Hacking MythTV (ExtremeTech) | List Price: $29.99
Discount Price: $3.36
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Binding: Paperback
Good general guide. [Posted on 2007-01-09]
The book is a good guide if you want to get MythTV up and running. It however lacks real detail with respect to the underlying technology. Detail is lacking in areas such as transcoding, optimising the software encoders etc.
The book will suit a user who has not been exposed to MythTV but lacks the depth for the experienced MythTV user.
an aggregation of widely-available info [Posted on 2007-01-18]
a more accurate title for this book would be "installing mythtv"
i was ultimately disappointed by this book, as having "hacking" in the title led me to believe this would provide technical insight into the various modules of mythtv.
instead, what is presented is essentially an aggregation of info that is widely available on the net. there is *very little* new insight presented. it is more of a how-to for installing and setting up mythtv on a fedora box- yet again providing little technical details. i expected new insights into setup possibilities and what a lot of the setup options mean and control, not a nearly word-for-word description from the rollover info in mythtv-setup.
as an example (not verbatim, but accurate to the experience):
Use OpenGL for timing: if selected, this option will use opengl for timing.
great. but what does that mean for the average user? what are the pros and cons?
in summary, if you run a FC box and want a hard-printed copy of basic mythtv setup and some additional info about plugins, then buy this book, but if you are looking for new insight or looking to truly "hack" mythtv, save yourself the money and disappointment and start googling.
Disappointing [Posted on 2007-11-30]
I was looking for a book on MythTv for 2 reasons:
- Help my install MythTv fast
- Give my tricks on how hack MythTv
This book is this neither of those things. First, it is not a step-by-step instruction about installing MythTv. Everything is probably in the book, but it is not clearly organized. For instance, chapter 3 shows you how to configure MythTv sound and picture, and chapter 4 shows you how to install Linux. Now, how am I supposed to configure MythTv if I don't have Linux or MythTv installed.
This book is not about hacking either. The last few chapters show you how to improve some of the plugins, but not much. Everything that is in this book is available on-line.
If you want my opinion, download the HOW-TO guide from the MythTv web site, and take it from there. I was new to Linux and MythTv, and I managed to install the whole thing without looking at this book.
Good book for the novice [Posted on 2008-04-02]
I like the book and bought it mainly with the understanding that there wouldn't be much new in this book that I couldn't find on the internet. However, having all the information necessary to bring up a MythTV installation at my fingertips without having to search around on the internet for it is nice.
The book is well written, and although it is not incredibly technical, it does make the installation less formidable. I have been running MythTV since ~2003, and still found some useful information in this book.
I think publishing this book leaves room for the authors to update the book with a more technical version...if that ever happens.
No New Revelations in this book. [Posted on 2008-08-26]
I have tinkered with Myth and Linux for a couple of years. I hoped it would share some insights into some of the more intricate settings and options. It didn't. It was very generic and aimed for a broad audience with basic operational option. If you are just getting started with this concept, its a good start.
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