MythTV verus Windows Media PC?

Rhino

I'm building my sister a "Media PC". It's got some nice hardware, but need some opinions on the software.

Basically she wants to be able to:

Watch TV and have Tivo/VCR like functions.
Put in DVD/CD and have it dump video/music to disc
Picture viewer/Slide show.
Internets (firefox, should work on either).
Other fun media stuff (I'm not really into movies/TVs so don't know what all kids are doing these days).

Right now I'm testing out MythUbuntu and the only thing working is viewing movies (importing them doesn't work). I've tried getting support on MythTV mailing list and Ubuntu forums but haven't receive many replies...

So, I either have to decide to to fight with Mythbuntu and try and get that working or install the Windows Media PC OS/thingie. Is Windows Media PC Good? Easy to setup? I'm working two jobs and going to school; so time is really tight right now. MythTV looks awesome, but don't know if I can figure it out in the next two week or so.

vonPoonBurGer

There might be a third option here. Have you heard of MediaPortal? It's what I run on my media PC. It's open source, but it runs on Windows. The "runs on Windows" part would probably be good here, Ubuntu is great and all, but I don't know that you'd want to have to support Linux in the hands of someone who doesn't know Linux. At the same time, it's free, so you can try it out and see if it works before springing for the Media Center edition of Windows.

grungebox

Are you buying Windows Media or do you have it? The reason I ask is that for the money, you can buy comparable software that has a little more flexibility. BeyondTV is pretty good, for example. SageTV is okay, though I haven't used it since 2005. I use GB-PVR (free, not open source, Windows only). It works great, though the graphics aren't as sexy as Windows MCE.

edit: I should note that I almost completely hate Media Portal. It's slow to start and the memory leak problems are horrific...so it just gets slower over time. On top of that, I had a lot of trouble just getting it to schedule recordings without having to manually set each one. That's anecdotal, so take it at face value.

Rhino

Thanks.

No, I'm not against spending money on it; I'd rather having it working more then anything else.

I have an extra copy of Windows XP Pro that I can use.

Dark Shroud

Something to think about, the DRM in the broadcasts. MS Media Center can record HBO and other premium channels that contain board cast flags. MythTV cannot read these flags.

grungebox

Dark Shroud wrote: »

Something to think about, the DRM in the broadcasts. MS Media Center can record HBO and other premium channels that contain board cast flags. MythTV cannot read these flags.

But that only affects digital broadcasts, right? I'm reasonably certain Windows MCE can't rip DVDs though. MythTV can, I assume (I don't mess with Linux), and so can GBPVR with appropriate plugins.

Rhino

Stupid question, but is Windows MCE a program that runs on top of Windows XP or is it an entire "OS"? Is it a free download for Microsoft or do I have to buy it?

I just spent 5 hours wiping off Mythbuntu and installing Windows XP Pro SP3.

Daenris

Windows MCE is a version of Windows XP designed to run on Media Center PCs. It's the OS you would install, and is not a free download. Windows Media Center is an application included with Windows MCE (and some versions of Vista). I'm not sure if this is even available for purchase outside of purchasing an OS that includes it.

vonPoonBurGer

Rhino wrote: »

Stupid question, but is Windows MCE a program that runs on top of Windows XP or is it an entire "OS"? Is it a free download for Microsoft or do I have to buy it?

I just spent 5 hours wiping off Mythbuntu and installing Windows XP Pro SP3.

Bummer... The MCE stands for Media Center Edition, and as far as I'm aware it's a separate version of the OS that you have to specifically purchase. In terms of features and capabilities, it lies somewhere between XP Home and XP Pro, but adds media center functionality (scheduled recording of shows, TV-friendly media center interface, etc.). While you have a fresh Windows install, you might as well try some of the free options already mentioned in this thread. You can probably also check out the for-$$ options mentioned that run on top of Windows, I'm pretty sure they all have trial versions available.