Mythbuntu Configuration

I've recently been introduced to the concept of Home Theater PCs (HTPC) and I'm really interested in copying over my DVDs and converting VHS movies to digital files on a computer HD, accessible to all 'puters on my network. With a little extra software, seems like I could completely abandon my old VHS player and my DVD player/recorder. Enter Mythbuntu...

But I've had problems configuring Linux distros on some of my old hardware. I'd like to "get it right" coming out of the gate, without too much frustration or forum cruising. Seems like hardware selection is the key to that.

Does anyone have Mythbuntu installed and configured? What hardware are you using, i.e. what computer specs, what capture card, what graphics card? Any problems setting it up and configuring it? Any special libraries, codecs, etc... to make it work properly?

Given that my primary goal is to convert my existing store bought DVDs and VHS tapes to computer files, do I have the right idea using Mythbuntu? Any advice/insight from one of you Major Geeks who has already done this? Thank you in advance!!

 

Here are the system requirements from Mythbuntu.org
There is a full Mythbuntu section of Ubuntuforums
Minimum System Requirements:

1.0 GHz x86 or x86_64 Processor
192 MB of system memory (RAM)
2 GB of disk space (Frontend Role)
20 GB of disk space (Backend Role)
Graphics card capable of 1024x768 resolution
Supported TV Tuner Card (Backend Role)

Recommended System Requirements:

2.0 Ghz x86 or x86_64 Processor
2GB MB of system memory (RAM)
10 GB disk space (Frontend Role)
160 GB+ disk space (Backend Role)
nVidia 8xxx+ 256MB+ Graphics Card
Supported TV Tuner Card (Backend Role)

 

Wow...Thanks BOOMM!! You always give helpful info on the Linux forum...where DO you find the time?!

Looks like I've got most of the hardware issues covered, except video capture card. I don't understand the terminology and, therefore, the differences between various cards and how they might(?) apply to me. Mythbuntu site provides info for:

2.1 ATSC Cards (only in US/Canada )
2.2 Analogue cards (Hardware Encoder)
2.3 Analogue cards (Software Encoder versions)
2.4 DVB-C cards (Cable viewing)
2.5 DVB-S and DVB-S2 cards (Satellite viewing)
2.6 DVB-T cards (Terrestrial viewing)
2.7 USB Capture Cards
2.8 Firewire Capture Cards

What is an ATSC card?
What is the difference between Analog cards with hardware/software encoding, and does it even matter if the FCC has pressured mfgrs to stop making/selling them?
What is the difference between DVB cable, satellite, and terrestrial? May I assume terrestrial is an over-the-air antenna capture? What about satellite 1 & 2...what is the difference between them...just a matter of personal preference?
I assume a USB capture card plugs into a USB port, but what is firewire capture?

It looks like the Hauppage brand is the most popular, but which one(s) should I be considering? I am currently a DirecTV subscriber with a DVR/Tivo box. I occassionally record movies on my DVR that I want to see. I occassionally burn movies I want to keep, but the DVD burner is "hit & miss"...sometimes it burns, sometimes it fails...might be a faulty burn setting, might be encrypted signal, might just be an old & failing burner.

For now, I just want to accomplish the following objectives:
1) slide a Mythbuntu box in place of the DVD burner to copy/rip store bought DVD and VHS to a digital medium that takes up less storage and is accessible to every computer on my home network (several laptops) that can then be played on any TV in my house
2) record movies/shows from DirecTV onto Mythbuntu box hard drive
3) perhaps someday cancel DirecTV in favor of Mythbuntu programming subscriptions if I like their packages better

Considering my goals and current setup, can anyone offer an explanation of the differing card options and suggest what I should be looking at? Again, thanks in advance for any advice offered!

 

Hedon James, I am not as great as you portray. Thank you for your kind words.

You may want to take post #3 and ask what ATSC , etc are in the Hardware forum. The uber-geeks there would know more about video hardware than the few who participate in the linux section.

Analog I believe is the old TV Signal and as I recall all TV is digital. I don't have a TV, so am limited on my response here.

 

Hedon James, I found this linked guide to setting up XBMC today on Lifehacker.

How is your progress?

 

Excellent find BOOMM!!! Ironically, my Mythbuntu research has turned me off to MythTV and enlightened me with...XBMC! Your find is soooo timely and extremely welcome!!! THANK YOU!

Obviously, I haven't setup my system yet, but I believe I've zero'ed in on my preferred hardware list; or at least narrowed it down to "top choices".

At this point, I need to make a software decision, plunk down the $$$ for hardware, and find a weekend to configure it! I've got a good feeling about XBMC and I'm ecstatic to learn it's available for Linux/Win/Apple platforms.

I'll let you know how things turn out.

 

Hey guys, I too am in the infant stages of setting up an old pc as a media center. Can you help me out with a few things. I have ubuntu installed and running with Mythbuntu. I need a video capture card, but am not sure what to get. Any recommendations that won't break the bank?

 

Can you post the hardware specs to help the others interested in what this system takes?

 

I don't have an old box to re-purpose, and I'd really like a smaller unit that I can "hide" in the entertainment center, so I've zero'ed in on the Zotac MAG or Zbox, or the Acer Aspire Revo. The key to these boxes is that ALL have the Intel Atom processor with an NVidia ION GPU. While the Atom is a little light on processing power, most of the graphics "grunt work" is offloaded to the NVidia ION GPU. Numerous forums posts on Mythbuntu, XBMC, Boxee, and LinuxMCE sites extoll this combination as the "holy grail" of HTPC experience. With so many others stating how wonderful it is, that is good enough for me!

The Zotacs are "bare bones" with no OS, but that's not a problem for my Linux-based install. 6 USB ports and multiple video out ports, including HDMI are an attractive feature to me. 2 thumb screws open the box for easy access/upgrades. The Acer Aspire Revo is pretty similar, comes with WinXP (to be removed anyway) and can be found on the internet for as little as $160!

Most Hauppage cards are Linux compatible, and can be found on the Mythbuntu site as "compatible hardware." I have DirecTV and want to convert some DVR/PVR programs, copy VHS movies to HD & DVD, and rip my commercial DVDs to HD (saving the original disc as archive/backup). I beleive the Hauppage WinTV HVR1600 MCE will suit my current purposes, although I may add a cable/sat/OTA tuner card in the future if I drop my current subscription. Another decision for another day...

I plan on hooking up a 1TB external USB for movie/program storage; a Lite-On, LG, or Toshiba portable USB DVD burner (all are Linux compatible); and control the whole mess with a Lenovo wireless multi-media mini-keyboard.

Lastly, while I really like the XBMC interface, I'm not wild about the locked down interface. I really like the Mythbuntu configuration where you can "back out" of the MythTV interface and still access an underlying Ubuntu OS with web browser, software center for game installation, etc... I think I'm gonna install an Ubuntu OS and put XBMC on it, strip off the stuff I don't want (like OpenOffice, Evolution, etc...) and go from there!

At least that's the plan...subject to change based on actual "field conditions!"

 

Guys I have an asrock ion 330 with the atom dual processor 1.6, 4 gb ram, 64 gb ssd for os and 750 gb ext drive for storage, blue ray drive, hdhomerun and hdprv 1212 for tuners and wireless keyboard. I can run windows 7 media center fine and record or play live tv effortlessly with any of the tuners including the hdpvr. Now I have tried to install mythbuntu numerous times when a new release comes out because I have it installed on an old p4 running fine except for live tv it stutters and locks up. With mythbuntu 10.10 on my asrock I get no sound through the hdmi and it stutters and lags really bad with live tv. I do plan on putting together a i3 box someday and hope to get mythbuntu running on it. So what I am trying to say is an atom processor isn't good enough for mythtv but it works fine with w7 mc.