Become famous, post your MythTV related How-to's here

[tgm4883]

Please follow these (http://www.mythbuntu.org/HowTo/HowTo) guidelines when writing How To's.

General Setup

Tuners

Remote Control

Gyration Media Center Universal Remote Control (GYR3101CA) (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=4579356#post4579356) in Ubuntu 10.04 (Thanks DemonBob)

Backend Status
HowTo: Using Conky on any ubuntu box to view recording info on backend. (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=934264) (Thanks Demonbob)

General Troubleshooting
Resolving gparted freeze on a floppyless system (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=667567) (Thanks ahood)

Home Automation
How I Integrated some X10 Home Automation into MythBuntu (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=4733977#post4733977) (Thanks freymann)

Mythvideo or Mythmovies
Howto: use sshfs fuse with mythvideo instead of NFS (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1090085) (Thanks oobe-feisty)

Misc
HOWTO: Linux Hulu Desktop integration (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=8075632) Mythbuntu (Thanks tgm4883)



********************************Old/Possibly outdated How-Tos********************************


General Setup
How to use GUI programs from your Mythbuntu machine on your Windows machine over SSH (http://blog.lib.umn.edu/welsh059/blog/2008/09/x_on_windows_you_bet_1.html#more) (Thanks Eric Boring)
HOWTO: Antec Fusion Black 430 LCD, Volume Knob, AND Hauppauge Remote w/ 8.04 (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=779674) for Mythbuntu 8.04(Thanks gazer22)
HOWTO: Antec Fusion Black 430 LCD, Volume Knob, AND Hauppauge Remote w/ 8.10 (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1069267) for Mythbuntu 8.10 (Thanks gazer22)
Australian XMLTV Provider Installation Guide - Shepherd XMLTV (http://svn.whuffy.com/index.cgi/wiki/Installation) (Thanks nasha)
Auto Updating mythvideo metadata (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=938760) (Thanks oobe-feisty)
MythTV Ubuntu Freesat Installation Guide (http://parker1.co.uk/mythtv_freesat.php) (Thanks parker13)
ACPI Wakeup and Mythwelcome on an Epox 8RDA+ (http://justanotherwebblog.wordpress.com/2008/09/09/howto-mythtv-with-acpi-wakeup-and-mythwelcome/) on Mythbuntu 8.04 (Thanks Dumdideldum)
General system build and install guide (http://sites.google.com/site/mricci43/) (Thanks mric5180)
Quickly Sort Channels (http://www.oneweb.co.uk/mythtv/2009/02/quickly-sort-channels/) in Mythbuntu 8.10 (Thanks Slate8)
HowTo access the mythbuntu mysql database using phpmyadmin (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=889753) (Thanks LarryJ2)
Automatically Convert Radio Shows To MP3 Format (http://www.oneweb.co.uk/mythtv/2009/02/automatically-convert-radio-shows-to-mp3-format/) in Mythbuntu 8.10 (Thanks Slate8)
Another Conky mythbuntu howto telnet query status (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=7057617) (Thanks oobe-feisty)
Play 720p HD Content Over Wireless & Make The Subtitle Size Sensible (http://www.oneweb.co.uk/mythtv/2009/02/play-hd-720p-content-over-wireless-make-the-subtitle-size-sensible/) in Mythbuntu 8.10 (Thanks Slate8)
Andrew’s MythTV Walkthrough: A Simpler MythTV How-to for Beginners (http://andrewmanugian.wordpress.com/2009/07/26/andrewsmythtvguide/) for Mythbuntu 9.04 64-bit (Thanks Pentar)
MythZoneMinder on Hardy with ZoneMinder 1.23.3 (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=7806436#post7806436) in Mythbuntu 8.04 (Thanks newlinux)

Tuners
DViCO Dual Digital 4 HDTV DVB-T Rev 1 & Rev 2 w/ Remote Tutorial (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=616103) (Thanks oobe-feisty)
HDMI/OpenGL on ATI HD 34xx and Hauppauge HVR-1800 ATSC/QAM & NTSC tuners (http://ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php?p=6129026&postcount=132) for Mythbuntu 8.10 (Thanks theduke88 )
HVR-950 on Intrepid (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=6230325) for Mythbuntu 8.10 (Thanks MythTV Wiki)
HOWTO:Hauppauge WinTV NovaT500 Jaunty 64 bit (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1140411) on Mythbuntu 9.04 (Thanks wyliecoyoteuk)
MythTV DVB-S HowTo (https://help.ubuntu.com/community/MythTV_DVB-S) on Mythbuntu 9.04 (Thanks kwbolte)
HVR-2250 Tutorial (http://ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php?p=7429560&postcount=47) on Mythbuntu 8.10 or later (Thanks LowSky)
Remote Control
PVR-350 Remote and IR blaster (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=5417214#post5417214) (Thanks ahood)
TiVo Remote control (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=972341) (Thanks sgtstadanko)
MCE Transmitters confused as to where to send commands (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1086803) (Thanks rodercot)
Another Remote Question/Issue lirc_imon/mceusb2 ir transmit problems (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1075080) (Thanks rodercot)
Hauppauge pvr150 irblaster remote working! (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=6884883#post6884883) in Mythbuntu 8.10 (Thanks scooter29)
Configuring Your MCE IR Remote (http://www.oneweb.co.uk/mythtv/2009/02/configuring-your-mce-ir-remote/) in Mythbuntu 8.10 (Thanks Slate8)

Cases
Zalman HD135 VFD How-to for 8.10 with proper driver (http://xbmc.org/forum/showthread.php?t=45924) on Mythbuntu 8.10 (Thanks rodercot)
Karmic Antec Fusion VFD (http://www.baablogic.net/drupal/node/6) on Mythbuntu 9.10 (Thanks rhpot1991)

Storage
How To LVM in Mythbuntu (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=584473) (Thanks apauna)

Video Card
Adding a video card to a system with onboard video (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=635943) (Thanks ahood)
Configuring and Enabling TV out on Nvidia (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=665704) (Thanks ahood)
How to: D945GCLF2 svideo TV-OUT (http://ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php?p=7054850&postcount=38) (Thanks muffinito)
Fixing DVI > HDMI sound issues with nVidia Drivers (http://analogbit.com/node/23) (Thanks Nasha)

Sound
Digital Sound Setup (http://www.mythtv.org/wiki?title=AllensDigitalAudioHowto) for Mythbuntu 8.10 (Thanks allene222)

Mythvideo or Mythmovies
Updated imdb.pl for getting hi-res movie posters (http://www.oneweb.co.uk/mythtv/2009/02/updated-imdbpl-for-getting-hi-res-movie-posters/) in Mythbuntu 8.10 (Thanks Slate8)
Mythmovies fix in Canada (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=7374359#post7374359) on Mythbuntu 8.04 (Thanks ahood)
Working with ISOs in MythTV 0.22 (http://www.baablogic.net/drupal/node/7) (Thanks rhpot1991)

[DutchLoki]

You can find a first version of the DVB-S (satellite) guide on the link below. Next week i'll add an example setup from begin to end and more information about gathering channel data and settings.

Wiki-based manual (feel free to contribute):
http://www.mythtv.org/wiki/index.php/User_Manual

Let me know if you have any suggestions or edit the manual yourself (thats why its wiki based).

[Eric Boring]

How to get -X on Windows over SSH. This is handy for maintaining a myth box hooked up to just a TV and a remote.
http://blog.lib.umn.edu/welsh059/blog/2008/09/x_on_windows_you_bet_1.html#more

[wombo]

Its not mine, but very useful

HOWTO: Antec Fusion Black 430 LCD, Volume Knob, AND Hauppauge Remote w/ 8.04
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=779674

[nasha]

DViCO Dual Digital 4 HDTV DVB-T Rev 1 & Rev 2 w/ Remote Tutorial
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=616103

Australian XMLTV Provider Installation Guide - Shepherd XMLTV
http://svn.whuffy.com/index.cgi/wiki/Installation

[DemonBob]

HowTo: Using Conky on any ubuntu box to view recording info on backend. (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=934264)

[vlaporte]

HowTO-run mythfilldatabase remotely

Problem-program guide may not automatically update in mythbuntu.

Solution – remote control – NXserver and Nxclient. Free from Nomachine.com
http://www.nomachine.com/download.php
Install Free Nxserver, Nxnode and Nxclient on MythBuntu HP computer (server) and another computer Linux Blue (client). Thats right install all 3 programs on both computers.
Restart server (MythBuntu on HP computer).
Restart client (Linux Blue) and start NXclient as non root user. The launcher is “nxclient” as found in - /usr/NX/bin/nxclient
This will start a GUI with login/password window.

Setup NXclient GUI for terminal.
Setup as follows > Click “configure” button > new window > fill in host address “192.168.1.104” > Port “22” > Desktop “Unix” > “Custom” > click settings button > radio button “Run the console” > radio button “Floating window” > OK (to close window) > click “save” button > click OK > now we are back to original login window > create name for session “MythBuntu-terminal” > type password to match login name “vlaporte” > type password (for vlaporte) > click Login button > done.
I new terminal type "sudo mythfilldatabase"

Luck,

Vince

[easybake]

This thread is awesome.

[tgm4883]

Using your webcam feed as a wallpaper! (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=883176)

While I appreciate your input, I fail to see how this is MythTV or Mythbuntu related. If you can show me this, I'd be more than happy to add your post to the top.

[tgm4883]

HowTO-run mythfilldatabase remotely

Problem-program guide may not automatically update in mythbuntu.

Solution – remote control – NXserver and Nxclient. Free from Nomachine.com
http://www.nomachine.com/download.php
Install Free Nxserver, Nxnode and Nxclient on MythBuntu HP computer (server) and another computer Linux Blue (client). Thats right install all 3 programs on both computers.
Restart server (MythBuntu on HP computer).
Restart client (Linux Blue) and start NXclient as non root user. The launcher is “nxclient” as found in - /usr/NX/bin/nxclient
This will start a GUI with login/password window.

Setup NXclient GUI for terminal.
Setup as follows > Click “configure” button > new window > fill in host address “192.168.1.104” > Port “22” > Desktop “Unix” > “Custom” > click settings button > radio button “Run the console” > radio button “Floating window” > OK (to close window) > click “save” button > click OK > now we are back to original login window > create name for session “MythBuntu-terminal” > type password to match login name “vlaporte” > type password (for vlaporte) > click Login button > done.
I new terminal type "sudo mythfilldatabase"

Luck,

Vince

While I appreciate this piece of info, this seems like a way overcomplicated way of doing this. Why is this better than SSHing into the machine and running mythfilldatabase?

[lisati]

Getting AVG free to update without messing round with (gk)sudo: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=889552

[easybake]

While I appreciate your input, I fail to see how this is MythTV or Mythbuntu related. If you can show me this, I'd be more than happy to add your post to the top.

Lol at me sorry. I came across this thread from a different search. Wasn't even paying attention to what section it was in.](*,)

[lisati]

Lol at me sorry. I came across this thread from a different search. Wasn't even paying attention to what section it was in.](*,)

Ditto......

[oobe-feisty]

hello

Auto Updating mythvideo metadata

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=938760


DVICO dual digital 4
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=616103

how to disable or enable gnomescreensaver with lirc
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=905271

Howto: use sshfs fuse with mythvideo instead of NFS
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1090085

[uMuppet]

Here is the wiki from my new MythKiwi.com site


http://mythkiwi.com (http://mythkiwi.com)

This is mainly related to MythTV in New Zealand and how to get around some of the differences we have. There is a setup guide for Freeview Satellite, Freeview Terrestrial, Analogue TV and various XML grabbers.

I'd love to hear any feedback as this is my first site,

[oobe-feisty]

i am just bumping this thread cause i want it to continue being added to

[tgm4883]

i am just bumping this thread cause i want it to continue being added to

You can bump it all you want, but I'm pretty sure that since it's not getting any higher than a sticky on the front page. But hey, maybe people don't look at the stickies so bump away.

[oobe-feisty]

lol i didnt relise it was a sticky

[sgtstadanko]

Configuring Mythbuntu to work with a Tivo Remote Control (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=972341)

[theduke88]

x86_64 8.10 Intrepid install with HDMI/OpenGL on ATI HD 34xx and Hauppauge HVR-1800 ATSC/QAM & NTSC tuners (http://ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php?p=6129026&postcount=132)

[wayover13]

I'd like to put together a how to, but I'll need some pointers in order to even be able to accomplish the task I'm aiming for. The task: I've got 2 capture cards. I'd like for one of them (say, card A) to be dedicated solely to watching live TV and the other (say, card B) to be dedicated solely to recording. In other words, whenever a recording is scheduled to kick in, myth should always capture it from card B. Whenever a live TV program is tuned in, myth should always capture it from card A. I've looked around in the various set up menus but have so far been unable to puzzle out all the right settings for doing this. I've also done some searching on the web but have so far not turned up any helpful documentation. Can anyone point me to relevant documentation or perhaps offer pointers on accomplishing this task? As I said, if I can get help doing this I'd be happy to write up a how to.

Thanks,
James

Ok, here's the scoop. I ended up joining the mythtv-users listserv and asking there how to do what I wanted. What I found does not really warrant a how to, so I'll just post it here as a sort of addendum to my request (above).

Turns out there is no way to dedicate or assign a capture card under Myth. If Myth knows about the card, it assumes it can be used for any purpose the system might need it for, including recording. One alternative suggested for true dedication of cards, then, was to not tell Myth about the live TV card (card A) but to configure only the other card under Myth. Then one would set up a menu option (call it "live TV" or something) by editing one's theme, and the menu option would be set to invoke some alternate TV viewing program full-screen like VLC or xine that would be configured to look for TV input from card A. It's not really as complicated as it sounds to do this, and instructions can be found at http://www.mythtv.org/wiki/index.php/Menu_theme_development_guide#Special_Actions . But I ended up *not* using that option.

The course of action I chose is a bit simpler than the one I outlined above, though it may not be as effective. I.e., there may be some rare instances in which a recording gets made from card A--at least in theory. I only set this up a short time ago so I have yet to see how effective it will be in day-to-day usage. But I can at least confirm that, every time I've tuned in live TV so far, it does come through card A. And, conversely, every recording I've made so far has come through card B.

In order to make the system prefer one card over the other for recording, you just need to make sure that the card through which you want recordings to be made is the one you set up first. You do this when setting up capture cards. In my case, I had set up card A first and had been using it exclusively in this system for some time, only later adding card B--the one I wanted to do recordings with. So the system was defaulting to card A for recordings--not what I wanted.

To resolve that, I had to first delete all capture cards from the system (I think they're called "inputs" in the set up menu: that's at Setup/Utilities > Setup > Mythbuntu > Mythtv Configuration > Capture cards). Then, I set them up in the order they should be for what I wanted: I set up card B first, so it would be the preferred source for making recordings, then I set up card A. The only other thing I was told to do to make the system more effectively chose card A for live TV was to tick the option "Avoid conflicts between live TV and scheduled shows" under Utilities/Setup > Setup > Settings > General.

So far, that seems to giving me the effect I want of recordings being made through one card and live TV coming through the other. It may not be 100% effective, but it may be close enough to suit my needs.

[nrune]

Remote codes for RC64 remote from directv to control d10 and d11 series boxes via IR. I use a MCE Microsoft remote to blast the codes. Should control via IR any box that the RC64 remote is able to control. I only decoded and confirmed the channel numbers 0-9, I have no need for any other codes.


begin remote
name DirecTV_RC64
flags RAW_CODES
eps 30
aeps 100

ptrail 613
repeat 0 0
gap 29767

begin raw_codes

name 1
6000 1150 1250 1100 650 550
650 550 650 550 650 550
650 1100 650 550 650 1150
650


name 2
6000 1100 1250 1150 650 550
650 550 600 550 650 550
1250 550 650 550 1200 550
650

name 3
6000 1150 1250 1100 650 550
650 550 650 550 650 550
1200 1150 650 550 1250 1150
600

name 4
6000 1150 1250 1100 650 550
650 550 650 550 650 1100
650 550 650 550 1250 1150
600

name 5
6050 1100 1300 1100 650 550
600 550 650 550 650 1150
650 1150 650 1100 650 550
650

name 6
6000 1150 1250 1100 650 550
650 550 650 550 650 1100
1250 550 650 1150 650 1150
600

name 7
6000 1150 1250 1100 650 550
650 550 650 550 650 1100
1250 1150 650 1150 1250 500
650

name 8
6000 1150 1250 1100 650 550
650 550 650 550 1200 550
650 550 650 1150 1200 550
650

name 9
6050 1100 1250 1150 650 550
600 550 650 550 1250 550
650 1150 600 1150 1250 1150
650

name 0
6050 1100 1300 1100 650 550
650 550 650 1100 650 550
650 1150 650 1100 1250 550
650

end raw_codes

end remote


I have hunted the internet for hours for these codes, I hope that someone finds my work usefull.

Thanks

[hackmeister]

Article I wrote for Linux Pro back in October 2006:
http://www.linux-magazine.com/issue/71/Media_Center_With_MythTV.pdf

How-To for configuring MCE IR blaster with Motorola DCT700 cable box:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Motorola_DCT700_Channel_Change_Script?highlight=(d ct700)

[agiamba]

Thanks guys. This thread is priceless.

[uMuppet]

While they are not really "How Tos" I have made several "set it up for me" scripts with graphical interfaces.

I have made a control panel (http://mythkiwi.com/index.php/View-details/MythKiwi-Control-Panel/11-MythKiwi-Control-Panel.html) for configuring pretty much the whole backend which will only work on New Zealand TV, but if you are confortable tinkering with Python scripts and changing GUIs with Glade you can configure it for other countries too I guess.

Also a Bulk Meta Grabber with GUI (http://mythkiwi.com/index.php/View-details/Movie-IMBD-Data-collection-tools/12-MythKiwi-Bulk-Meta-Grabber.html),
It uses Ryan Pisanis (http://thepisanis.com/node/11%20) IMDB.com grabber for the movies and Steve Adeffs TVRage.coms grabber for the TV shows.
It will automatically detect if the video has SxxExx format (The Simpsons S10E04.avi) and use the appropriate script to grab the plot, duration, rating... and generates a poster for the TV shows using MPlayer.
There is a set and forget option which makes best fit for each video so you don't need to sit in front of your computer hitting enter after each video. Dam useful for large collections.

Anyone keen on helping me out with this I'll be more than happy. I seem to be collecting too many projects lately. I also have a NZ SKY TV Blaster Setup Wizard that is still in planning on the wiki (http://mythkiwi.com/index.php?option=com_joomlawiki&Itemid=14).

You can find these at mythkiwi.com
(http://mythkiwi.com)

[gazer22]

...
General Setup
...
HOWTO: Antec Fusion Black 430 LCD, Volume Knob, AND Hauppauge Remote w/ 8.04 (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=779674) (Thanks gazer22)
...


I just started a new thread for the Antec Fusion LCD and Hauppauge Remote for 8.10: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1069267

[allene222]

Digital Sound:
http://www.mythtv.org/wiki?title=AllensDigitalAudioHowto

Allen

[parker13]

Hi,

Thanks form this thread and all the useful links. I've recently put together a guide for Freesat in the UK:

http://parker1.co.uk/mythtv_freesat.php

[Dumdideldum]

ACPI Wakeup and Mythwelcome on an Epox 8RDA+ using Mythbuntu 8.04 :

http://justanotherwebblog.wordpress.com/2008/09/09/howto-mythtv-with-acpi-wakeup-and-mythwelcome/

[rodercot]

Here are a few how-to's and some tips I created. Hope they help in some way.

some irsend and issue fixes for lirc (one or two instances)
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1086803

Zalman HD135 Case VFD how two (with fan control support)updated the how-to with a irrecorded lircd file for the remote you can test.
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1078520

IMON LCD IR and MCE remote with dongle and transmit functions (This how to uses Gazer22's how-to for 8.10 to get the LCD running. Follow it up to step 10 and then link to my post to finish the remote setup part.)

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1075080

Have Fun!

Dave


Thanks, updating today. Sorry for the delay - tgm4883

[oobe-feisty]

Howto: use sshfs fuse with mythvideo instead of NFS
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1090085

Another Conky mythbuntu howto telnet query status
="http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=7057617"

[scooter29]

Here is my post to get your pvr150 blaster working:D

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=6884883#post6884883

[mric5180]

http://sites.google.com/site/mricci43/

This guide outlines the steps i took to configure MythTV as a combined Backend Frontend on Ubuntu 8.10 (Intrepid Ibex). I realise this is a Mythbuntu forum but i figure a lot of the steps will be similar.

Many of the steps are quite specific to my configuration however they may be of use to others having the same or similar issues as me, hence the post.

[Slate8]

Here are some how-to's I put together recently. These all apply to Mythbuntu 8.10.

Configuring Your MCE IR Remote
http://www.oneweb.co.uk/mythtv/2009/02/configuring-your-mce-ir-remote/

Play 720p HD Content Over Wireless & Make The Subtitle Size Sensible
http://www.oneweb.co.uk/mythtv/2009/02/play-hd-720p-content-over-wireless-make-the-subtitle-size-sensible/

Quickly Sort Channels
http://www.oneweb.co.uk/mythtv/2009/02/quickly-sort-channels/

Updated imdb.pl for getting hi-res movie posters
http://www.oneweb.co.uk/mythtv/2009/02/updated-imdbpl-for-getting-hi-res-movie-posters/

Automatically Convert Radio Shows To MP3 Format
http://www.oneweb.co.uk/mythtv/2009/02/automatically-convert-radio-shows-to-mp3-format/

[kpatz]

Here's one I contributed to recently:

Changing x11vnc configuration in mythbuntu (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=793788)

There's info in there on how to change the default port x11vnc listens on, or any other parameter. Also, if you look at my post, I have a way of launching x11vnc from xinetd so it doesn't have to be running all the time.

[Nobodyspeshul]

Has this been considered for addition to this How-To list?

Was a great walkthrough for a GUI junkie like me.

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=889753

[nasha]

Fixing DVI > HDMI sound issues with nVidia Drivers:
http://analogbit.com/node/23

[muffinito]

To enable the svideo out you need first to install mythbuntu with an vga monitor. Then add the following rep on your sources:

https://launchpad.net/~xorg-edgers/+archive/ppa

Then upgrade it wherever using apt-get or synaptic.
This will get a working xorg-intel driver. After that shut down, disconnect the vga monitor and connect the svideo to your TV. Turn on the computer and it will work!!

I have test it successfully on mythbuntu 8.10 32bit and 9.04 64bit

Special thanks to the Intel folks that eventually get the driver working as is supposed to.

[nasha]

Not MythTV related, but a definite handy guide for those wishing to sync their iPhones to their Myth box without much hassle.

Using iTunes via Sun Virtualbox running Windows:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/PortableDevices/iPhone

[David Valentine]

Great thread--I hope this fits here.

It seems like lots of folks have been having overscan issues when hooking up their HTPC's to HDTV's. Here (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1003099) is a howto for dealing with that via hard-coding modelines in xorg.conf. Please note that if you're running mythbuntu 9.04, you don't have to do a bunch of guessing at iterations for the values of your modelines--see my post (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1003099) on page 4 of the thread.

[wyliecoyoteuk]

Just upgraded to jaunty (9.04 64bit), and my Hauppauge WinTV Nova-T 500 remote did not work at all, plus the tuning failed!


This post (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1140411) shows the steps I took to cure the problem, along with complete conf files,etc, plus cures for some other issues


Take off from here - tgm4883

[kwbolte]

I added a DVB-S howto tested with Hauppage Nova-S Plus here:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/MythTV_DVB-S

Channel scanning didn't work in mythtv-setup, so I wrote how to do it manually.

[ahood]

Yesterday, I upgraded from Mythbuntu 7.10 to 8.04 LTS and the mythmovies plugin initially did not work. The problem was an error message about the ignyte script and no data was fetched.

I was able to resolve the issue by following the instructions posted at the following link, http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=7374359#post7374359

There is a bug reported for ignyte in Launchpad (see https://bugs.launchpad.net/mythbuntu/+bug/230240, with a fix committed in June - August of 2008. Thus, this issue may exist only for 8.04 LTS users (not sure though).

Regards,

Al

[tgm4883]

Sorry everyone, i've been really busy for a while now. I'm working on updating this list so everything should be current by the end of the week.

[tgm4883]

On a similar note, what does everyone think about making this a wiki page and then everyone could update it themselves?

[tgm4883]

Yay, original post is now up to date. I'll try to keep it up to date from now on.

[LowSky]

HVR-2250 Tutorial
This driver is a BETA and only works on digital side of the tuner,

NO ANALOG and please be careful using.

I am not responsible for the outcome of you using my tutorial.

This is not for people new to Linux, as it might break (and it might, I've only had this running for about 30 minutes, so fingers crossed).

Instructions for using HVR-2250 in MythTV (also works on HVR-2200 or any video capture card using the SAA7164 chipset)

You need to be running Ubuntu 8.10 or higher for these drivers

To install Firmware and drivers please enter these lines of code into a terminal


wget http://www.steventoth.net/linux/hvr22xx/22xxdrv_27086.zip
wget http://www.steventoth.net/linux/hvr22xx/HVR-12x0-14x0-17x0_1_25_25271_WHQL.zip
wget http://www.steventoth.net/linux/hvr22xx/extract.sh

sh extract.sh
sudo cp *fw /lib/firmware

you need to install mercurial and build essential for the next steps
sudo apt-get install mercurial build-essential

then we need the driver using this command to fetch
hg clone http://kernellabs.com/hg/saa7164-stable/

now change to the directory
cd saa7164-stable

then run make
make

that will take some time, go grab a drink and wait it out, when it completes run this command
sudo make install

wait for that to complete and reboot
from the command line
sudo reboot

Note that an application like TVtime will not work, TVtime only works on Analog signals, and so far this driver only gets the digital stuff working.

then install MythTV using whatever method you like, I personally went into synaptic and installed the frontend and backend and extra plug-ins

once installed and you set up your passwords go to
System> administration> MythTV backend setup

once there go to Capture Cards, Should be choice #2
choose new capture card, you will ave to do this step twice (this card has two tuners)
At card Type, pick DTB DTV
the first will be device number 0,
repeats choosing capture card to add the second tuner
the second device will be #1 (Linux starts counting at 0, good thing to know, especially for hard drives)

then go to video sources, pick your options, will vary so mine will not work with yours most likely, so I dont want to post something I dont know)

then go to Input Connections, again you will have 0 and 1, configure both

then edit channels and directories as needed.

close let it fill database, for some reason mine keeps running in a loop, just exit after you see it finish the first or second time

now go to Applications > Sound & Video > MythTV Frontend

And you should be able to watch TV


Notes
I used Ubuntu 9.04, results should work for anyone using *buntu 8.10 releases, including Mythbuntu
I must say the configuring MythTV is exhausting so if I missed something or it doens't work please post better steps.
Special thanks to Steven over at KernelLabs (http://www.kernellabs.com/blog/?page_id=17), the person who made the drivers.


Sources

http://www.linuxtv.org/wiki/index.php/How_to_Obtain%2C_Build_and_Install_V4L-DVB_Device_Drivers
http://www.kernellabs.com/blog/?page_id=17
http://kernellabs.com/hg/saa7164-stable/
http://parker1.co.uk/mythtv_ubuntu.php
http://www.linuxtv.org/wiki/index.php/How_to_Obtain%2C_Build_and_Install_V4L-DVB_Device_Drivers#Using_Mercurial
http://www.steventoth.net/blog/products/hvr-2250/
http://linuxtv.org/wiki/index.php/Hauppauge_WinTV-HVR-2200

[DemonBob]

Yay, original post is now up to date. I'll try to keep it up to date from now on.


Good idea, a mythbuntu Wiki would be nice.

[Slate8]

Good idea, a mythbuntu Wiki would be nice.

I second the Wiki idea! :D

[Rompalle]

I second the Wiki idea! :D

same here, it will only grow faster and be easier to have it current.

thx!

[tgm4883]

I think i'd like to revive the MythTV section on the Ubuntu wiki located here https://help.ubuntu.com/community/MythTV

Would anyone like to take charge of that? I'm envisioning having separate pages for each topic such as

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/MythTV/Tuners
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/MythTV/Remotes
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/MythTV/General
etc

What does everyone think?

[Pentar]

This is a General/Complete Walkthrough/Summary for MythTV using Mythbuntu 9.04 64-bit.

I wrote a MythTV guide outlining what its capable of, why use it, and how to set up your own simple system from start to finish. I'm certainly not a technical writer or that good with computers, but I was initially overwhelmed by the amount of information available in this community, and I think this could be the start of a pretty simple yet solid guide and would love some feedback.

Besides the usual hardware and software setup it also covers:
+ Setting up a daily cron job that gets free listings with mc2xml
+ Remotely accessing MythWeb from any browser
+ MythGame configuration and setup with MAME
+ Controlling a DirectTV set top box with a low-speed data cable


find it HERE (http://andrewmanugian.wordpress.com/2009/07/26/andrewsmythtvguide/)


thanks for reading,
Andrew

[wyliecoyoteuk]

I too like the wiki idea.
At the moment, I'm trying to get mythzoneminder working.

[Victormd]

I know this is just for how-tos but maybe someone can point me in the right direction since every search I conducted brought me back to this thread.

I have Mythbuntu 9.04 and use it mainly for media management (no TV I/O). After the last update, when in the music center, I can no longer scroll through my playlist (e.g., using up and down arrows). The remote is locked on the bottom control buttons (i.e., play, FF, random, visualization, etc.). I don't know if it was the update or if I hit a random key combination that "changed the position" of what section of the screen the remote controls - please let me know if this explanation is confusing... :)

If it is a key combination, what is it??? If not, is there any work around for this?

Thanks!

[newlinux]

I too like the wiki idea.
At the moment, I'm trying to get mythzoneminder working.

It's a MythZoneMinder how-to for Hardy with ZoneMinder 1.23.3 - but maybe it will help you.


http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=7806436#post7806436

[movieman]

On a related note, I finally got my network camera hooked into MythTV.

Airlink101 AIC500N. It auto-configured an IP address by DHCP and most configuration can be done from Firefox; a few things like motion detection are vastly simpler to configure from Internet Explorer, so you might want a Windows PC for that.

Downloading the current image works by just connecting to:

http://user:password@webcam/cgi/jpg/image.cgi

(Replace user, password and webcam with the appropriate values for your configuration)

Motion detection information can be dumped in Firefox with:

http://webcam/cgi/motion/md.cgi?action=listall

and values updated with

http://webcam/cgi/motion/md.cgi?action=update&id=window&parameter=value

(window is 0 or 1, parameter is one of the parameters previously listed, value is the value to set it to)

Back on the MythTV front, you need to ensure you have the 1.00B25 firmware installed:

http://www.airlink101.com/support/index.php?cmd=files&id=132

Once you have that, you can access the video in Firefox at:

http://user:password@webcam/cgi/mjpg/mjpg.cgi

To view from inside MythTV, confiugure a network stream. However, you can't use that same URL because, while it works with VLC, Mplayer can't determine the format. You need to stuck a dummy filename on the end:

http://user:password@webcam/cgi/mjpg/mjpg.cgi?dummy.mjpg

Then you can view the camera inside MythTV just like any other network stream.

The camera is actually an ARM-based Linux box. With the 1.00B16 software you can actually telnet to a command line interface by connecting to port 15566; the 1.00B25 software removes that feature as it's a huge security hole (root login with no password).

[kreggz]

I have managed to get HDMI working with my ATI Radeon 4650 card so I thought I would write a how to.

http://www.mythtv.org/wiki/ATI_Radeon_HDMI

[movieman]

I'm working on zoneminder now, I'll update this post as I figure out more:

apt-get install zoneminder
apt-get install mythzoneminder

sudo ln -s /etc/zm/apache.conf /etc/apache2/conf.d/zoneminder.conf
sudo /etc/init.d/apache2 force-reload

Add to /etc/sysctl.conf:

# Zoneminder
kernel.shmall = 134217728
kernel.shmmax = 134217728

Open Zoneminder console, configure it to allow network cameras, add the network camera with hostname user:password@webcam and location of /cgi/jpg/image.cgi (I'll investigate video support later).

That's got me to the point of being able to see a picture and define zones on the system, now I need to try to get mythzoneminder working.

[ffaker]

I've written a general guide to how I got MythTV working with Ubuntu 9.04 with photos. It's on my website, check it out:

http://www.winstanleys.org/tech/mythtv/

Feedback in the comments section welcome.

[prupert]

Basically, follow this post:

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1176528

But, you need to change a few things, these are the steps that need editing:

STEP 2 - create MythWakeSet script
In the MythWakeSet script provided, change
SECS=$(date -d "$1 $2" "+%s")
to
SECS=$(date -u --date "$1 $2" "+%s")
(this is to pass the time and date in the correct format that the BIOS will understand, if you use the format they suggest, the time and date will be incorrect and have **:** in it somewhere.)

STEP 5 - configure mythwelcome
Change wakeup time format from time_t to yyyy-MM-dd hh:mm:ss


STEP 7 - prevent mythfrontend from starting on restart
At the end of Step 7, before testing, there is one more thing to do, to allow the MythTV user group to use the sudo command without a password, so it can perform all the sudo actions in the background. Not inherently safe, I know, but at least it gets it to work ;)
Type in the terminal: sudo visudo
Then, to the bottom of the file add:

%mythtv ALL = NOPASSWD: /usr/bin/MythWakeSet, /sbin/shutdown, /bin/sh, /usr/bin/mythshutdown


You may need to press "i" first, before you can start adding text to the file). When the test is added, pres Esc and press Shift+z+z (so press the Shift key, then Z and then Z again) to save and exit the file. (visudo opens up the /ect/sudoers file in the commandline file editor, Vi, so you need to use the Vi commands to move around and edit the file).

These are all the changes to the steps you need to make. Finally for the D945GCLF2, in the BIOS, ensure that in the Power Menu, ensure that alarm wakeup is DISABLED.

Thats it, it now works.
YAY!!

[djchandler]

How did the header get changed by the previous poster?

[djchandler]

Display resolution was not being saved for next session. I have only experienced this with Mythbuntu 9.04.

I have experience with Ubuntu starting with 6.06 and have another desktop and a laptop both running 9.04. I have never seen this problem before, and I have built at least 10 different systems with one version or another of Ubuntu installed.

For a bit I thought my AGP slot was faulty. The last time I had pulled a card out of that mobo's AGP slot, a capacitor discharged and smoked the power supply. Weird things can still happen even if you do unplug everything and follow procedure. Somethimes parts just eventually wear out. I was beginning to think the APG slot or the whole mobo was unreliable after I had tried two different AGP cards and the problem persisted.

The screen resolution was defaulting to way short than optimal for the old Gateway 19" CRT I'm using for this backend. 1600 x 1200 @ 50 hz Vertical refresh. I couldn't believe the amount of perceived flicker. The graphics card is an older MSI-8826 (Nvidia MX 400, no heat sink, 64mb).

Although the primary use for this is backend, frontend is installed plus there was the usual workaround with an NXT 2004 HDTV chip on a Kworld ATSC 110. Plus I needed access to the desktop for tweaking and installing yet another Folding@Home client.

Software: Mythbuntu 9.04 & Nvidia proprietary driver version # 96.43.10 (note: couldn't save resolution with Open Source driver either.)

Solution: Run nvidia-settings as root/su to be able to save an xorg.conf file.

Press "Alt-F2"
Enter "gksu nvidia-settings"
Enter administrative password
Set display to desired resolution, in my case, 1280 x 960 @ 85 hz
Click "Save to X Configuration File"
Click "Quit"

Next reboot will be more appealing to your eye.

[tgm4883]

Redacted

[tgm4883]

This forum seems to work better for How-To's. In an effort to keep the first post semi-readable, I plan on separating the first post so the old/outdated stuff is below.

[piginabox]

Solution to the Hauppauge HVR 1200 PCIe card not finding channels during channel scan and not locking to a channel in live TV when it works fine in other programs such as Kaffeine.

sudo apt-get install w-scan

w_scan -X -c GB -ft > ~/Desktop/channels.conf

This creates a channels.conf file which you can use with mythtv setup channel scan.
In mythtv backend setup, channel editor, change the type of 'Scan Type' to 'Import channels.conf'
'File location' must include filename '/home/YOURHOMENAME/Desktop/channels.conf'

The scan should now find the channels and after adding them and running the frontend Live TV should now work.

[smoothdave]

If you're looking for a remote control for Mythbuntu, the GP-IR02BK is excellent. It works out of the box. Plug it in and configure Mythbuntu for a Windows MCE remote, and most everything will work. The only thing that won't work is the white button one-click access to things like Music, Pictures, Video, LiveTV and Recorded, and that is the purpose of this simple how to.

The first thing you have to do is to set up the Key bindings or Jump points in MythTV. By default, Mythbuntu doesn't do one key access to Music, LiveTV, etc. Those keyboard combinations have to be set manually. To do that, access MythTV through your browser. Go to Settings, MythTV, Key Bindings. The Jump points will be at the top.

Enter keyboard combinations for the ones you want. It is best to use an Alt or Ctrl key combination. For example, for LiveTV, I used Alt+T, Play Music is Alt+M, Recorded TV is Alt+R, etc. Save your changes at the bottom.

Next you have to configure the LIRC configuration file. That file should be located in your myth user directory in .mythtv/lircrc. (This will be a link to another file.) I added the following at the end of my file.

### buttons added
begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mythtv
button = LiveTV
config = Alt+T
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end

begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mythtv
button = Blue
config = Alt+W
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end

begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mythtv
button = Videos
config = Alt+V
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end

begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mythtv
button = Music
config = Alt+M
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end

begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mythtv
button = RecTV
config = Alt+R
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end

begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mythtv
button = Pictures
config = Alt+P
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end

begin
remote = mceusb
prog = mythtv
button = DVD
config = Alt+D
repeat = 0
delay = 0
end


That's it.

[jalyst]

^ How does this remote compare to the harmony one?
Thanks if you can offer any thoughts!

[markofealing]

How to install and configure Mythbuntu 10.10 using a Hauppauge Nova-T 500 DVB card

Having looked for simple step-by-step online guide on "how to..." instructions on configuring Mythbuntu and the excellent Nova-T 500 DVB card for UK Freeview, I decided to write my own instructions in my blog (http://mylinuxramblings.wordpress.com/).

Links to the articles below, hope someone finds them useful:

Installing Mythbuntu 10.10 with a Hauppauge Nova-T 500 PCI DVB-T card – PART 1 (http://mylinuxramblings.wordpress.com/2010/12/23/installing-mythbuntu-10-10-with-a-hauppauge-nova-t-500-pci-dvb-t-card-part-1/)

Installing Mythbuntu in Ubuntu 10.10 with a Hauppauge Nova-T 500 PCI DVB-T (http://mylinuxramblings.wordpress.com/2010/12/28/installing-mythbuntu-in-ubuntu-10-10-with-a-hauppauge-nova-t-500-pci-dvb-t/)

Installing Mythbuntu 10.10 with a Hauppauge Nova-T 500 PCI DVB-T card: PART 2 – Configuration (http://mylinuxramblings.wordpress.com/2010/12/30/installing-mythbuntu-10-10-with-a-hauppauge-nova-t-500-pci-dvb-t-card-part-2-configuration/)

Mythbuntu 10.10 Hauppauge Nova-T 500 PCI DVB-T card: PART 3 – Recording Programs and Configuring the Remote (http://mylinuxramblings.wordpress.com/2011/02/22/mythbuntu-10-10-hauppauge-nova-t-500-pci-dvb-t-card-part-3-recording-programs-and-configuring-the-remote/)

[el_Paraguayo]

XBMC plugin: ACPI alarm wake based on MythTV recording time

I've written a script for XBMC (which I use as my MythTV frontend) which sets an ACPI alarm based on the next MythTV recording time and then suspends/hibernates the machine.

It will also check mythshutdown to ensure there are no active jobs etc before powering down.

It can also be run as a cron job so it doesn't require user interaction.

Just going through some last minute testing and will post more details shortly.

[el_Paraguayo]

XBMC plugin: ACPI alarm wake based on MythTV recording time

I've written a script for XBMC (which I use as my MythTV frontend) which sets an ACPI alarm based on the next MythTV recording time and then suspends/hibernates the machine.

It will also check mythshutdown to ensure there are no active jobs etc before powering down.

It can also be run as a cron job so it doesn't require user interaction.

Just going through some last minute testing and will post more details shortly.

Here it is. (http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?t=105941)

[tgm4883]

Closing thread as we are moving to AskUbuntu.com for guides. See why here (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1874546)