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## 23. Miscellaneous.

## 23.1 I'd like to watch the files without using MythTV / I'd like to convert the files to some other format

MythTV comes with a utility called mythtranscode which can decode nuv files into raw format for use with other applications. This command-line utility was not designed to be used by the end-user, but instead to be called by other applications or scripts. Programs like mkmovie ( http://www.icelus.org/) and nuvexport ( http://forevermore.net/myth/) are better suited for the end user. However, since mythtranscode can be a useful tool, directions on using it follow.

mythtranscode creates raw streams, which means that they do not contain any container information such as resolution, frame-rate, or audio sampling rate. In order to process the output, you must supply this information to the processing utility. mythtranscode provides the relevant information on STDOUT.

There are two modes in which mythtranscode can create raw streams. The first has no synchronization and assumes that the processing utility will read audio and video at a constant rate. This method is useful when a single application will be processing the raw output, such as mencoder or ffmpeg. The second method assumes that two separate applications will be processing the audio and video streams independently, and there is no rate control between them which means that the two programs don't coordinate their efforts to maintain synchronization.

### mythtranscode example

First, start mythtranscode. You will need to determine the channel and the start time manually.

> `

>     $ mythtranscode --chanid 1036 --starttime 2003-10-20T15:30:00 --profile \
>     autodetect --fifodir . &

> `

When mythtranscode begins executing, it will create two FIFOs ("audout" and "vidout") in the directory specified (in this case ".", meaning the current directory) and will print out information about the video stream.

The next step is to start the processing application. The following assumes that the stream is NTSC 640x480 with 32Kbps audio.

To use mencoder you would enter a command like:

> `

>     mencoder -audiofile audout -audio-demuxer 20 -rawaudio rate=32000 \
>     -rawvideo on:w=640:h=480:fps=29.97 -ovc lavc -oac mp3lame -o out.avi \
>     vidout

> `

NOTE: You must use mencoder 1.0PRE1 or later. mencoder version 0.9x WILL NOT WORK!
Using ffmepg:

> `

>     ffmpeg -f u16le -ar 32000 -ac 2 -i audout -f rawvideo -s 640x480 -r 29.97 \
>     -i vidout -vcodec mpeg4 -b 2000 -acodec mp3 -ab 128 out.avi

> `

Or to play directly using mplayer (again 1.0PRE1 or later is needed):

> `

>     mplayer -audiofile audout -audio-demuxer 20 -rawaudio rate=32000 \
>     -rawvideo on:w=640:h=480:fps=29.97 vidout

> `

If you wanted to write the raw data to separate audio and video files for later processing, the following would work (note the use of --fifosync for rate-control):

> `

>     $ mythtranscode --chanid 1036 --starttime 2003-10-20T15:30:00 \
>     --profile autodetect --fifodir . --fifosync &
>     $ cat audout > audio.raw &
>     $ cat vidout > video.yuv

> `

## 23.2 Using a different window manager

MythTV is not dependent on any particular window manager. If you wish to run a lightweight window manager, the `configfiles/` directory has an example of a `.twmrc` and `.fvwmrc` file you may use.

## 23.3 What capture resolution should I use? How does video work?

While MythTV allows you to set various GUI and capture resolutions, not all combinations make sense.

First, analog video signals have a defined vertical resolution. In NTSC, the video standard specifies that there are 525 vertical scan lines. Once the "extra" lines are removed (they're used to synchronize the video signal, and encode closed captioning data), you have 480 horizontal lines stacked vertically.

In PAL, there are 625 "raw" lines of resolution, with a net of 576 horizontal lines stacked vertically.

Horizontally, the maximum value allowed for a Bt8X8 chip is 720. However, due to limitations in the chip and other limitations of broadcast television, there may not be a noticeable improvement in image quality beyond 400 or 500 pixels.

With this in mind, there are certain commonly accepted values for resolution. While other values may be accepted for the vertical resolution, they will cause scan lines to be repeated or dropped.

From "best" to "worst", in NTSC:

- 720x480 ("DVD" resolution. Also commonly, 704x480)
- 640x480 4:3
- 544x480 (TiVo high resolution)
- 480x480 (Video CD resolution)
- 352x480 (ReplayTV "Standard" quality)
- 320x480
- 544x240
- 480x240
- 352x240
- 320x240

As you can see, the lower quality values are half of the better ones. 720x240 is possible, but isn't a good tradeoff relative to the number of vertical lines lost. In a PAL country, the you would use values like 720x576 or x288.

The higher resolutions will be more CPU intensive if you're using software encoding (PVR-250/350 will have minimal host CPU impact even if you're using 720x480). If the CPU is overtaxed, frames will be dropped causing uneven motion. You will likely see the best results at resolutions which average at least 10% CPU idle time. You can use system tools such as `top` or `sar` to check the CPU % idle while recording. If the CPU average usage is consistently exceeding 90%, frames will need to be dropped during peak times when more than 100% of the available CPU would be needed to process all of the frames.

If you'd like to read more on this, go to the vcdhelp website at http://www.vcdhelp.com/forum/userguides/94382.php.

## 23.4 MythTV GUI and X Display Sizes

MythTV is designed to be run as dedicated full screen TV application but can also be run as a desktop application on a computer monitor. Here are a few consideration for configuring sizes to best suit you needs.

### X Dimensions

For output to a Television, common resolutions are 640x480, 800x600, and some rare devices support 1024x768. Generally, higher resolutions are better. However, you may find that you prefer the picture quality at one of the lower resolutions. Everything in MythTV is scalable and should 'fit' regardless of the resolution you choose.

Edit your X configuration file, usually `/etc/X11/XF86Config-4` for XFree, or `/etc/X11/xorg.conf` for Xorg, so that the resolution you want to use is listed first in the lists under "Screen". If this resolution is higher than the resolutions supported by your output device, you will see a 'panning' effect where moving the mouse to the edge will scroll around a desktop area which is larger than the display size. If this happens, edit your X configuration file to match the display size then restart X.

### MythTV Dimensions

From "mythfrontend" go to Setup->Appearance. The default for the height and width is "0" - this will cause MythTV to automatically size itself to full screen.

If the MythTV GUI width and height are not 0, mythfrontend uses these GUI dimensions and is anchored to the upper left corner of the X Desktop. If the GUI X and/or Y are not 0, the upper left corner is positioned at the specified coordinates. If the "Run the frontend in a window" box is checked, the window will have a frame and can then be dragged to any position on the desktop.

NOTE: When the GUI is full screen, you may see windows rapidly flipping on top of each other. If this happens you will need to set your window manager to 'Click to Focus' for windows to stack properly.
The fonts for the GUI and OSD will scale to whatever sizes you use. Most font sizes can be changed in setup selections or in the .xml files under `/usr/local/share/mythtv/` . Make sure to use fonts large enough to be read on a TV screen from a distance.

The full screen TV size is based on the X display size. For Xinerama, you can specify a screen in Setup->General. The TV picture will be stretched to fit the entire GUI area regardless of the capture resolutions used. However, during playback, the "W" key can to used to correct differences between 16:9 and 4:3.

### Overscan Dimensions

Because picture edges can be ragged and screen edges aren't straight, Television is designed to project an image larger than the physical screen. This is called "overscan". Underscan is fitting the entire image inside the screen. Underscan is useful for computer monitors so that toolbars and scrollbars at the edges can be seen.

For best results, match the X display area as close as possible to the edges of the physical screen. This can only be adjusted by your tv-out device or by the settings for the television set. Many sets have these adjustments in a 'service mode'. If you cannot make these adjustments, there will be black borders around the edges of the X desktop, MythTV GUI and TV playback.

MythTV has settings for "Overscan" in Setup->Playback. These can not, and do not, cause the image to display beyond the edge of the X display area. The purpose of these settings are to cut off rough edges and to expand the image so that objects will appear to be the same size as a normal overscanned TV picture.

## 23.5 Saving or restoring the database

See the mysqldump manpage for more information.

> `

>     $ mysqldump -u mythtv -pmythtv mythconverg -c > mythtv_backup.sql

> `

To restore: (assuming that you've dropped the database)

> `

>     $ mysql -u root
>     mysql>create database mythconverg;
>     mysql>exit
>     $ mysql -u mythtv -pmythtv mythconverg < mythtv_backup.sql

> `

You may need to alter the MySQL permissions if this database is being shared with multiple systems. See the Modifying access to the MySQL database for multiple systems section for more information.

## 23.6 Deleting the MySQL database

NOTE: Performing this step will remove the entire database. You will lose all of your settings and will need to re-run the mc.sql script to setup the database structure before running the setup program.

> `

>     $ mysql -u root
>     mysql> drop database mythconverg;
>     mysql> quit

> `

## 23.7 Moving your data to new hardware

This assumes that you will be moving your data to newer / bigger hardware and don't want to lose your programs.

The first step is to create a database backup as demonstrated in an earlier section.

Next, you will extract only the data that is relevant to the programs:

> `

>     $ grep "INSERT INTO record "         mythtv_backup.sql > restore.sql
>     $ grep "INSERT INTO recorded "       mythtv_backup.sql >> restore.sql
>     $ grep "INSERT INTO oldrecorded "    mythtv_backup.sql >> restore.sql
>     $ grep "INSERT INTO recordedmarkup " mythtv_backup.sql >> restore.sql

> `

NOTE: Newer versions of mysqldump place backticks around the table names. Backticks are not the same as apostrophes! On a typical North American keyboard, backticks are located to the left of the "1" key, on the same key as the tilde. Also, because the bash shell may try to interpret the backticks, make sure you use a \ before each one.

If your `restore.sql` file is empty, you'll need to re-run the commands like this:

> `

>     $ grep "INSERT INTO \`record\` "         mythtv_backup.sql > restore.sql
>     $ grep "INSERT INTO \`recorded\` "       mythtv_backup.sql >> restore.sql
>     $ grep "INSERT INTO \`oldrecorded\` "    mythtv_backup.sql >> restore.sql
>     $ grep "INSERT INTO \`recordedmarkup\` " mythtv_backup.sql >> restore.sql

> `

Note the space after the table name and the ">>" to append to the file for all but the first grep. "recordedmarkup" is huge and may be hundreds of thousands of lines if you had lots of hours of recordings.

After you have moved the data files to the new hardware, configure MythTV using the mythtv-setup program as you normally would with a standard MythTV installation.

At this point we will restore the information about your programs back into the database:

> `

>     $ mysql -u mythtv -pmythtv mythconverg < restore.sql

> `

After successful insertion of the data you may delete the `restore.sql` file.

## 23.8 btaudio

btaudio allows you to obtain the audio data from your tuner card directly over the PCI bus without using a sound card. This is useful if you would like to use multiple tuner cards in a system without adding a sound card for each one, or if your existing sound card is not capable of full-duplex operation.

In order to use btaudio, your tuner card will need certain hardware installed on it, and that hardware must be wired correctly. The chip that will allow you to use the btaudio module is the MSP34xx. However, having a MSP34xx is no guarantee that you will be able to use the btaudio module.

As of 2003-03-31, this is the current list of cards and their status: Works with btaudio:

- Hauppauge WinTV-radio with dbx-TV stereo, model 401
- Hauppauge WinTV-Theater, model 495, 498 (Europe)
- ATI TV Wonder

The following cards do not work:

- Pinnacle Studio PCTV Pro - note: this has a MSP34xx, but it's not wired correctly to the BT878 chip.
- ATI TV Wonder VE
- Leadtek Winfast 2000 XP (PAL, UK and NTSC)
- I/O Magic PC-PVR. No MSP34xx chip.

The following cards have been reported to work, but have issues:

- Avermedia AVerTV Studio (no digital DSP output, "whiney noise" on analog)

Once btaudio loads, it should register additional `/dev/dsp` and `/dev/mixer` devices. Typing `$ dmesg` will let you know what's going on.

## 23.9 Removing unwanted channels

If mythfilldatabase grabbed a channel which you do not want to include in your TV listings, you can remove the entries from the grabber configuration and the MySQL database. This often happens with premium channels; for example, HBO or Showtime may be available on your cable TV system, but is scrambled because you're not a subscriber to that channel. Since you can never watch it, you want to get rid of it.

If you are using the DataDirect service, login to your account at http://labs.zap2it.com/ to modify your lineup. Uncheck the boxes for any unwanted channels, and they will no longer be included in your download.

If you are using a grabber from XMLTV, comment out the channel from the `~/.mythtv/<sourcename>.xmltv` file by inserting the word "not " (including the space) in front of the unwanted entry. This will prevent xmltv from grabbing future listings.

Next, delete the unwanted item from the channel table so that it will not appear in the EPG or when changing channels. To delete the data from the database we need to perform some steps. First, assuming that HBO is channel 15, we need to find out the internal `chanid` used by MySQL:

> `

>     $ mysql -u root mythconverg
>     mysql> select chanid from channel where channum=15;
>     +--------+
>     | chanid |
>     +--------+
>     |   1015 |
>     +--------+
>     1 row in set (0.00 sec)
>     mysql> delete from channel where chanid = 1015;

> `

Old program data will be removed over the course of a week. However, you may want to immediately delete any current program listings for the channel that has been removed:

> `

>     $ mysql -u root mythconverg
>     mysql> delete from program where chanid = 1015;

> `

## 23.10 NFS

You may want to use a central server to store your files.

On the host machine, (in this case, the hostname is "masterbackend") you'll want to edit your `/etc/exports` file and use something like:

> `

>     /var/video (rw)

> `

To export the `/var/video` directory with read / write privileges.

On the "slave" machine, you'll want to edit the `/etc/fstab` file and add something like:

> `

>     masterbackend:/var/video /var/video nfs rsize=8192,wsize=8192,hard,intr,nfsvers=3

> `

Then run `# mount -a` to re-read the file to mount the file system.

In this case, the source is a machine called "masterbackend" which is exporting the directory "/var/video", which we're mounting locally at "/var/video". The rsize and wsize options are used to increase the performance of NFS; "hard,intr" is there because that's the recommendation of the NFS-HOWTO, and the nfsvers is required for filesizes over 2GB.

## 23.11 Automatically starting mythfrontend at system boot time

Here's an example submitted to the mythtv-dev list by Pat Pflaum mailto:pat@netburp.com using fvwm:

> `

>     $ cat > .xinitrc
>     fvwm &
>     mythfrontend
>     ^D
>     $ cat > .fvwmrc
>     Style myth* NoTitle, NoHandles, Sticky, WindowListSkip, SloppyFocus, GrabFocus, BorderWidth 0
>     ^D
>     $

> `

The following also works with blackbox:

> `

>     $ cat > .xinitrc
>     xset -dpms s off &
>     irxevent &
>     mythfrontend &
>     blackbox

> `

Make sure that your `.blackboxrc` file has:

> `

>     session.screen0.focusNewWindows:        True
>     session.screen0.focusModel:     SloppyFocus

> `

in it.

## 23.12 Automatically starting mythbackend at system boot time

### Red Hat And Mandriva

Here's a method for automatically starting mythbackend submitted by Mike Thomson ( mailto:linux@m-thomson.net) and Stu Tomlinson ( mailto:stu@nosnilmot.com).

Copy the files from the MythTV `contrib` directory or from Mike's web site ( http://m-thomson.net/mythtv/) as follows:

`etc.rc.d.init.mythbackend` should be made executable and copied to `/etc/rc.d/init.d/`:

> `

>     $ cd contrib
>     $ su
>     # chmod a+x etc.rc.d.init.d.mythbackend
>     # cp etc.rc.d.init.d.mythbackend /etc/rc.d/init.d/mythbackend

> `

`etc.sysconfig.mythbackend` should be copied to `/etc/sysconfig/`:

> `

>     $ cd contrib
>     $ su
>     # cp etc.sysconfig.mythbackend /etc/sysconfig/mythbackend

> `

Edit `/etc/sysconfig/mythbackend` if you want to change the defaults (the userid that should start mythbackend, location of the logfile and (if required) the name and location of the mythbackend binary).

Use chkconfig to make sure the script is called when entering runlevels 3, 4 or 5:

> `

>     $ su
>     # chkconfig --level 345 mythbackend on
>     # exit
>     $

> `

### Log files

By default, the log file for mythbackend will be written to `/var/tmp/mythbackend.log`. This has been tested and is known to work on Mandriva and Red Hat, but many people prefer to place logs under `/var/log/`.

To do this, create a group called `mythtv` (or anything you prefer) and add your usual MythTV users to that group. If you changed the user that starts mythbackend from the default of root you must perform this step.

Create the directory `/var/log/mythtv` and set its permissions as follows:

> `

>     $ su
>     # mkdir /var/log/mythtv
>     # chown root:mythtv /var/log/mythtv
>     # chmod 0775 /var/log/mythtv
>     # exit
>     $ ls -ld /var/log/mythtv
>     drwxrwxr-x    2 root     mythtv       4096 Apr 28 21:58 /var/log/mythtv/
>     $

> `

### Mandriva

Mandriva adds one more twist in the form of the `msec` utility, which runs regularly and (at the default or any higher security level) sets permissions on many files, including those under `/var/log`.

To tell msec about the MythTV log files and their directory, you need to edit the `/etc/security/msec/perm.local` file to include the following:

> `

>     # /etc/security/msec/perm.local
>     # Local overrides to the msec program
>     #
>     # Full file path                user.group              permissions
>     /var/log/mythtv/                root.mythtv             775
>     /var/log/mythtv/*               root.mythtv             664

> `

A copy of the above has been included in the contrib/ directory. You may add it by typing:

> `

>     $ cd contrib
>     $ su
>     # cat etc.security.msec.perm.local >> /etc/security/msec/perm.local
>     # exit

> `

Finally run the `msec` tool to check and implement your changes.

> `

>     $ su
>     # msec
>     # exit
>     $

> `

NOTE: msec can only reduce the permissions of files, so if you don't get the results you expect, check that you're not asking `msec` to add missing permissions to the files or directories you created.

### Gentoo

The portage file for MythTV has scripts that will allow you to run mythbackend at startup.

To run mythbackend as a daemon which starts at boot time:

> `

>     # rc-update add mythbackend default

> `

To stop mythbackend as a daemon:

> `

>     # /etc/init.d/mythbackend stop

> `

To obtain a list of options:

> `

>     # /etc/init.d/mythbackend

> `

## 23.13 Advanced Backend Configurations

MythTV is flexible in the way that you define multiple backend tuner configurations. The only hard-and-fast rule is that the Master backend must have a capture device defined, but shouldn't imply that the capture device in the Master backend must be the first capture card defined in the database.

One example of an advanced configuration is the round-robin scheme. Rather than defining all of the cards on the master, you could first go into setup on the master to define globals such as the general configuration and the channel lineup but not the host-specific configuration item like the capture card. In this example, we will use a 4 tuner configuration, where two slaves have one card each and the master has two.

1. Add the first capture card on one of the slaves. Complete the configuration, connecting the input source to the card. This will get cardid #1 in the database. Exit setup.
2. Configure the first capture card on the master backend. This will get cardid #2 in the database. Exit setup.
3. Configure the first capture card on the second slave. This will be cardid #3 in the database. Exit setup.
4. Configure the second capture card on the master backend. This will get cardid #4 in the database. Exit setup.

Using this scheme, the master backend will not use both capture cards until one of the following happens:

- There are four recordings scheduled for the same time
- Both slaves are unavailable

The scheduler in MythTV checks whether an encoder is available; if a slave backend isn't running, its encoder isn't available, so the scheduler will look for the next available encoder. This makes MythTV very flexible; slave tuners can come and go, and as long as there are enough tuners for what you'd like to record it doesn't matter which tuner in particular is going to be used.

Using this round-robin scheme along with a shared storage directory like NFS and enabling the Master Backend Override setting will allow you to view content even if the slave backend that recorded a program is not available.

## 23.14 What is this transcoder thing, and how do I use it?

The transcoder re-encodes files from one MythTV format to another. The main purpose of the transcoder is to allow users with hardware encoders (PVR-250) or systems that can only record in RTjpeg due to performance reasons (multiple capture cards, slow system, etc) to create MPEG-4 streams to save space.

The transcoder can be used in two ways:

- Automatically re-encode every file once it has completed recording
- After marking commercials, the transcoder can be run manually to delete the commercials from the file (thus further saving space)

The two methods are independent. The first is an automatic process that can be enabled/disabled through the setup program; the second is a manual method which must be invoked on each recording individually.

The second method can be used on files that have already been transcoded (or files which were are already in the correct format), so only the frames immediately following a cut section will be re-encoded, resulting in a very minimal loss of quality.

To enable automatic transcoding, do the following: start the setup program under the host-specific settings: set the Transcoder Auto-run checkbox

For either manual or automatic transcoding: start mythbackend start mythfrontend select setup, and the Transcoding recording profile. now select either RTjpeg or MPEG-4 (selecting any of the hardware encoders will result in the transcoder not working). set the other parameters as you'd like. For best performance, you should match the audio to the 'Default' profile. If you plan to only use the manual transcoder, you can choose to set the video to be the same as the default profile too (as long as it is MPEG-4 or RTjpeg)

Everything should now be setup properly. If you elected to use the Auto-Run feature, the transcoder will automatically launch after each recording is complete. The transcoder thread runs at a low priority, so it should not impact any critical tasks or other recordings.

If you want to manually transcode a program, simply press 'X' while watching a recording (you should have already finished marking all commercials). If you change your mind, hitting 'X' again will stop the transcoding.

Once the transcode is complete, mythbackend will replace the old file with the new as soon as it is no longer in use.

## 23.15 Changing your hostname

If you need to change the name of the computers used with MythTV you'll need to perform a sequence of steps. There are a number of pieces of information that MythTV keeps track of which are tied to the hostname of the box, so changing the hostname involves altering the name in the operating system and in the MySQL database. In the examples below, the old name of the system was "frontend1" and we're going to change it to "kidsroom".

NOTE: Changing the hostname using direct SQL update commands will break things. You MUST use this indirect method.

1. Stop all backends. If you run mythbackend from a terminal session, press control-c. If your backends are started with an init script, you would do something like the following:

> `

>     $ su
>     # /etc/init.d/mythbackend stop

> `

2. Change the hostname.

For Red Hat and derived distributions, edit the `/etc/sysconfig/network` file. Look for `HOSTNAME=frontend1` and change this to `HOSTNAME=kidsroom` or whatever you'll be using. For other distributions, refer to the documentation, such as the

    hostname(1)

man page.

To alter the hostname in the current session, run:

> `

>     # hostname kidsroom

> `

3. Dump the database.

> `

>     $ mysqldump -u mythtv -pmythtv mythconverg -c > mythtv_backup.sql

> `

4. Rename the host in the database. First, ensure that the new hostname you'll be using isn't already in the database.

> `

>     $ grep kidsroom mythtv_backup.sql

> `

Now we're actually going to change the name. The following should all be typed on the same line:

> `

>     $ cat mythtv_backup.sql | sed s/\'frontend1\'/\'kidsroom\'/ >> mythtv_restore.sql

> `

If you don't feel comfortable using sed, you can open the `mythtv_backup.sql` file in a text editor and perform a global search and replace. When saving the file, make sure you use the new name, `mythtv_restore.sql` or the rest of the steps below will fail.

5. Drop and recreate the database.

> `

>     $ mysql -u root
>     mysql>drop database mythconverg;
>     mysql>create database mythconverg;
>     mysql>exit

> `

6. Restore the database using your edited version.

> `

>     $ mysql -u mythtv -pmythtv mythconverg < mythtv_restore.sql

> `

If you are running slave backends or frontends, don't forget to re-enable access as detailed in Modifying access to the MySQL database for multiple systems.

7. Start the backends. If you use init scripts, do the following, otherwise start them from terminal consoles.

> `

>     # /etc/init.d/mythbackend start

> `

8. Quit and restart all frontends. Delete the `mythtv_backup.sql` and `mythtv_restore.sql` files.

## 23.16 Can I run MythTV on my TiVo?

## 23.17 Can I run MythTV on my ReplayTV?

No.

While it is true that the TiVo runs the Linux kernel, and TiVo has released their changes to the kernel under the GPL, the TiVo is not a general-purpose computer, and there is no programming information available for the custom hardware contained within a TiVo. TiVo is under no obligation to release the source code to their application.

The ReplayTV runs VxWorks, a Real Time Operating System from Wind River Systems.

## 23.18 Can a wireless connection be used between the frontend and the backend?

Yes, assuming that your wireless connection has sufficient bandwidth to maintain the datarate between the frontend and the backend. 802.11b should be sufficient if the encoded bitrate of the content is less than the datarate of your wireless connection, which in the case of 802.11b would be approximately 4 Mbps. (The advertised rate of 11Mbps gives an actual throughput of 4 Mbps.) 802.11a and 802.11g, if operating in their high-speed modes, or proprietary 802.11b "Turbo" schemes should be adequate. Multiple wireless frontends, poor signal strength or other factors can severely impact the viewing experience on the frontend.

## 23.19 How can I burn shows that I have recorded to a DVD?

There are two answers to this question. The easiest thing to do is to simply burn the MythTV files onto the DVD and treat the DVD as if it were a hard drive. This will allow you to save the programs, but it's likely that they will not be playable in a DVD player because the disc will simply contain files and not any DVD structure. If you'd like to create a DVD that will play in a standard DVD player and your files have been recorded as MPEG-2 from a device supported by the IVTV driver, the first step you'll need to perform is to remux the file to make it DVD compliant. Next, you'll use dvdauthor, mkisofs to create the ISO image, and finally dvdrecord to burn that to a blank DVD-R.

The requirements for this procedure are mjpegtools (provides mplex) and dvdauthor (provides mpeg2desc and dvdauthor).

This script will perform the necessary steps. You'll need to pass it the .nuv file and a name for the new DVD project. You should end up with a directory which you can mkisofs into a ISO file then burn it.

> `

>     #!/bin/sh

>     mkfifo aud0
>     mkfifo vid0
>     mkfifo dvdmpg

>     mpeg2desc -a0 < $1 > aud0 &
>     mpeg2desc -v0 < $1 > vid0 &
>     mplex -f 8 -V -o dvdmpg aud0 vid0 &
>     dvdauthor -o $2 -f dvdmpg
>     dvdauthor -o $2 -T

>     rm aud0
>     rm vid0
>     rm dvdmpg

> `

It's also possible to pipe the output of mkisofs directly to cdrecord without any intermediate files being written to your hard drive. For example:

> `

>     #!/bin/sh
>     TSIZE=`mkisofs -dvd-video -udf -q -print-size .`
>     mkisofs -dvd-video -udf -V "$1" . | nice -10 cdrecord speed=1 dev=1,1,0 \
>     driveropts=burnfree -dao -v tsize="$TSIZE"s -

> `

## 23.20 Burning a MythTV recording to a DVD (alternate version)

This is specific to MPEG-2 .nuv files created by Hauppauge PVR-X50 video capture cards.

The software packages you will want are:

- dvd+rw-tools
- dvdauthor
- mjpegtools
- avidemux2
- transcode - not necessary for this, but useful for working with video
- k3b - a GUI for burning DVD's and CD's. Not necessary, but useful.

1. Find the file you want.

2. Run avidemux2 and open the .nuv file which corresponds with the program you wish to burn to DVD.

3. Remove the segments you don't need. Click twice on "A" when you are at the beginning of the segment you want to save, find the end of the segment, and click "B".

4. Save the raw video stream and audio: `File-> Save -> Save Raw Video Stream`. Save the file as `1.m2v`. When that's done, go to `Audio -> Save Audio`. Save the file as `1.mp2`

5. Repeat steps 2 & 3 until you have saved all the segments you wish to keep.

6. Mplex the video and audio for each segment together in DVD-MPEG2 format. Do that by running

`mplex -f 8 -o 1.mpg 1.m2v 1.mp2`

7. Create a DVD file system by running

`dvdauthor -o DVD 1.mpg 2.mpg ... n.mpg`

`dvdauthor -T -o DVD`

8. Put a blank DVD in your drive and write the video by running

`growisofs -Z /dev/scd0 -dvd-video DVD`

9. Be sure and check the DVD in a player and then delete all the files you created in this process.

Notes:

You can reduce the size of your files and fit more video on a DVD by using tcrequant, which is part of transcode.

The steps above create a DVD that starts playing the video automatically. If you want to burn a DVD with menus and multiple video titles, see the next section.

## 23.21 Creating a DVD with Menus

This assumes that you have already formatted the videos in a DVD-compliant format that works with dvdauthor.

### CREATING A MENU

This is potentially the most difficult step in creating a DVD with a menu. You must capture or create a background image with the appropriate resolution and mplex it together with an audio file (typically silence, although though you may use sound) and then create overlay images that show

1. the menu text
2. the highlighted buttons
3. the selected buttons

You would then use spumux to combine the background video with the overlay menus.

The background image must be saved as a JPG and the overlay images must be PNG with a maximum of three colors. Four colors are allowed, but the transparent background counts as one of the available colors. In these examples, the background file is called `menu.jpg`, the menu text is called `menu1.png` and the highlighted and selected buttons are the same and called `menu2.png`.

### Create a Background

To get a background image, use avidemux2 and find the frame you wish to use as a background image. Save the frame as `menu.jpg` by executing `File -> Save -> Save JPG Image`.

You may also create your own background image in the GIMP. Use the following settings:

For NTSC Video:

> `

>     width: 720
>     height: 480
>     x-axis: 81dpi
>     y-axis: 72dpi

> `

### Convert the background JPG file into a M2V video file

`jpeg2yuv -n 50 -I p -f 29.97 -j menu.jpg | mpeg2enc -n n -f 8 -o menu.m2v`

For PAL Video

> `

>     width: 720
>     height: 576
>     x-axis: 75dpi
>     y-axis: 80dpi

> `

### Convert the background JPG file into a M2V video file

`jpeg2yuv -n 50 -I p -f 25 -j menu.jpg | mpeg2enc -n p -f 8 -o menu.m2v`

### Merge the background you just created with audio

You will need some sort of audio to mplex with the M2V file you just created, so either capture some audio using avidemux2 or another program, or to create empty audio to mplex, use this command

`dd if=/dev/zero bs=4 count=2000 | toolame -b 128 -s 48 /dev/stdin menu.mp2`

### Merge the M2V video with the MP2 audio

`mplex -f 8 -o menu.mpg menu.m2v menu.mp2`

### Create the menu buttons

Open the background `menu.jpg` file in the GIMP. Add a transparent layer over the background and mark where you will want the different buttons to be located. This layer will later be deleted, so it doesn't have to be clean. When creating this layer, use all the colors you want to use in your buttons. Remember, no more than three colors.

Delete the Background layer.

Change the image to an indexed color mode. Do this by right-clicking on the image and selecting `Image -> Mode -> Indexed`. Enter "4" in the number of colors.

Create two new layers.

In the top layer, you will enter the text for your buttons. Select the color you want for your text either in the color palette or by using the Color Picker Tool. To use the Color Picker, you must make sure you have that bottom layer selected. Enter the text for all the buttons on the top layer according to whatever layout you decided on.

Now you will create the actual buttons by drawing boxes around the text and filling that area with the Color Fill Tool. Be sure and select the color you want (contrasting to the text) and to create your boxes in the second from the top layer.

Delete that bottom layer which we stated earlier would be deleted.

Save the current image as `menu2.png`. Do that by right-clicking and selecting `File -> Save as`, and make the name `menu.png`. Click "Export" and make sure that "Save Background Color" and "Save Resolution" are selected.

Select the bottom layer and change the Opacity to 0%. Now save the image as `menu1.png`.

### Create the final menu video

To create the DVD menu, an XML file is used. An example `menu.xml` file is shown below. The autoorder line is used to decide what takes precedent for ordering. If your buttons are ordered primarily by rows, then select "rows". If your ordering is by column, then choose "columns".

> `

>     ###begin menu.xml###
>     <subpictures>
>       <stream>
>         <spu
>          force="yes"
>          start="00:00:00.00"
>          image="menu1.png"
>          select="menu2.png"
>          highlight="menu2.png"
>          autooutline="infer"
>          outlinewidth="6"
>          autoorder="rows"
>         >
>         </spu>
>       </stream>
>     </subpictures>
>     ###end menu.xml###

> `

Then create the final menu with

`spumux menu.xml < menu.mpg > menu_final.mpg`

You should see some lines in the output to the console that show

INFO: Autodetect ...

The number of these lines that you see should be the same number of buttons you created. If there are, then good job!

### Authoring the DVD

To create the DVD structure, an XML file is used. The below file is an example `dvd.xml` file. This example file allows for the 4 buttons in the menu created earlier and has three video segments making up each of the 4 video titles. Each of the separate video segments will be treated as separate chapters of one consistent video title.

> `

>     ### begin dvd.xml ###
>     <dvdauthor dest="DVD">
>       <vmgm>
>         <menus>
>           <pgc>
>             <button>jump title 1;</button>
>             <button>jump title 2;</button>
>             <button>jump title 3;</button>
>             <button>jump title 4;</button>
>             <vob file="menu_final.mpg" pause="inf" />
>           </pgc>
>         </menus>
>       </vmgm>
>       <titleset>
>         <titles>
>           <pgc>
>             <post>call vmgm menu 1;</post>
>             <vob file="1a.mpg" />
>             <vob file="1b.mpg" />
>             <vob file="1c.mpg" />
>           </pgc>
>         </titles>
>       </titleset>
>       <titleset>
>         <titles>
>           <pgc>
>             <post>call vmgm menu 1;</post>
>             <vob file="2a.mpg" />
>             <vob file="2b.mpg" />
>             <vob file="2c.mpg" />
>           </pgc>
>         </titles>
>       </titleset>
>       <titleset>
>         <titles>
>           <pgc>
>             <post>call vmgm menu 1;</post>
>             <vob file="3a.mpg" />
>             <vob file="3b.mpg" />
>             <vob file="3c.mpg" />
>           </pgc>
>         </titles>
>       </titleset>
>       <titleset>
>         <titles>
>           <pgc>
>             <post>call vmgm menu 1;</post>
>             <vob file="4a.mpg" />
>             <vob file="4b.mpg" />
>             <vob file="4c.mpg" />
>           </pgc>
>         </titles>
>       </titleset>
>     </dvdauthor>
>     ### end dvd.xml ###

> `

Create the DVD file structure with

`dvdauthor -x dvd.xml`

Test the created DVD file structure with

`xine dvd:/full/path/to/DVD/VIDEO_TS/`

Then burn the DVD file structure to a DVD with

`growisofs -Z /dev/scd0 -dvd-video DVD`

## 23.22 Using the DBoxII within MythTV

The configuration of the DBoxII for use within MythTV is tricky (as of May 16 2005), that's why it's covered here. Your DBoxII has to be running linux and the Neutrino GUI instead of the stock BetaNova firmware. For further information, please refer to http://www.tuxbox.org. Additionally, you need to enable the SPTS mode in Neutrino.

1.) Add a new "Capture Card" in the setup. The "Card type" is "DBOX2 Input", the other values have to be adjusted according to your setup. The default values, except for the "DBOX2 host ip", should work fine. 2.) Define a new video source. It doesn't need to be configured, you just need to define it. MythTV grabs the EPG from the DBoxII. 3.) Connect the DBoxII to the newly defined input source in "input connections". 4.) Since channel scanning is not implemented yet, you need to define channels in the "Channel Editor". Make sure that you use the same value for "Channel Name" as on the DBoxII. You can get a list of available channels from the web interface of Neutrino at http://ip-of-your-box:80/. Associate the channel with your new video source and repeat when needed.

You may leave the Setup now and proceed as usual.

## 23.23 Migrating from XMLTV to DataDirect

NOTE: This section will be deprecated and will be removed in v0.20. DataDirect has been the default for a number of revisions, so it is unlikely that there are North American users that will need to migrate.

DataDirect will use different information for your video sources and channels than was used by XMLTV. The following will clear your old information in a way that will allow your EPG and existing recording rules to continue to work as you'd expect.

The first step is to create a backup of your database using the instructions found in Saving or restoring the database

NOTE: Examine the contents of the backup file to be sure that the backup succeeded before modifying your database.

NOTE: The MythTV DataDirect grabber requires wget version 1.9.1 or later. Verify that this is installed before modifying your database.

Next, start mysql and perform the following commands:

> `

>     $ mysql -u root mythconverg
>     mysql>CREATE TABLE channel_copy SELECT * FROM channel;
>     mysql>exit
>     $

> `

Run the MythTV setup program. When the setup program prompts "Would you like to clear all program/channel settings before starting configuration [no]" type "yes".

Complete the configuration as detailed in the section called Configuring the Zap2It.com DataDirect service and in Video Sources.

You must associate your DataDirect information with the inputs on your capture device. If you created "Cable-DD", then don't forget to bind `/dev/video0` to Cable-DD in the Video Sources portion of setup.

Once you're done running setup, run mythfilldatabase to populate the database with new data.

To restore the channel icons, you will need to perform one of two steps. Both are dependant on the channel_copy table you created above.

If you're running MySQL v3, execute the following. Note that the select command is very long. You can press ENTER at the end of each line; the command won't be evaluated until you end the statement with a semicolon.

> `

>     $ mysql -u root mythconverg
>     mysql>create table channel_temp
>     select c.chanid, c.channum, c.sourceid, c.callsign, c.name, cb.icon,
>     c.finetune, c.videofilters, c.xmltvid, c.contrast, c.brightness,
>     c.colour, c.freqid, c.recpriority, c.hue, c.tvformat,
>     c.commfree, c.visible, c.outputfilters
>     from channel c
>     left join channel_copy cb on (c.callsign = cb.callsign);
>     mysql>truncate channel;
>     mysql>insert channel select * from channel_temp;
>     mysql>drop table channel_temp;
>     mysql>drop table channel_copy;
>     mysql>exit
>     $

> `

If you are running MySQL v4, it's a little simpler. The next command is one long string:

> `

>     $ mysql -u root mythconverg
>     mysql>UPDATE channel,channel_copy SET channel.icon = channel_copy.icon
>     WHERE channel.callsign = channel_copy.callsign;
>     mysql>drop table channel_copy;
>     mysql>exit
>     $

> `

## 23.24 What do the icons on the Watch Recordings screen mean?

Press "1" or F1 to get a popup.

## 23.25 What do the letters mean when I change channels?

These letters let you know what's going on with the backend as it tries to tune to a channel.

Lower case = seen Upper Case = seen & good

l/L = Lock : This could be seen by PVR-250/BTTV users a/A = PAT : Any recording transmitted in MPEG m/M = PMT : Any recording transmitted in MPEG g/G = MGT : ATSC only v/V = VCT : ATSC only n/N = NIT : DVB only s/S = SDT : DVB only

## 23.26 What is the difference between the various Hauppauge PVR models?

This is covered in the hardware section, and extensively covered on the Hauppauge website. ( http://www.hauppauge.com/pages/compare_pvr.html) Please check the Hauppauge website for the most accurate information.

A PVR-150 comes in a number of versions:

- The PVR-150 (Model 1045) is the retail kit. It comes with a remote control and an IR Blaster. It does not have a radio tuner.
- The PVR-150 MCE (Model 1042) will usually come in a plain white box and is sold as an OEM device. It does not come with a remote control, since it's usually used as the second, third, etc capture device.
- The PVR-150 MCE Kit (Model 1062) does not have a radio tuner and comes with a Microsoft Media Center remote control instead of Hauppauge's.
- The PVR-150 low profile (Model 1086) is a low-profile card. It has a radio tuner and is approximately half the height of a standard card. However, it comes with a low-profile PCI bracket, so it is not suitable for use in a standard PCI slot without removing the bracket, which may not be worth the trouble.

A PVR-250 (Model 980) is a retail kit which comes with an IR receiver and a remote control.

The PVR-250 MCE (Model 975) contains a FM radio tuner. The PVR-250 MCE does not contain a IR receiver or a remote.

The PVR-250 Rev 1 contained an MPEG-2 decoder. However, this function was not connected to any output jacks, and there doesn't appear to be any way to pull decoded video from the card, so it's a fairly useless feature.

The PVR-350 (model 990) has the features of the PVR-250 as well as being able to decode MPEG-2. The encode and decode functions may be used simultaneously. The MPEG-2 decoder function gives superior video quality compared to what you'll find on a standard video card. However, the decoder function is only available once Linux has started, so you will not see any boot-time messages. Also, the card is not capable of resolutions higher than 720x480, so it cannot be used with HDTV. Make a conscious decision (and ask for advice on the mailing list) that you want to tradeoff potential HDTV use in the future compared to video quality.

The X-driver for the PVR-350 support playback using Xv efficiently but does not support any other 2d or 3d acceleration. For some application this may place a large load on the host CPU, some will run without any problem and others (mplayer, xine, xmame etc.) should be configured to utilize the Xv interface.

Note that for the PVR-350 there are some considerations regarding the way audio is handled.

The PVR-500 is a dual-encoder version of the PVR-150 card. This means that you can simultaneously record two different programs at the same time, because there are two encoder chips on the PCI card. Hauppuage has also installed an onboard splitter, so you can use one COAX to feed both tuners. Current versions of the PVR-500 should come with an adapter to allow you to connect a second S-Video or composite input. Early adopters may need to purchase this item separately.

## 23.27 Changing channels on an external Set Top Box

If you need to use an external Set Top Box (STB), such as for satellite TV or for digital cable you will need some way for MythTV to tell the STB to switch to a new channel. There are several methods:

1. Use an IR blaster. An IR blaster is an infrared transmitter connected to your computer. When MythTV needs to change channels it will send IR pulses, thereby emulating a remote control.
2. Use a direct serial connection. Some STB's have a serial port on the back, although it may not look like a serial port. It may look like a phone jack, or a strange VGA connector. It may be labeled "Low Speed Data". A direct serial connection is more reliable than an IR blaster. Not all STB's that have a Low Speed Data port have it enabled; you may need to convince your service provider to turn it on. Stating that you have a Tivo may help; the Tivo has a direct-connect capability.
3. Use a firewire connection. There is a `6200ch.c` in the MythTV contrib directory which may work for you.

## 23.28 Configuring one machine to flag all commercials

Commercial flagging can be CPU intensive. By default, the backend that created a recording is the one which will flag commercials. You may wish to use a different machine to run commercial flagging.

On the slower machine:

Start the backend setup program. Advance through the pages until you get to the Job Queue page. Turn off the setting that says "Allow Commercial Detection jobs", thereby preventing any commercial flagging jobs from running on this machine.

Next, make sure that "Run Jobs only on original recording host" is turned OFF so that new jobs are allowed to run anywhere.

Restart mythbackend since it only reads this setting when it starts up.

On the faster machine:

Start the backend setup program. Advance through the pages until you get to the Job Queue page. Ensure that "Allow Commercial Detection jobs" is turned ON for this machine.

Run mythjobqueue. mythjobqueue will examine the JobQueue and run any jobs it finds. mythjobqueue should be left running so that it will pick up any new commercial flagging jobs that are added to the queue, otherwise new jobs will be added to the queue and your programs won't be flagged until you run manually run mythjobqueue.

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