Comments on: How I built my own DVR using MythTV and Linux

By: Asa

Asa — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 21:32:22 +0000

Rupert, since you mentioned this, I’ve started noticing a pattern of which programmes Myth skips ads badly: it tend to be US shows whose ads are skipped well, but the UK ones not so well.

For the moment, I’m resorting to manually editing out ads for the old films I want to keep,

By: Asa

Asa — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 21:31:27 +0000

Utilities/Setup -> Setup -> Appearance

Then select from the “UI Theme” drop-down box. The one I’m using is called MythCenter (Widescreen).

Thanks for the tips on the commercial-skipping. Will have to try that out some time.

By: Rupert

Rupert — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 11:39:06 +0000

Nice little article.
I have a question, and in return, I’d like to give some help. First, my question (and this sounds totally dumb, but I haven’t found the setting or a guide about this yet): How can I change the skin on MythTV to have one like yours? I am using MythBuntu and the skin it comes with is pretty u.g.l.y.
Next, my help. You say you use Freeview and find the commercial skipping pretty naff, this is because mythcomskip is mainly designed and geared towards US TV users, where the way ads are placed between programs is pretty awful (loads of black screen between ads and programs etc.). Thus, it doesn’t work so well for us UK TV viewers. Luckily, there is a Windows app that can be run via Wine (or built from source I believe) that most decent DVR apps use, called comskip, found here: http://www.kaashoek.com/comskip/
Simply download and extract and you can run it via Wine in Ubuntu. Next, you need a UK specific comskip.ini file (the config file for comskip) that is tuned to work for UK TV adverts. The best (and only one) I have found, is here: http://mcebuddy.com/files/folders/publicbuilds/entry1181.aspx This installs updated Comskip.ini files and there is a UK specific one called uk_conskip.ini I think. If you can’t run this installer for whatever reason, I can upload the file directly on my website. When running comskip via Wine, tell it to use this uk_comskip.ini file and it will find “most” of the ads broadcast by the major freeview broadcasters. However, this obviously doesn’t intergrate nicely into MythTV though. There are some workarounds, comskip can create edl files that certain video players (like VLC and XBMC Media Center) use, so long as it has the name name as the video file. Also, it can create .chap files that you can use to encode chapter makers into mkv and mp4 files using mkvmerge or mp4box, which are recognised by VLC and other media players. Finally, you can also use the EDL files to actually cut out the adverts using mencoder. Sadly the results are never always perfect, since UK TV broadcasters are very good at adding adverts between programs and it is very difficult for any app to always detect when they start and end, but the solution I suggest here is the best I have come across. I use comskip to create .chap files and then use mp4box to create chapter markers in the mp4 file I create when I trancode the mpg from MythTV. It works pretty well in VLC. WOW, longest comment ever. So, about changing themes then ;)???

By: Advice on selecting CPU and memory for M3N78-VM - MythTV Community Forum - MythTV talk.com

Sun, 11 Oct 2009 09:05:45 +0000

[...] PC will only be used for MythTV, 4Gb might be overkill. Marc Hi Marc – the example I used was: Asa Winstanley How I built my own DVR using MythTV and Linux I did ask him how he still felt on the spec, and he did mention that if you want multiple users on [...]

By: Asa

Asa — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 13:25:09 +0000

Ah ha!

Excellent, thanks silverdulcet. I’ll try that next time it skips a movie’s commmericals wrong (it mostly seems to be movies).

Incidentally, I am currently struggling with a more serious problen: after an Ubuntu kernel security fix got pushed to my box (and I clicked in stall and restart) the remote stopped working. Bah.

More details of the problem on Ubuntu Forums if anyone can help:

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1282659

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=8055285#post8055285

By: silverdulcet

silverdulcet — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 08:35:38 +0000

You can enable/disable commercial skipping for any program while you are watching it. Press whatever button is defined as the “Menu” key on your remote. By default its the “M” key on your keyboard as well. This brings of the onscreen overlay menu. One of the options is the Commercial skipping. I believe there are 3 options, Skip, Notify or Disable.

By: Asa

Asa — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 09:08:41 +0000

So I’ve heard, but I’ve never installed from a Mythbuntu disc so I can’t say for sure.

I will say that installing the Ubuntu MythTV packages (which come from the Mythbuntu project anyway) is so easy as to be trival.

By: Martin

Martin — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 07:50:07 +0000

Thanks, I will do! Am undecided as to whether to install Ubuntu and then MythTV or to go with a pre-made distro such as Mythbuntu.

I think the first option will give me more control and a more functional system as far as base software goes.

By: asa

asa — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 14:52:03 +0000

Thanks Martin.

You would have an advantage in that you would be able to try with Ubuntu 9.10 (aka Karmic Koala) — which will hopefully include the next version of MythTV: 0.22. 9.10 is due out in about 3 week’s time.

Good luck with the build, let me know how it goes if you do go ahead with it. Feel free to ask any questions I didn’t cover.

By: Martin

Martin — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 09:29:51 +0000

WOW, superb article, thoroughly enjoyed reading through it. Some very useful info that applies to me as well. I have also just bought the same TV tuner after recomendation on the Mythbuntu site. Have read a bit on Gary’s website that you used for reference also.

I am hoping to get a Myth box up and running soon, just got to convince my parents, maybe I should move out!

Am also hoping to start making Myth boxes to sell, fill that gap in the market you mentioned, I see the same potential there.

By: asa

asa — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 15:46:27 +0000

Thanks Jos. I’m not using MCE. I am also trying to twiddle with certain other settings, but I might use your tip to turn it off if I can’t get any better results.

By the way, do you know if there’s any way I can turn it off on some programmes, but leave it on on others? It tend to work fine on certain channels and certain shows, but not on others.

By: Jos

Jos — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 15:12:52 +0000

Asa, to turn off advert skipping from the frontend do the following:
Utilites/Setup>Setup>TV Settings>Playback
Page 8/9
Advert skip
Auto skip adverts, set to off.

Use MCE remote to skip the adverts by pressing the “Right/Skip forwards” button on the remote. 2 presses and you should reach the end of the adverts and back to the programme.

By: Mythtv Distro Howtos and more - Page 2 - MythTV Community Forum - MythTV talk.com

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 22:03:07 +0000

[...] guide to how I got MythTV working with Ubuntu 9.04 with photos. It's on my website, check it out: Asa Winstanley How I built my own DVR using MythTV and Linux Feedback in the comments section [...]

By: Asa Winstanley » MythTV guide

Asa Winstanley » MythTV guide — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:01:34 +0000

[...] built my own DVR using the excellent Linux-based MythTV software. I’ve written a detailed guide about how I did it here. I mostly wrote it for my own benefit, but hopefully it will be of use to others [...]