a digital multimedia home entertainment system, or Home Theater Personal Computer.
http://mythtv.org/This site has some great screenshots and comparisons of MythTV Versus a Microsoft Media Centre PC
http://tvease.net/wiki/index.php?title=Mythtv_vs_windowsFeatures
MythTV features:
* A backend server and frontend client architecture, allowing multiple frontend client machines to be remotely served content from one or more backend servers. A single computer can perform as both the frontend client as well as performing as the backend server.
* Analyzes recorded shows for optional commercial skipping
* Plays recordings at an accelerated or decelerated rate, adjusting the audio pitch as necessary.
* Intelligently schedules recordings to avoid conflicts.
* Interfaces with free TV listing data (in the United States and Canada, donated by Tribune Media Services), with support for XMLTV listings in most other countries.
* Pause, skip, and rewind live TV shows.
* Schedule and administer various system functions using a web browser-based interface.
* Supports both ATSC and DVB high-definition television.
* Controls a decoder/STB using an infrared remote (Irblaster).
The MythTV software supports TV tuner cards fully compatible with Video4linux or Video4Linux2 kernel drivers. Using drivers from the IVTV project, (currently under heavy development), MythTV supports Hauppauge WinTV-PVR 150/250/350/500 PCI and similar tuner cards incorporating iTVC15/16 hardware MPEG-2 compression processors. DVB and pcHDTV cards with Video4Linux drivers are supported. MythTV also supports program capture via FireWire from digital set-top boxes.
KnoppMyth is a bootCD derivative of Knoppix. Its MythTV frontend can be run from the CD. An entire installation to the hard disk can take place in minutes.
MythTV's add-on modules (plugins) include:
* MythVideo: plays various video file formats.
* MythMusic: A music player, jukebox, collection manager, and CD ripper.
* MythDVD: DVD manager and ripper.
* MythGallery: Online photo gallery manager.
* MythNews: RSS feed news reader.
* MythWeather: fetches weather forecasts from the net.
* MythBrowser: small web browser.
* MythGame: Frontend for game console emulators.
* MythWeb: Controls MythTV from a remote web browser
* MythPhone: Internet telephony from your TV via SIP.
* MythFlix: Netflix queue viewer.
* MythArchive: DVD burner
* UPnP AV MediaServer v1.0 compliant server: Share media files with UPnP-clients
The base system integrates well with its modules. A system can be controlled with an infrared remote control using LIRC, or radio remote control using kernel modules.
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