Ubuntu-based PVR combines Saorview and freesat in one box

ubuntufan

Hi,

I'm a German Linux fan with an Irish partner. We both live in Germany and are over in Ireland a couple of times a year.

We are luckily able to receive freesat over in Germany and I'm also curiously following news on Saorsat and Saorview on this board. Last week, I was in County Galway and did a channel scan with a cheap DVB-T-USB stick connected to my laptop. I was impressed to see HD content in the case of RTÉ2 (in Germany, HD channels are not available at all via terrestrial DVB - except for a few places where this is being tested).

In Germany I'm using a self-built PVR/HTPC based on Ubuntu Linux (http://www.yavdr.org). It is equipped with two USB DVB-S2-Boxes so that I can receive satellite channels (28.2E and 19.2E). If I would be living in Ireland, I would now take this PC with me and the only thing I would need to add is a DVB-T USB stick to also receive the Irish channels next to the freesat channels. So, without any PayTV subscription I would then be able to receive and record both Irish and UK FTA channels.

I just wanted to point out that this Ubuntu based solution allows to combine different sources (DVB-T, DVB-S(2), DVB-C) with one box quite easily. Maybe this is interesting for you, maybe not.

Would this make any sense to you or has Saorsat many advantages compared to Saorview?

Best regards,
Ubuntufan

PogMoThoin

I'm very interested in Yavdr, I am considering to use it on my HTPC when i get my DVB-T & DVB-S combo card but the forums are in German. I'm afraid if I run into problems I'll have nowhere to look for advise.

ubuntufan

PogMoThoin wrote: »

I'm very interested in Yavdr, I am considering to use it on my HTPC when i get my DVB-T & DVB-S combo card but the forums are in German. I'm afraid if I run into problems I'll have nowhere to look for advise.

I know that the majority of the community behind VDR is German and historically an international English language forum was sadly not installed until now. There are three options to still get information:
a) Post in this thread and I will try to give advice.
b) Post at http://www.vdr-portal.de in English language - that's fine.
c) Check this forum and post in English language there: http://forum.yavdr.com/viewforum.php?f=38

I'm happy to help if I can.

Cheers,
ubuntufan

watty

Windows XP and Windows7, Any linux or mac os x allows this.

I have 1080p50 driving LG TV with XP, Dvbviewer, MHEG5 plug in, dual USB stick DTT and 2 x DVB-S2 satellite cards with 4 x Satellites (28/freesat, 19/Astra, 13/Hotbird and 9E). I have full 7 Saorview and Freesat EPG with Interactive and MHEG5 Radio screens.


Does the VDR solution have MHEG5 and Freesat EPG?

moro_original

Ubuntufan,

I use software that does all of those things on Windows 7. This Windows 7 based solution allows me to combine different sources (DVB-T, DVB-S/S2, DVB-C) quite easily.

If I was to move to Germany, I'd use Windows 7. I think you would find Windows 7 very useful.

watty

Ubuntu is much cheaper.

ubuntufan

watty wrote: »

Windows XP and Windows7, Any linux or mac os x allows this.

Sorry, if I came across as wanting to sell the Linux solution as the only possible way. My reason to talk about it here is just that I guess that because the lack of English-language documentation for the open source project it's likely to be unknown to most people in most countries.

Windows is surely also a good platform to use DVB devices with and has the advantages of better driver support for the DVB hardware. The Linux solution is surely more for hobbyists and enthusiasts who enjoy tweaking their system and have the time to do so.

watty wrote: »

Does the VDR solution have MHEG5 and Freesat EPG?

Freesat EPG is available for VDR via a plugin called vdr-plugin-eepg that can be easily installed.

MHEG5 + BBC Redbutton support is a available as for VDR as an experimental plugin but is currently not integrated/available in yaVDR (http://linuxtv.org/pipermail/vdr/2011-March/024582.html).

Cheers,
hepi

watty

Really most Linux enthusiasts ought to know by now, We have had tests of "proper" system for nearly 3 years now.

moro_original

This looks very complicated.

ubuntufan

Hi,

Sorry for digging up an ancient thread. I just wanted to let you know that I will be in Galway city at the end of July. If anybody is interested in exchanging experiences about Linux HTPCs / yaVDR, we could meet up for a coffee or pint and have a chat (I don't want to sell anything). I openly state that I'm a huge fan of the yaVDR project, so if some of you might be offended by that - please just ignore this posting. Otherwise please contact me via PM. Thanks!

ubuntufan

excollier

watty wrote: »

Ubuntu is much cheaper.

Indeed.

STB

Thing about Ubuntu is its not for people who like one click solutions.

I have used Linux Mint in the past. Like Linux boxes, its a learning curve.

watty

Actually Ubuntu is worse than 4 years ago in GUI. But then current Windows & MS Office is far worse than a SP4 for 10+ year old XP and Office!

keithclancy

I've tried them all at this stage,

As a pure PVR for Satelite, Mediaportal was the best (EPG Was simple, just turn it on and it grabs it over the air)
http://forum.team-mediaportal.com/threads/sky-uk-it-aus-enhancements.87526/

Everything on Linux was totally honkey, getting the Remote to work was a balls on my hauppauge dvr 4000, and an update could break everything.

Also the Graphics drivers for Linux and nVidia are cack.

Windows based stuff was by far the easiest to setup, Windows Media Center is great for purely freesat but for anything with CAMS (European pay stuff) it was a pain.

Now I just have a Enigma based box for freesat and can use a Raspberry Pi with plugin on another TV elsewhere in the house.

Loading the EPG Takes a bloody age though ... need to cut down my Bouquets.

The Linux box timeshifts and records to my NAS so I can play stuff directly from there too.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed setting up the Linux box, it was pretty fun, although it just wasn't Wife proof