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TiVo Vs. Media Center Edition

by Tom Keating on June 2, 2008 5:12 PM

TiVo may get all the headlines and they certainly have a rabid following, including geeks who modify their units, add additional hard drives, and perform other tweaks. But I’ll tell you, I would not trade... More »

How Do I Record DirecTV on my HTPC?

by Matt Whitlock on May 5, 2008 10:00 AM

A TechLore "Ask the Experts" Question... Question: I have DirectTV (satellite). I want to record shows on my computer. Do i need a TV tuner with more than 125 channels? If so can you give... More »

The Ubuntu Family Expands

by Community Headlines on October 30, 2007 2:19 PM

Ubuntu's added another great project to it's solid collection of operating systems. But Mythubuntu 7.1 , the lastest addition to the Ubuntu clan, is not just another operating system. This one's devoted to nothing but... More »

A Brief Intro to Open Source Software

by Dennis Schmitz on October 24, 2007 9:40 PM

It's hard to get online and on the internet without hearing about Open source software . It's harder yet to figure out what it is. On one side you hear how it's nothing less than... More »

A Commercial-Free Windows Media Center

by Community Headlines on October 15, 2007 10:24 AM

A new application called Lifextender is set to make Windows Media Center lovers a much happier bunch of people. Lifextender snips out the commercials for you so you never have to see them at all,... More »

MythTV and TiVo Series 3 Comparison: Battle of Open Source and Proprietary DVRs

by Doug Felteau on February 13, 2007 1:44 PM

Does an open source solution like MythTV stand a chance against the marketing power and research behind the TiVo Series 3? We decided to pit these two completely different DVR solutions against each other and compare in a non-biased way. More »

MythTV Ubuntu Installation Guide

by Doug Felteau on November 1, 2006 6:11 PM

With the release of Ubuntu 6.10 (Edgy Eft), installing MythTV is now easier than ever. Ubuntu is a great basis for a general purpose MythTV box and now comes with the latest version of MythTV (0.20) in its standard packages. This guide focuses on DVB in the UK (Freeview), but much of it should be applicable to anybody installing Myth. More »

What is the difference between NTSC, ATSC and QAM?

by Doug Felteau on February 25, 2007 10:17 PM

If you have been shopping for TV Tuner cards for your homebrew DVR or an HDTV lately, you’ve probably run across the following acronyms: NTSC, ATSC and QAM and wondered what they are. More »

Free TiVo: Build a Better DVR out of an Old PC

by Doug Felteau on October 5, 2006 7:38 PM

Digital Video Recorders (DVRs) have become a necessary luxury over the last several years. Millions of people rely on these devices to pause and rewind live television, and to keep track of broadcast schedules and record programs for them. Many consider them just as essential to their daily lives as their cell phones. Here's how to build a homebrew DVR with an old PC. More »

Hack Attack: Build your own DVR

by Lifehacker on May 19, 2006 12:12 PM

Ever since TiVo came around, I was eager to jump on the time shifting bandwagon. After all, nothing makes a productivity junkie happier than turning an hour-long show into forty minutes. But for all its loyal fan base, TiVo never seemed like the right fit for me. For my money, time, and, let's be honest, the gratification of a solid DIY project, I'm a big proponent of building your own digital video recorder (DVR). More »

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