Home Media Center With Open Source PVR Software?

[Suhit Gupta]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.d1.com.au/hmc/HMC_features.html' target='_blank'>http://www.d1.com.au/hmc/HMC_features.html</a><br /><br /></div>According to the Australian company D1, by "simply plugging the Home Media Centre into your loungeroom TV you can pause, rewind and fast forward live free to air and pay TV and have your favourite TV programs automatically recorded for you."<br /><br /><img src="http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/images/unit2_small.jpg" /><br /><br />They appear to be selling a small PC pre-installed with, the open source software, MythTV. This software gives a PC the ability to behave much like a PVRs, with even more features than TiVo. The device has the ability to play DVD, VCD, MPEG and DivX movies and CD, MP3 and Ogg Vorbis music. Take a look at their page though, they do offer a number of other features. Although, I am not sure whether the $1300+ price tag is worth going for the open source software option.

[Lee Yuan Sheng]

Hmm, looks like it'll be hard to sell. Most consumers will balk at the price, while we hardcore folks will build our own mini PCs. Bigger, but more versatile and cheaper! I mean, it is open source software after all..

[Jason Dunn]

I just can't look at that photo and not think "Oh, it's an oven!" :lol:

[ShinKen]

That price is too high. The only benefit I can see is that MythTV would be working straight out the box. I tried to set-up a mythTV box to compliment my tivo, but ran into too many issues. I may one day revisit the idea of MythTV once I have more free time...

[James Fee]

I had tried to use http://freevo.sourceforge.net/ for some time, but gave up because my TiVo units were so much better.

[Tim Williamson]

I'm confused...so it records TV shows plus it can bake cakes and casseroles? :microwave: :wink:

[Suhit Gupta]

I tried to set-up a mythTV box to compliment my tivo, but ran into too many issues. I may one day revisit the idea of MythTV once I have more free time...
What issues did you run in to? I haven't tried it but it would still be good to know.

Suhit