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Three MythTV Linux distros compared By Nathan Willis on August 28, 2007 (9:00:00 AM) Print Comments My Series 1 TiVo is getting old, so I am planning an escape route based on MythTV, a free software system that turns an old computer into a personal video recorder. This week I tested three MythTV-specific Linux distributions: KnoppMyth, MythDora, and MythBuntu. I found MythDora the best overall fit for my needs -- but there are important distinctions between the three that may lead you to a different decision. My curiosity toward MythTV-specific distros was touched off by MythBuntu's latest release earlier this...

AS THE SPIN WARS CONTINUE on the impact of DVRs on television consumption, new research has emerged. A highly regarded media researcher's findings contradict the networks' insistence that DVR users watch more television. New data from Mediamark Research (MRI) shows that adults in DVR homes watch less television than those without the devices. The research shows that they are 23 percent less likely to be heavy television viewers versus the general population. Although they believe DVR users to be rabid commercial skippers, the broadcast networks have maintained that people in DVR homes watch more television--broadcast shows in particular. That's intended...

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- In this era of easy ad skipping with TiVo-like video recorders, could television viewers one day be forced to watch commercials with a system that prevents channel switching? Yes, according to Royal Philips Electronics. A patent application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office said researchers of the Netherland-based consumer electronics company have created a technology that could let broadcasters freeze a channel during a commercial, so viewers wouldn't be able to avoid it. The pending patent, published on March 30, said the feature would be implemented on a program-by-program basis. Devices that could carry the...