Posts tagged xbmc

What to choose, what to use? I currently use a Mac mini using a Mythfrontend. It works fine, and it accepts inputs from the integrated remote. It does not utilize up to date features of the most recent compilation, but it does indeed work flawlessly with the server; particularly the grey bar, at the bottom of HD frame, is still present. It does not crash, although the themes do have occasional bugs.

I have tried Plex, and XBMC in the past. The versions that I used were relatively functional with the server. There was a problem with particular videos playing, which was somewhat alleviated with transcoding. There have been updates to both pieces of software. Plex, as of 12/12/09 does not work with the MythTV server in Ubuntu 9.10 repositories. The same is for XBMC. Although the Mythbox script for XBMC allows functionality with the networking schema of the version of MythTV trunk used in current Ubuntu repos. The same problem, that I experienced with previous versions of Plex and XBMC, still occurs.

I want it to work. I want Mythbox for XBMC to work. I am currently working on various ways to transcode videos to make them not freeze. Lossless transcoding does not work. Sometimes videos will completely loose audio, and sometimes they will work fine. If I use no transcoding videos will freeze when transitioning from a channel; meaning if the recording starts on channel 725, and changes to 749 it will freeze. This is probably a bug in the frambuffer, which I should and could investigate in the log files.

I currently deleted my entire video library. I have turned off losless transcoding and an effort to avoid loosing audio. I have also forced transcoding to occur before commercial flagging. Transcoding after commercial flagging results in a strange phenomena; the flag points are attached at particular times and since the commercials are cut by transcoding the flags become located at incorrect and entirely unnecessary positions. I hope that not using loslesss transcoding will allow videos to not freeze and retain audio.

Overall MythTV’s commercial flagging is not foolproof. Even with strict detection checked flagging is still iffy at best. I look forward to future revisions.

There is another option. I can connect a 25ft DVI cable, from my computer, to my TV. This will allow a Linux Mythfrontend to display perfectly. It will have all the up-do-date features of MythTV. The only thing is the remote. I can purchase a IR receiver, but LIRC is limited as compared to the functionality of the Mac mini remote. I really like how the remote works on Plex and XBMC, which is half the reason I want to use those apps in particular. LIRC is much more dry cut, with a button doing something in particular, throughout the program; I’m not quite sure how to get LIRC to do different functions on different MythTV menus.

I can also use XBMC on Linux, but I’m pretty sure I will encounter the same problems stated above; therefore switching from OSX to Linux to still use XBMC is a moot point. Using the 25ft DVI cable, and a Mythfrontend I can use an internet remote control. They are various internet based remotes for the iPod touch; particularly Mymote.