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| This is Mythtvworks.com  Ever wanted to make your own home media center but thought it was to much work? Or maybe you have done it but its not quite what you wanted. Microsofts Media Center, which is now included with windows Vista Home Premium and Ultimate is pretty neat and easy to set up. To me though, it seems to be missing something. Beyond TV, the same thing. But if you really want that PVR feel, with extras, then Mythtv may be just what you are looking for. Mytv can record, your TV shows, Keep Your Pictures organized and ready for slide shows, Keep your media library organized and download Movie Posters with a snyopsis and rating info. It does all this and more in a very easy to use fluid interface. With plug-ins you can check the weather, browse news, web sites, and even look up your netflix cue. You can add a emulator for some old games. Mythtv can even have caller id pop up on the display.  With the mythvideo plugin, it lets me take my DVD collection (already converted to Divx) and organize them. It also allows me to download IMDb movie posters and synopis with other information related to the title, as with the movie 21 Grams.... below. You can also use the mythranscode plugin to make copes of your DVD's in ISO format, complete with original DVD menus and features.  What I really plan to do is, start my mythtv build all over again, documenting it as I go. Basically makeing this my notes. Hopefully someone can duplicate my results. Yes this is going to be some work but, hopefully I'll able to go into as much detail as you need to mimic my instalation and not my mistakes. For this I am going to be using Gentoo linux, as I am going for a minimalist, installation. I'll be pointing to some other guides that will get you thru the linux install before we start up with the actuall mythtv installation. If you can get Gentoo installed and running X-Windows, well thats most of the battle. Follow the Gentoo Handbook and you'd be hard press to mess up. The good news is, there is a ton of support on the net and any problem you might have, has most likely been duplicated before. The search button on the Gentoo forums IS your friend. Use the Guide at the top and start with Hardware. Any problems you may have, we'll help you out the best we can in the forums. Update 2/10/2008 The guide is mostly complete. I'll be tackling lirc for remote control access soon. I have also yet to add any of mythtv's plugins. Beside that, there are a few blanks still to add to the guide. Hopefully a completed guide will be here in the next week or two. Update 12/21/2008 Well I have been over come with distractions and have finally come back to finish this off. I have added a frontend to my set up and bought 2 new TV's. My projector had been replaced with an LG 50in plasma display connected to my backend for tv in my family room/basement and I got a 32in Sanyo LCD TV for my bedroom as a frontend. OH The things I have learned about modelines. Much of the stuff you can find googling modlines is old I guess. Found some stuff out that really isnt around too much online and really should be posted everywhere modeline topics are. It made finding the modelines for both my TV's a snap. |