Newbie - why GBPVR? (kinda long)

[restorick]

OK - please don't shoot me before you have a chance to read the entire post...

While I am a newbie to the "roll your own" PVR software systems, I'm very adept with computer hardware, networks and other things techie.

I ask "Why GB-PVR" as a catchall to the following questions:

1. How does it compare to the mainstream apps like SageTV and Snapstream?
   
2. How stable is it compared to Linux based systems? Ialways worry a little with Windows running a mission critical app... (used to be a Novell Netware engineer... )
   
3. How much tinkering will be needed to make it cook properly?
   
4. MOST IMPORTANT... I need this drop-dead simple so that my lovely bride doesn't have to take a month to learn how to operate the system!
   

What do I need/want to do? Here's another list...

1. Be able to record at least 2 programs simultaneously
   
2. Distribute recordings to any set in the house
   
3. Distribute music to any location in the house
   
4. Have it be DROP DEAD SIMPLE so my lovely bride won't divorce me!
   
5. HD recordings? Perhaps, but not a deal breaker at this time.
   

I have 3 sets in the house now - 1 HD and 2 analog. Will be adding 2 more toward the end of the year when I'm done with the basement build-out, and they will be HD. Here's my current electronics setup:

• Time Warner cable with HD DVR receiver - 1 set
  
• TW cable box (standard) - 1 set
  
• Direct cable connection to 3rd set
  
• OTA antenna
  
• Entire house is wired for ethernet (can go gigabit if needed)
  
• RoadRunner cable internet access
  
• Internal network with 2 servers, Smoothie firewall, and 2 client machines
  

I will most likely build the first PVR from one of my existing machines and then determine what I *really* want to build for my PVR machine.

Help me get over the hump and take the plunge on the "roll your own" PVRs. Tell me what I'll need to ensure extreme WCL (wife comfort level) and a short WAT (wife adoption timeframe). And yes, I used to spend long hours helping my clients understand what all these TLAs (three letter acronyms) mean...

Thanks in advance for any advice. Looking forward to a cool new project!

Rick in Milwaukee

[bungle]

1. How does it compare to the mainstream apps like SageTV and Snapstream?
   
2. How stable is it compared to Linux based systems? Ialways worry a little with Windows running a mission critical app... (used to be a Novell Netware engineer... )
   
3. How much tinkering will be needed to make it cook properly?
   
4. MOST IMPORTANT... I need this drop-dead simple so that my lovely bride doesn't have to take a month to learn how to operate the system!
   

1. I've never used either, but GB-PVR is free, for one. I suspect they all have unique features and also have many in common. Support and the user community are great.
   
   
2. I wouldn't worry about the stability issue. It's your home box, so it'll be as stable as you make it. If you install crapware all the time you might have a problem, but a normal windows install is fine.
   
   
3. The installer is easy and you'll just have to set up an EPG source and your capture cards and the directories for content. There's other stuff to tweak but it's straightforward (and fun for some). If you want to control your PC with a remote there's more to it, so stick to the supported hardware.
   
   
4. Properly set up anyone can use it easily.
   

1. Be able to record at least 2 programs simultaneously
   
2. Distribute recordings to any set in the house
   
3. Distribute music to any location in the house
   
4. Have it be DROP DEAD SIMPLE so my lovely bride won't divorce me!
   
5. HD recordings? Perhaps, but not a deal breaker at this time.
   

1. I believe there's no limit in GB-PVR to the number of tuners, just how well your disk works with all that data hitting it.
   
   
2. You can distrubute via client PCs (frontends), or Hauppauge MediaMVPs, which are the best option for SDTV.
   
   
3. Either client option will distrubute music, at least mp3s (maybe more for the client PC).
   
   
4. Again, simple.
   
   
5. HD is supported, though playback via the MVP is not possible (without transcoding). For and HD client you'll need another networked media player or a client PC.
   

Hopefully that's all accurate, though probably incomplete. Check out some of the docs and plugins on the wiki for more info.

[McBainUK]

I will only answer a few bits and leave the rest to those in the know and from your area of the world.

How stable is it compared to Linux based systems?
How much tinkering will be needed to make it cook properly

Many a poster has come to GB-PVR due to lack of success with Myth etc. Its very stable (the recording part runs as a windows service). I've been using it for 2 years and never missed a show.

I need this drop-dead simple so that my lovely bride doesn't have to take a month to learn how to operate the system!

WAF/GAF (wife/girlfriend acceptance factor) is mostly high, but it pays to do a part at a time to avoid overload. Just like any project really.

Distribute recordings to any set in the house. Distribute music to any location in the house

You could go down the MVP route (http://gbpvr.com/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Hardware/MediaMVP) or the client/server way depending on if you already have PCs in the right rooms etc.

Be able to record at least 2 programs simultaneously

cable box

Probably looking at 1 or more Hauppauge 150 cards with a blaster of some sort but someone else could give more specifics.

HD recordings?

With the right card it may be possible but, again someone in the US could help more.

BTW: A shed load of documentation is here: http://gbpvr.com/pmwiki/

[bungle]

• Time Warner cable with HD DVR receiver - 1 set
  
• TW cable box (standard) - 1 set
  
• Direct cable connection to 3rd set
  
• OTA antenna
  

You likely won't get HD from the cable box (read about QAM), but you can get locals via the antenna for sure. For SD, the easiest way is to use the analog cable connections to the tuners. If you want to use one of the STBs so you can get the digital channels, a Hauppauge PVR-150 has an IR blaster. However, only one can work at a time, so you can use one STB and the rest of the tuners analog. I think the MCE blaster and other third-party blasters (USB-UIRT?) support multiple blasters if you want multiple STBs.

[Ted the Penguin]

[*]How does it compare to the mainstream apps like SageTV and Snapstream?

this has already been said, but GB-PVR is free, and sub makes sure that a release is stable before he lets it out into the wild, and if there is a problem that affects usability, you can usually expect a fix within a few days.

[*]Be able to record at least 2 programs simultaneously
[*]HD recordings? Perhaps, but not a deal breaker at this time.

HD Recording: since you are doing research, I am assuming that at some point you will run across the ATI OCUR (digital TV wonder) with a cable card... and you will find out that you can only buy it inside a cablelabs certified machine.

take a look at the Hauppauge HVR1600, that has an analog and digital tuner, and I believe they are separate, so you can use them both at the same time. it supports Clear QAM, (which probably will only be locals) so you can record HD programs.

Another option for multiple set top boxes is getting ones that support other methods of channel changing, like serial or firewire, then you can set each one up individually.
my suggestion for this is the motorola DCT2xxx series, if you can get them with the serial port enabled they are dead simple to set up with serial channel changing

[*]Have it be DROP DEAD SIMPLE so my lovely bride won't divorce me!

As for WAF, the skin you use can make it easier for the wife to accept the program. The blue skin is pretty simple, but if you are looking for prettier things you could check out Sassari and the community skin.
At one point there was an "easy view" feature, which sub created for his kids. speaking of, subs kids can work the system (and many other users children from what I have heard). But we all know that that does not necessarily mean that your wife/parents/siblings can work it, does it

[*]How stable is it compared to Linux based systems? Ialways worry a little with Windows running a mission critical app... (used to be a Novell Netware engineer... )

about windows: it all depends on the operator; and if you keep it locked down, it will be stable... you know EMC? their arrays run on windows.

[*]How much tinkering will be needed to make it cook properly?

I dont know about getting it to cook, you could probably write a plugin for that, but it would probably be easier to get your wife to do it.