NextPVR as a backend for XBMC

[psycik]

The original mvpmc is fully open source and tmrt released a linux client using it. It is stable too, since NextPVR doesn't change much. With modifications you can run it on the R Pii or ATV2 if you really wanted to, probably with less effort writing a plugin and I'd be glad to help anyone like I did with tmrt to get it to run. How more "open" do you want?

This is did not know. All I remember was this Canadian chap started talking about these popcorn hour things and we all went nuts for them cos they pretty much just worked (how very apple!!) And they were HD capable unlike the MVPs

The real issue is all devices including the RPii and your beloved ATV2 have too many limitations to really warrant a detailed evaluation as a general NextPVR client that plays all formats. I haven't stopped looking and have bought quite a few just this year hoping for something that will replace low end PC client, and frankly on the "open" market there isn't a clean choice. I will keep looking since my real goal is to find a client that avoids the Windows "tax".

Martin

Yeah the media player market seems quite up in the air and fragmented at the moment.

There doesn't seem to really be a direction....the only direction I seem to be seeing is a drive to add xbmc to hardware. which is where that angle came from. I think I'd much rather a "native" client as the popcorn hour - as explained above...the consistency is nice.

I don't know if any of these android powered,. or google tvs will start to make your search easier, or rokus?

[mvallevand]

I've already got the Pivox XIOS DS which is the best XBMC for Android client right now and for starters while it looks nice

- it doesn't do 5:1 output
- it doesn't do HE-AAC 5:1 to 2:0 downmix
- it doesn't do DVD iso with h/w acceleration.
- the minimal remote won't cut it for NextPVR

I might still write a client for it, just to see how it works but they have to fix the a/v sync that is in the current implementation.

Martin

[psycik]

Is the lack of 5.1 (when I pick myself off the floor after reading that) a hardware issue or an xbmc port issue?

[mvallevand]

Seems like a simple question but it isn't. None of thes devices use XBMC's audio engine they rely on the h/w and apparently no Android devices have AC3 or DTS pass through right now. Pivos have licensed AC3 but it isn't available and they are unsure about licensing of DTS. Lossless Blu-Ray is also likely never going to be available in this generation of hardware.

As for HE-AAC 5:1 downmix it could be a firmware issue as it outputs noise I have linked them to a sample. Your Jamie's Kitchen 2:1 sample plays fine.

Martin

[psycik]

If it's one thing I've learned in this PVR game - nothing is simple...

[mvallevand]

Actually it is simple, if you have around $400 a client. When you don't that is when it gets difficult.

Martin

[Bluetick]

If it's one thing I've learned in this PVR game - nothing is simple...

True words right there.

My wife swears I change things around everytime she learns how to run the system.

I do run xbmc on a FreeBSD box running as a nas/zfs storage, double duty for bedroom movie viewing.

[BigMoose]

I run xbmc on my npvr box due to the number of plugins that aren't available as native npvr plugins - all the various UK and Irish TV catchup plugins, dodgy sports streaming plugins etc. I run npvr as the main client with a custom task that exits and runs xmbc, then reloads npvr when that exits. It's clunky, but works fine and the wife can use it for iPlayer and 4OD etc. Ideally I'd rather have the whole lot from one front end but the npvr community isn't large enough to produce the variety of plugins that xbmc has and sadly it's been a good 10 years since I last wrote a serious line of code (and I've never written code on windows) so I'd be no help writing plugins for npvr...

[mvallevand]

Pivos just released linux based xbmc and for a $110 box it does a reasonable job with mpeg-ts material even streaming live tv from NextPVR well. It is many times superior to the Android version previously available. DVB subtitle support in mpeg-ts is good too and up to XBMC quality for this playback. Sadly, it is still no good for he-aac playback.

Martin

[whurlston]

Sadly, it is still no good for he-aac playback.

Is that an XBMC limitation? I thought the XIOS supported HE-AAC.