Here is a list of terms from the Linux and Media Centers worlds that i will use in my posts here in this blog.
I will update this list everytime i use a new term which i think needs explenation.
GPL (General Public License)
GPL is a widely used free software license. It is the license used by the Linux kernel.
Ubuntu (Linux distribution)
A predominantly desktop-oriented Linux distribution, based on Debian GNU/Linux but with a stronger focus on usability, regular releases, and ease of installation.
MythTV
A Linux application which turns a computer with the necessary hardware into a digital video recorder (DVR) or Home Theater Personal Computer (HTPC). MythTV is free software licensed under the GPL. It can be considered as a free and open source alternative to Tivo or Windows Media Center, although MythTV predates Windows Media Center.
PVR (Personal Video Recorder)
Interactive TV recording device that records video without videotape to a hard drive
SDTV (Standard-definition television)
SDTV refers to television systems that have a resolution that meets standards but not considered either enhanced definition or high definition.
HDTV (High Definition Television)
New television technology which allows better picture quality
DVB
Short for Digital Video Broadcasting, is a suite of internationally accepted open standards for digital TV.
XMLTV
XMLTV is a set of computer prgrams to process TV program listings for convenient management of TV viewing (typically up to 14 days worth of indexed and searchable data with each download); it stores listings in XML format.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Building a Linux Media Center - Part I
Hi All,
In this post I will share my experience in building a media center PC with Linux. I will give background details and some basic knowledge about the subject.
In Linux you can choose between many options. You can choose one of many distributions, TV viewing software and hardware.
For example you can choose one of the popular Linux distributions:
* Ubuntu
* Fedora
* Mandriva
* OpenSuse
Or you can choose one of the special distributions that were made specially for media centers:
* Mythbuntu
* Mythdora
* Knoppmyth
* c't VDR
* linvdr
There are several TV viewing programs available, few of them are:
* MythTV
* VDR
* Kaffeine
If you still didn't buy a computer, you can choose your hardware that will make the best HTPC, for example:
* Nvidia or ATI video card with HDMI output.
* A well supported DVB card like SkyStar HD2 or Technotrend.
* A good sound card that supports high definition.
After I wrote what are the options, I want to suggest my choices. My guides will be based especially on my choices although I will try to write them as generic as possible.
I use the following specifications:
* Mother Board: NVIDIA® GeForce® 7050 PV / NVIDIA nForce® 630a (including HDMI video and sound)
* Soundcard: Realtek ALC888 (I will use the Nvidia HDMI port as an output)
* DVB card: Technisat SkyStar HD2 (supports dvb-s and dvb-s2)
* Linux OS: Mythbuntu (I also used Mythdora in the past, but decided for now to stay with Mythbuntu)
* Viewing Software: MythTV (although i will try to get into VDR in the future)
* Remote Control: Windows MCE all black remote control.
So now you have some idea about what I will be posting here soon. In the next posts I will cover the installation and configuration of a Mythbuntu OS step by step, but before that i will give you some explenations about terms in the world of satellite TV and linux.
Until then, have fun!!
Tomer.
In this post I will share my experience in building a media center PC with Linux. I will give background details and some basic knowledge about the subject.
In Linux you can choose between many options. You can choose one of many distributions, TV viewing software and hardware.
For example you can choose one of the popular Linux distributions:
* Ubuntu
* Fedora
* Mandriva
* OpenSuse
Or you can choose one of the special distributions that were made specially for media centers:
* Mythbuntu
* Mythdora
* Knoppmyth
* c't VDR
* linvdr
There are several TV viewing programs available, few of them are:
* MythTV
* VDR
* Kaffeine
If you still didn't buy a computer, you can choose your hardware that will make the best HTPC, for example:
* Nvidia or ATI video card with HDMI output.
* A well supported DVB card like SkyStar HD2 or Technotrend.
* A good sound card that supports high definition.
After I wrote what are the options, I want to suggest my choices. My guides will be based especially on my choices although I will try to write them as generic as possible.
I use the following specifications:
* Mother Board: NVIDIA® GeForce® 7050 PV / NVIDIA nForce® 630a (including HDMI video and sound)
* Soundcard: Realtek ALC888 (I will use the Nvidia HDMI port as an output)
* DVB card: Technisat SkyStar HD2 (supports dvb-s and dvb-s2)
* Linux OS: Mythbuntu (I also used Mythdora in the past, but decided for now to stay with Mythbuntu)
* Viewing Software: MythTV (although i will try to get into VDR in the future)
* Remote Control: Windows MCE all black remote control.
So now you have some idea about what I will be posting here soon. In the next posts I will cover the installation and configuration of a Mythbuntu OS step by step, but before that i will give you some explenations about terms in the world of satellite TV and linux.
Until then, have fun!!
Tomer.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
New Blog
Hello Everyone,
This is my new blog, I am pretty new in blogging, and I hope I will learn with time how to make this blog as interesting and helpful as possible.
A little bit about myself:
My name is Tomer, I am a 32 years old guy from Israel, recently married, no kids yet. I work in a software company named 'Amdocs' specialized in the IT market. In Amdocs my job is to test the performance of our products before we ship it to our customers. This means I travel allot to customers sites. My job sent me to different places around the globe like Australia, Brazil, Ireland, UK, US and Canada. I really enjoy traveling, I love to get to know different cultures and meet interesting people.
I speak Hebrew as a first language and control English pretty well. I love languages so in my spare time I study Arabic which is very important to know here in the Middle East.
My English is not bad, I have to speak and understand good English since I work with customers all over the world, but I am not saying I have perfect English so excuse me if you see a mistake here and there in my posts.
About the Blog:
This blog idea came to me a few weeks ago after I was struggling to build a Media Centre based on Linux. I will not exaggerate if I say I had to install a different Linux distribution almost every day on my Living room PC. The trouble with Linux is that each distribution acts differently on the same PC. In one distribution your sound card can work great but the Video card will fail, in another distribution the Video card detection will be perfect but the remote control won’t work and in the third distribution the remote control will work good, the video card will be optimized but the sound card will not give you sound from your HDMI output. If you combine all those distros to one it will be perfect but we don’t live in a perfect world so we have to work very hard in order to have a perfect Linux based HTPC.
This is just an example. The blog will focus on many fields other then Home Media center.
I will talk about many things in technology, Windows or Linux, work related or home related, servers or desktops.
There are some fields that I believe I will be focus more but not only, those fields are:
1. Linux desktops (for personal use at home)
2. Satellite TV (privet dish, not the commercial ones)
3. Java (I am not an expert but I love Java very much)
4. Web sites building (especially in java and JSP. again, not an expert)
5. Performance and Load testing (In this field I am an expert)
What will not be in this blog?
1. Politics
2. Insulting and bad behavior
3. Illegal Ideas, hacking and cracks (who needs them in Linux)
I am not a Linux developer or an expert; all my posts will be from a view of a simple user, minimum compiling and developing, maximum step by step guides. All I know and will know is based on other peoples forums or blogs and official guides of products. As I said, I had a hard life making things work for me so I will try to make things easier for others.
I hope you have a good time here.
Tomer.
This is my new blog, I am pretty new in blogging, and I hope I will learn with time how to make this blog as interesting and helpful as possible.
A little bit about myself:
My name is Tomer, I am a 32 years old guy from Israel, recently married, no kids yet. I work in a software company named 'Amdocs' specialized in the IT market. In Amdocs my job is to test the performance of our products before we ship it to our customers. This means I travel allot to customers sites. My job sent me to different places around the globe like Australia, Brazil, Ireland, UK, US and Canada. I really enjoy traveling, I love to get to know different cultures and meet interesting people.
I speak Hebrew as a first language and control English pretty well. I love languages so in my spare time I study Arabic which is very important to know here in the Middle East.
My English is not bad, I have to speak and understand good English since I work with customers all over the world, but I am not saying I have perfect English so excuse me if you see a mistake here and there in my posts.
About the Blog:
This blog idea came to me a few weeks ago after I was struggling to build a Media Centre based on Linux. I will not exaggerate if I say I had to install a different Linux distribution almost every day on my Living room PC. The trouble with Linux is that each distribution acts differently on the same PC. In one distribution your sound card can work great but the Video card will fail, in another distribution the Video card detection will be perfect but the remote control won’t work and in the third distribution the remote control will work good, the video card will be optimized but the sound card will not give you sound from your HDMI output. If you combine all those distros to one it will be perfect but we don’t live in a perfect world so we have to work very hard in order to have a perfect Linux based HTPC.
This is just an example. The blog will focus on many fields other then Home Media center.
I will talk about many things in technology, Windows or Linux, work related or home related, servers or desktops.
There are some fields that I believe I will be focus more but not only, those fields are:
1. Linux desktops (for personal use at home)
2. Satellite TV (privet dish, not the commercial ones)
3. Java (I am not an expert but I love Java very much)
4. Web sites building (especially in java and JSP. again, not an expert)
5. Performance and Load testing (In this field I am an expert)
What will not be in this blog?
1. Politics
2. Insulting and bad behavior
3. Illegal Ideas, hacking and cracks (who needs them in Linux)
I am not a Linux developer or an expert; all my posts will be from a view of a simple user, minimum compiling and developing, maximum step by step guides. All I know and will know is based on other peoples forums or blogs and official guides of products. As I said, I had a hard life making things work for me so I will try to make things easier for others.
I hope you have a good time here.
Tomer.
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