Linux PVR (Tivo) Software

If you are new here, you may want to subscribe to our feed.

A couple of years ago I did a post on how to build your own PVR. (read Tivo - for u noobies) In that post, I decided to go with Snapstream’s Beyond TV package. Snapstream’s package is really nice. I didn’t have to fool with it much and it worked like I thought it should. Of course, I didn’t like running the thing on a Windows box. So, I kept my eye open for some alternatives. And things couldn’t be looking brighter for someone wanting to build their own PVR these days. The options keep opening up with more and better options. Let’s just hit a few of them.

Now, keep in mind that you must check hardware compatibility on these free linux pvr software packages. But nowadays most of this software comes compatible with the most popular TV tuner cards, etc.

Myth TV - This is one of the more popular PVR software and incorporates the following feature set:

1. Basic ‘live-tv’ functionality. Pause/Fast Forward/Rewind “live” TV.
2. Support for multiple tuner cards and multiple simultaneous recordings.
3. Distributed architecture allowing multiple recording machines and multiple playback machines on the same network, completely transparent to the user.
4. Compresses video in software using rtjpeg (from Nuppelvideo) or mpeg4 (from libavcodec). Full support for Hardware MPEG-2 encoder cards (Hauppauge PVR-250 / PVR-350). Preliminary support for DVB cards and the new pcHDTV tuner card.
5. Support for the (very nice looking) hardware MPEG-2 decoder and TV out present on the Hauppauge PVR-350.
6. Completely automatic commercial detection/skipping
7. Grabs program information using xmltv.
8. A fully themeable menu to tie it all together.

Freevo - I love the name, it says it all. This is another up and coming PVR linux solution written in Python, with the following features:

KnoppMyth - “KnoppMyth is my attempt at making the Linux and MythTV installation as trivial as possible.”

VDR - “With the availability of high capacity hard disks and MPEG encoders/decoders the idea of a fully digital video recorder comes to mind.”

MythDora - A MythTV distro that helps you get it going with the following features:

- kernel-2.6.18-1.2239.fc5smp
- KDE-3.5.5
- MythTV-0.20-144
- MythArchive
- ivtv-0.8.1-122
- alsa-1.0.13
- lirc-0.8.1
- nvidia-9629
- fglrx(ATI Legacy) 8.28.8-1
- fglrx(ATI) 8.29.6-1
- xorg-x11-drv-via-0.2.1-svn261
- SiS driver by Thomas Winischhofer
- K9Copy (DVD Shrink for Linux)
- Nuvexport-0.4.0-20061117
- video4linux drivers as of 11/07/06
- Added more emulators in for MythGame(N64, Playstation, GameBoy Advance, Color GameBoy)
- MediaMVP

Mythbuntu - Hey, lookie here, a new ubuntu distro that is MythTV specific.  It looks like it’s still in alpha as of this writing, but I’m sure those loyal coders will have it cooking before long!

Digg it Add to del.icio.us Stumble it add to technorati

Related Posts:

Get Your Free Anti Virus Here
In an age of ubiquitous software, there really isn't any excuse not to have almost any software you want. ...

ITunes DRM Hack
It seems that a collaboration between multiple programmers has produced a linux interface for Itunes that can download unprotected songs....

I feel Linspired!
Are you a windows user, but getting tired of the steep prices? Or maybe you are tired of constant...

Building a PVR (DVR)
Some like to buy things. They don't like tinkering and they just want something that works. Others like...

Codeweavers Giving Away Software Today!
  Apple or Linux fans, rejoice! CodeWeavers, as part of a semi-promotional stunt, semi-political gaffe, is making their catalog of CrossOver...

•