HTPC Software.

[Captain Chickenpants]

Can anyone give their views/opinions of the various software available for doing your own HTPC?
The two main ones seem to be MythTV and Media-Portal.
MythTV is Linux based, Media Portal is Windows based.

Got a nice shiny Panasonic High Def LCD TV and am considering connecting a PC to it so that I can play around with some High-Def material. Unfortunatly their isn't much in the way of HD material in the UK at the moment.

CC

 

[nutball]

My experience of MythTV is that it crashes sufficiently often to be irritating. It's usually the back-end that goes in my experience, so if you're watching live TV it'll suddenly freeze, or maybe you'll come back from the pub to find that it hasn't recorded the latest episode of your fave program. Kind of like having a 70's VCR really.

 

[rashly]

You can get very good success with MythTV, but it takes a lot of work. If you build a box for MythTV, make sure you get a machine with recommended specs. If you do, you can just install KnoppMyth on it and barely any configuration is neccessary. It'll run great with very few problems. If you get a machine that has poorly supported hardware, you'll have trouble.

I just bought some parts for a new box for MythTV. I bought parts that would be hard to get to work. Why? It will be a good chance for me to learn linux better.

 

[pegisys]

Media-Portal is pretty good, it's easy to setup and use and has some nice features it's alot like xbox media center but can record tv , I think the only advantage it might have over mythtv is that most hardware that works with windows will work with it,

every since I found out they make nice looking full atx htpc cases I have been thinking about building one out off some old pc parts I have around the house