MythTV
MythTV is a Linux-based PVR (Personal Video Recorder) for your computer. It allows you to watch (and pause, replay, etc.) live TV, record programs, and manage and playback your multimedia library. It will run on any computer running Linux (x86 recommended). It requires a backend (to handle recording, administration, etc.) program and a frontend to view the video, as well as a web server, PHP, and MySQL. I have everything running on one computer with a Haupphauge PVR-150 video tuner card and a 21" CRT monitor.
Contents |
Remote Control
MythTV can be used with the lirc Linux IR driver to both receive and send IR remote control signals. The PVR-150 comes with a remote control and builtin IR receiver and "IR blaster" to control a connected device (TV, VCR, DVD player, cable box, etc).
In my personal setup, I have the Haupphauge remote control to control the MythTV box, and the IR blaster setup to control my Cablevision (Scientific Atlanta Explorer 4200) set-top tuner box.
The control of the external cable box was relatively straightforward following the information on the MythTV site. The one thing to be wary of, though, is that the SuSE LIRC RPM is flawed, and will not work with the Haupphauge IR Blaster. A little googling turned up a site that provided specific information on using the PVR-150 with SuSE. I have lost the site, but the bottom line is that you have to compile LIRC from source manually, and be sure to include support for the PVR-150 and i2c.
I haven't yet put the i2c module in the system init scripts, so be sure to [code]modprobe lirc-i2c[/code].
One thing to watch - since you have installed LIRC from source and *not* RPM, when you try and upgrade MythTV via RPM, you'll get a failed dependency for some LIRC library. You can just [code]rpm -Uvh --nodeps[/code] (as long as this is the only error you're getting) and not worry about it, since it's actually there. And be sure that you upgrade LIRC as needed.
Getting the irblaster output working was relatively easy. Getting the Haupphauge remote to control MythTV, on the other hand, was not. I found a great tutorial (intended for Gentoo, but perfectly applicable) here. Once I got everything setup using [code]irw[/code], I began work on getting the remote to control MythTV. I followed the Gentoo article, and decided that the easiest way was to use irxevent and setup my .lircrc to control everything using that facility. First, as the user running mythfrontend, test everything using [code]irxevent &[/code]. Assuming you have correctly setup .lircrc, it will now control MythTV. Once you get it all correct, you can add that command to your .xinitrc file. To test, I just setup my .lircrc the way I wanted and then tried all of the buttons that I setup. The sample file that I found on the Gentoo Wiki page was a bit different from the default MythTV keybindings, so I encourage you to look at the MythTV Keyboard Commands page and setup your file as you wish.
Schedule Data
Zap2It Labs shut down their free DataDirect service in September, 2007. There was a week or so where there was no other option, but some of the major players in F/OSS DVR's have pulled through by creating SchedulesDirect which provides a drop-in replacement, as long as you update a few packages in MythTV. It's not free - they have to license the schedule data, and that cost is passed on to the customer. As of October 22, 2007, the price is $20/year. I was in literally the first group to join, in the first few hours of operation. At that point the price was much higher. They have been very good in keeping with their promise to drop the price as membership increases, and have also been very good about extending current members' subscriptions to jive with the updated price.
External Cable Box
While changing the channels from MythTV isn't that hard, the main thing I had to cope with was the power state of the cable box. Obviously, if the box is turned off, channel change commands won't do much. There are, essentially, two options:
- Implement control of the cable box from a "handler" program, which reads a specific lockfile. If the file exists, the box is on. If it doesn't exist, a power on command is sent first, and the lockfile is created.
- Just always leave the box on.
I went with the easiest, and decided to always leave the power on.
I followed the MythTV instructions and found an appropriate channel changer in the contrib folder. This was located, on my system, at [code]/usr/share/doc/packages/mythtv/contrib/channel_changers[/code]. I chose the change-channel-lirc.pl file. I copied this to /usr/local/bin/changechannel, as per the instructions on the MythTV site. Now, in [code]mythtv-setup[/code] -> Input Connections -> Tuner 1, I just entered [code]/usr/local/bin/changechannel[/code] in the External channel change command. To cope with my cable box's output, I entered "3" for "Preset tuner to channel". Now, I have a fully-functional system with which I can control the cable box's channels from MythTV. The only issue with this is that the irsend facility (used by the lirc channel change script) has considerable delay. My Scientific Atlanta Explorer 4200 set-top box already has a lag of 3 seconds or so when changing channels. All told, this adds up to a lag of approximately 5 seconds when changing channels, which makes channel surfing nearly impossible.
Cable Box OSD
One other issue that I have is as follows: My Cablevision (iO) cable box presents an on-screen display bar at the bottom of the screen showing the channel logo, title, and information. This happens to be pretty much at the same place on the screen as MythTV's bar. This presents two problems - first, it will appear at the beginning of any recordings and second, it's annoying to have two supers on the same place on the screen. When I get a chance, I'll look into disabling one of them.
Moving
When I left the Rutgers dorms at the end of 2007, I brought my MythTV box home. After about 12 hours trying to get the box to jive with the new channel lineup, I ended up messing it up beyond repair. When I moved into my new apartment off-campus, I found it impossible to get MythTV to do anything useful - not to mention that I now also had to figure out how to get it to tune the channels externally and also deal with the power state of the cable box.
Add-Ons
I've added few addons to MythTV, but Mythweb is definitely the best. It allows me to view the guide, list of recorded programs, schedule recordings, etc. via a web interface from another computer on the LAN. Eventually, I'd like to move it up to an HTTPS server and have it accessible remotely, so that I could add/remove scheduled recordings from offsite.
Keyboard Commands
A list of a few of the keyboard commands that I've found helpful:
LiveTV
- H -> move back in history of channels
LiveTV Recordings
In Media Library -> Watch Recordings:
- to view all LiveTV recordings in the list, press "M", select "Change Group Filter", and select LiveTV.
- to keep a LiveTV recording, highlight it, press "i", select "Storage Options", and select "Disable Auto Expire"
Future Work
- figure out the dual OSD issue
- get a card with TV-out and watch TV on something bigger than a 21" CRT
- mythweb via HTTPS - schedule recordings from the road
External Links
- LIRC homepage
- IRblaster.info - sales of RS232-based (serial) IR blaster units in single- and quad-output systems
- MythTV Homepage
- Gentoo Wiki on setting up LIRC for MythTV
My Sample Files
.lircrc
This file should be in the home directory of the user running mythfrontend.
# ~/.mythtv/lircrc
#
# MythTV native LIRC config file for
# the new grey Hauppauge remote
#
# Modified from Jarod Wilson's which came from Jeff Campbell's
# By Brad Templeton
# Time-stamp: " "
# Jason Antman
# http://www.jasonantman.com (look for more info in the Wiki)
# modified for TITAN
# Here we have the jump point commands. They only work if you have
# defined function keys for these jump points. For me the most
# common command is the menu of recordings, so I put that on "videos"
# even though that's counter-intuitive
# try power button to start mythfrontend
begin
button = Power
prog = irexec
repeat = 0
config = mythfrontend
end
begin
prog = irxevent
button = OK
repeat = 3
config = Key Return CurrentWindow
end
begin
prog = irxevent
button = CH+
repeat = 3
config = Key Up CurrentWindow
end
begin
prog = irxevent
button = CH-
repeat = 3
config = Key Down CurrentWindow
end
begin
prog = irxevent
button = Menu/i
repeat = 3
config = Key u CurrentWindow
end
begin
prog = irxevent
button = RECORD
repeat = 3
config = Key R CurrentWindow
end
begin
prog = irxevent
button = VOL-
repeat = 3
config = Key F10 CurrentWindow
end
begin
prog = irxevent
button = REV
repeat = 3
config = Key Left CurrentWindow
end
begin
prog = irxevent
button = PLAY
repeat = 3
config = Key P CurrentWindow
end
begin
prog = irxevent
button = MUTE
repeat = 3
config = Key F9 CurrentWindow
end
begin
prog = irxevent
button = VOL+
repeat = 3
config = Key F11 CurrentWindow
end
begin
prog = irxevent
button = FFW
repeat = 3
config = Key Right CurrentWindow
end
begin
prog = irxevent
button = BACK/EXIT
repeat = 3
config = Key Escape CurrentWindow
end
begin
prog = irxevent
button = PAUSE
repeat = 3
config = Key P CurrentWindow
end
#start new stuff
begin
prog = irxevent
button = Guide
repeat = 3
config = Key M CurrentWindow
end
begin
prog = irxevent
button = RED
repeat = 3
config = Key backslash CurrentWindow
end
begin
prog = irxevent
button = GREEN
repeat = 3
config = Key question CurrentWindow
end
begin
prog = irxevent
button = Prev.Ch
repeat = 3
config = Key H CurrentWindow
end
begin
prog = irxevent
button = Left
repeat = 3
config = Key Left CurrentWindow
end
begin
prog = irxevent
button = Right
repeat = 3
config = Key Right CurrentWindow
end
begin
prog = irxevent
button = Up
repeat = 3
config = Key Up CurrentWindow
end
begin
prog = irxevent
button = Down
repeat = 3
config = Key Down CurrentWindow
end
#end new stuff
begin
prog = irxevent
button = 0
config = Key 0 CurrentWindow
end
begin
prog = irxevent
button = 1
config = Key 1 CurrentWindow
end
begin
prog = irxevent
button = 2
config = Key 2 CurrentWindow
end
begin
prog = irxevent
button = 3
config = Key 3 CurrentWindow
end
begin
prog = irxevent
button = 4
config = Key 4 CurrentWindow
end
begin
prog = irxevent
button = 5
config = Key 5 CurrentWindow
end
begin
prog = irxevent
button = 6
config = Key 6 CurrentWindow
end
begin
prog = irxevent
button = 7
config = Key 7 CurrentWindow
end
begin
prog = irxevent
button = 8
config = Key 8 CurrentWindow
end
begin
prog = irxevent
button = 9
config = Key 9 CurrentWindow
end
This file breaks down as follows:
TITAN jantman .lircrc Key Usage TO START mythfrontend Power (should start mythfrontend if it's not running) IN MYTHFRONTEND: Button Key Binding Function OK Return OK/Return CH+ Up Chan Up CH- Down Chan Down MENU u More Info (EPG) RECORD R Toggle Record RED backslash Toggle view favotires/all (EPG) GREEN question Toggle Favorite VOL- F10 Vol Down VOL+ F11 Vol Up REV Left Rewind PLAY P Play/Pause MUTE F9 Mute FFW Right Fast Forward BACK/EXIT Escape Escape PAUSE P Pause/Play Guide M Show Guide / OSD Prev.Ch H Previous Channel / History Left Left Left Arrow Right Right Right Arrow Up Up Up Arrow Down Down Down Arrow 0 (to 9) 0 (to 9) **Please note - I opted to keep the remote commands as close to the keyboard as possible. Therefore, after entering a channel number, you must press "OK" to tune to it.
/etc/lircd.conf
#
# this config file was automatically generated
# using lirc-0.5.5pre8 on Sun Apr 18 11:43:45 1999
#
# contributed by Jens Leuschner <leuschner@gmx.net>
#
# brand: Hauppauge
# model:
# supported devices: WinTV primo; WinTV pci; WinTV radio
#
# This config file will work with both homebrew receivers and
# original Hauppauge TV cards !!!
#
begin remote
name blaster
bits 32
flags RAW_CODES
eps 0
aeps 0
plead 0
gap 333333
repeat_bit 0
begin raw_codes
name 0_75_KEY_0
4915200
name 0_75_KEY_1
4915201
name 0_75_KEY_2
4915202
name 0_75_KEY_3
4915203
name 0_75_KEY_4
4915204
name 0_75_KEY_5
4915205
name 0_75_KEY_6
4915206
name 0_75_KEY_7
4915207
name 0_75_KEY_8
4915208
name 0_75_KEY_9
4915209
name 0_75_KEY_POWER
4915210
name 0_75_KEY_CH_UP
4915215
name 0_75_KEY_CH_DOWN
4915216
name 0_75_KEY_MUTE
4915217
name 0_75_KEY_VOL_DOWN
4915218
name 0_75_KEY_VOL_UP
4915220
name 0_75_KEY_MUP
4915248
name 0_75_KEY_MDOWN
4915249
name 0_75_KEY_MLEFT
4915250
name 0_75_KEY_MRIGHT
4915251
end raw_codes
end remote
begin remote
name Hauppauge
bits 13
flags SHIFT_ENC
eps 30
aeps 100
one 950 830
zero 950 830
plead 960
gap 89584
repeat_bit 2
begin codes
TV 0x000000000000100F
RADIO 0x000000000000100C
FULL_SCREEN 0x000000000000102E
CH+ 0x0000000000001020
CH- 0x0000000000001021
VOL- 0x0000000000001011
VOL+ 0x0000000000001010
MUTE 0x000000000000100D
SOURCE 0x0000000000001022
1 0x0000000000001001
2 0x0000000000001002
3 0x0000000000001003
4 0x0000000000001004
5 0x0000000000001005
6 0x0000000000001006
7 0x0000000000001007
8 0x0000000000001008
9 0x0000000000001009
0 0x0000000000001000
RESERVED 0x000000000000101E
MINIMIZE 0x0000000000001026
end codes
end remote
#
# this config file was automatically generated
# using lirc-0.6.6(animax) on Tue Apr 15 19:50:27 2003
#
# contributed by
#
# brand: Hauppauge
# model no. of remote control:
# devices being controlled by this remote: PVR 2/350
#
begin remote
name hauppauge_pvr
bits 13
flags RC5|CONST_LENGTH
eps 30
aeps 100
one 969 811
zero 969 811
plead 1097
gap 114605
toggle_bit 2
begin codes
Power 0x00000000000017FD
Go 0x00000000000017FB
1 0x00000000000017C1
2 0x00000000000017C2
3 0x00000000000017C3
4 0x00000000000017C4
5 0x00000000000017C5
6 0x00000000000017C6
7 0x00000000000017C7
8 0x00000000000017C8
9 0x00000000000017C9
Back/Exit 0x00000000000017DF
0 0x00000000000017C0
Menu 0x00000000000017CD
Red 0x00000000000017CB
Green 0x00000000000017EE
Yellow 0x00000000000017F8
Blue 0x00000000000017E9
Ch+ 0x00000000000017E0
Ch- 0x00000000000017E1
Vol- 0x00000000000017D1
Vol+ 0x00000000000017D0
Ok 0x00000000000017E5
Mute 0x00000000000017CF
Blank 0x00000000000017CC
Full 0x00000000000017FC
Rewind 0x00000000000017F2
Play 0x00000000000017F5
Forward 0x00000000000017F4
Record 0x00000000000017F7
Stop 0x00000000000017F6
Pause 0x00000000000017F0
Replay 0x00000000000017E4
Skip 0x00000000000017DE
end codes
end remote
#
# this config file was automatically generated
# using lirc-0.7.0(any) on Sun Nov 28 20:25:09 2004
#
# contributed by
#
# brand: Hauppauge 350
# Created: G.J. Werler (The Netherlands)
# Project: Mythtv Fedora Pundit-R www.mythtvportal.com
# Date: 2004/11/28
# model no. of remote control: Hauppauge A415-HPG
# devices being controlled by this remote: PVR-350
#
begin remote
name Hauppauge_350
bits 13
flags RC5|CONST_LENGTH
eps 30
aeps 100
one 969 811
zero 969 811
plead 1097
gap 114605
# gap 200000
toggle_bit 2
begin codes
Go 0x00000000000017BB
Power 0x00000000000017BD
TV 0x000000000000179C
Videos 0x0000000000001798
Music 0x0000000000001799
Pictures 0x000000000000179A
Guide 0x000000000000179B
Radio 0x000000000000178C
Up 0x0000000000001794
Left 0x0000000000001796
Right 0x0000000000001797
Down 0x0000000000001795
OK 0x00000000000017A5
Back/Exit 0x000000000000179F
Menu/i 0x000000000000178D
Vol+ 0x0000000000001790
Vol- 0x0000000000001791
Prev.Ch 0x0000000000001792
Mute 0x000000000000178F
Ch+ 0x00000000000017A0
Ch- 0x00000000000017A1
Record 0x00000000000017B7
Stop 0x00000000000017B6
Rewind 0x00000000000017B2
Play 0x00000000000017B5
Forward 0x00000000000017B4
Replay/SkipBackward 0x00000000000017A4
Pause 0x00000000000017B0
SkipForward 0x000000000000179E
1 0x0000000000001781
2 0x0000000000001782
3 0x0000000000001783
4 0x0000000000001784
5 0x0000000000001785
6 0x0000000000001786
7 0x0000000000001787
8 0x0000000000001788
9 0x0000000000001789
Asterix 0x000000000000178A
0 0x0000000000001780
# 0x000000000000178E
Red 0x000000000000178B
Green 0x00000000000017AE
Yellow 0x00000000000017B8
Blue 0x00000000000017A9
end codes
end remote
