RE: Advice on PC-based TV recorder

["Andy Laurence" <andy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Jim Andrews wrote:
> I'm looking at options for replacing my Video / DVD /
> Freeview Digi box with something that's integrated and can
> record properly from digital without the channel restrictions of
> using external recorders.

I've been attempting the same for quite some time.

> Looking at a PC-based system, what products are around that
> would be a suitable replacement for the above?

There are a whole host of applications that will do this on Windows or
Linux.  The best is clearly MythTV (http://www.mythtv.org), but it's a
bitch to install (I've never managed it).  There's also Freevo
(http://freevo.sf.net), but last I saw
it was still requiring a few
vital features.  I'm just revisiting it now.  There's been a load of
activity in the Windows-based PVR software arena this year.  Media
Portal (http://mediaportal.sf.net)
has finally got support for Freeview
cards, but it's missing the ability to download the EPG automatically,
and still has a few bugs (a PVR should be stable).  There's also GBPVR
(http://www.gbpvr.com), which has also
only just got Freeview card
support.  It appears to do all that Tivo does and a little more.  My
main issue with it is that I can't get the damn thing to record
anything.  Aside from that it looks great!  It also supports the
Hauppauge MVP, so TV-out is no longer an issue.

> I don't necessarily want a full-blown PC OS (in the sense that it
> will do everything) as I have other machines for general stuff, so
> looking for software that does something similar to the Tivo/Sky box
> etc.
>
> Also, what do people do for drive fault tolerance?

Generally nothing.

> Is a mirrored pair (Raid 1) considered adequate or are there better
> options?

No off-the-shelf PVR (e.g. Sky+ or Tivo) has dual disks for resiliance
or performance.  If a disk fails, you lose your recordings.  It's
generally considered not to bee to big an issue.

Cheers,
Andy
--
http://www.andylaurence.co.uk