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Pvr? - Printable Version

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Pages: 1 2


Pvr? - patseguin - 2012-02-06

I'm confused about the PVR functionality. Am I supposed to be able to somehow use XBMC to record my DirecTV programming or is it only meant for OTA TV tuners?


- Kirky99 - 2012-02-06

If your backend can interface with DirectTV, you should be able to do that. What backend are you using?


- patseguin - 2012-02-06

Well, what do you mean by "backend"?


- Kirky99 - 2012-02-06

http://wiki.xbmc.org/index.php?title=HOW-TO:Watch_TV_in_XBMC


- venxxxxx - 2012-02-13

lol sorry guys, the terms threw me off... sounds rather gay lol. But im also looking to set up a PVR for digital cable channels. Ny info ?


- ant_thomas - 2012-02-13

venxxxxx Wrote:lol sorry guys, the terms threw me off... sounds rather gay lol. But im also looking to set up a PVR for digital cable channels. Ny info ?

Pick an Operating System - Linux or Windows
Pick a backend
Pick a compatible Cable tuner


- Kirky99 - 2012-02-13

Actually, you want to look for a backend that's capable of controlling your receivers. That may drive your OS and also your choice of capture card.

Make sure you choose a backend that's compatible with XBMC.

Team MediaPortal
MythTV
VDR
yaVDR
TVHeadend
4theRecord

There may be others, that's off the of of my head (BC - before coffee)...


- patseguin - 2012-02-13

I don't really understand all this frontend backend stuff either. If you're going to have a computer next to your TV anyways, why not just have all the media stored locally?

I would eventually like to stream my HTPC content to my bedroom so I guess this thread may interest me.


- ant_thomas - 2012-02-13

A backend and frontend can run on the same system.

You can also store all your media on the same system.


- patseguin - 2012-02-13

That just added a whole new layer of confusion for me, thanks. ;-)


- ant_thomas - 2012-02-13

The backend is a piece of software that handles the TV tuning and recording. It handles the actual communication and interaction with the TV tuner.

Team MediaPortal
MythTV
VDR
yaVDR
TVHeadend
4theRecord

Are all backends.

The frontend in this case is XBMC. XBMC handles the actual watching of the TV channel/recording.

The frontend streams the Live TV content from the backend.


In my case I have a system with two DVB-S2 PCI tuners that runs VDR. This is my backend.

I have another system running XBMC PVR. This is my frontend.

If I really wanted to I could install XBMC in the backend system which would mean I had my frontend and backend software on the same system.

(I hope I haven't confused you more!)


- LastCoder - 2012-02-14

it's simply a client-server architecture. A TV Server - called backend - provides TV and all the tv related stuff like recording. And a Client - called frontend - shows TV and controls the tv server.

Seems that a lot of people use a central TV Server that streams the TV stuff through the house .. it's far too much functionality if you have one single pc in the living room (if it has an eyecandy case and costs more than 500 bucks it's called HTPC - Home Theater PC Rofl), server and client have to run on the same machine.

And XBMC is the "mother of all clients" - I guess there is no client that supports that much tv servers ..

As far as I can judge all mediacenter solutions follow this architecture [except for Windows Media Center] .. Mediaportal has TV server and client, MythTV has client and server, vdr the same. These servers can be controlled by XBMC ...

Most advantage of that is - if your client crashes your server keeps recording *lol* ..


- patseguin - 2012-02-14

So the PC I have right now next to my TV could theoretically be located in the basement or something and be used as a "back end" to serve all the media while another much smaller computer is connected to the TV for the sole purpose of streaming the media (like Apple TV2)? I guess I just failedto realize the need for separate front and back ends. On a side note I've been having BSoD's (infrequently but they do happen) so that would be of concern if it was a backend too right?


- ant_thomas - 2012-02-14

They can be the same computer if you want.

But yes, you could have a backend hidden away and a nice small PC as a frontend system running XBMC.

That's pretty much what I do.

Linux system running VDR with 2 x DVB-S2 cards in the attic
Windows system as my file server in the attic

Asus EeeBox EB1501 Atom/ION system as my frontend hidden behind the TV


- patseguin - 2012-02-14

What's the benefit of the way you do it? Just to have all the extra hardware hidden? Don't you worry about the attic climate and/or dirt and dust ruining your servers?

I thought I read somewhere that AppleTV2 could be used as a front end. Is that true somehow? I could store away my giant HTPC and stream to XBMC on the ATV (is this possible?). Only downside to that I guess is that ATV2 only does 720p.