So what are folks' opinions about Tivo vs. MythTV/EyeTV/homebrew? My plan was to get DirecTV here once I had housemates and get a Tivo then. But if they're killing the lifetime subs...well, that's not so good. I'm afraid I might not be enough of a tech wonder to troubleshoot the issues that might come up with MythTV. I could probably handle ElGato's EyeTV although I suspect it's a much more expensive solution. What do folks think?

Well, lifetime subs were never an option with Directv's version of Tivo anyway. And at this point, even with the extension of the relationship (which is good! Don't get me wrong, tivo gods!) the Directivo is partially crippled. It has hardware that won't ever get activated, like the networking capability which is pretty important to me.

But, on the other side of it, because the Directv version of Tivo isn't an encoder (the satellite signal is already digital) there are some benefits to the way it functions, such as having two functional tuners (so you can record two stations and watch a third already recorded program simultaneously). The Tivo brand is a leader for a reason, and I do like having all the Tivo functionality; the guides, the way season passes work, etc. I haven't tried the homebrew versions, so I can't really compare.

But on the whole, I really like what I have.

I have a computer with MythTV and I really like it. If working with Linux doesn't sound scary, then it isn't really all that bad to set up with Fedora Core 4. You can use it to pause live TV, record shows (mostly what I use it for), playback MP3 files, flag commercials for automatic skipping, cut recorded videos (I use this to build up a library of shows with no commericals), play back videos not recorded on the system, and you can schedule programs from the web.

If you want to ask questions here or e-mail my profile addy, I'd be happy to help.

Thanks, guys. Gud, I've taken two beginning Linux classes in the past and haven't followed up on things. It's true that it's a steep learning curve. But at least MythTV is a big motivator to learn.

Am I going to hate the $8.95/month HD-DVR that I can get with my Time Warner Digital Cable? I'd rather it be a true Tivo, of course, but does anybody have any "OMG it sucks" experience to relate with a cable-package-included DVR?

The fact that it can actually record in HD is a pretty huge deal to me, since I'll be watching on my roommate's ridiculously large plasma screen. I may be wrong, but I don't think Tivo makes an HD-DVR for a reasonable price, true?

I love my HD-DVR from Adelphia. I only wish the HD were bigger. (HD recordings take up a lot more space.) I'm sure they'll have a bigger one available eventually.

ETA: I don't know what DVR your cable company provides but mine is a Moxi, which means it has two tuners built into the box so you can record two programs at once, including HD.

Am I going to hate the $8.95/month HD-DVR that I can get with my Time Warner Digital Cable? I'd rather it be a true Tivo, of course, but does anybody have any "OMG it sucks" experience to relate with a cable-package-included DVR?

Mine isn't HD. It is a Digital Cable DVR, and I love it. It works great for me. I didn't have to pay for a tivo box, and I don't have to worry about getting a new one if something goes wrong with it because cable will replace it if that happens.

I think if you're watching HD channels on an HD set, you're better off with the HD TiFaux, at least until the S3 Tivo box comes out (at which point, since the lifetime sub won't be an option, you may as well stick with the Time Warner box anyway).

I have regular DVR with TWC. The dual tuner is nice, and the whole deal is so cheap. The major difference I can recall is that it doesn't do any kind of "smart" recording for you, like actors and such. And my DVR only keeps about 35 hours worth of stuff, so it's not for keeping programs indefinitely.

Gud, I've taken two beginning Linux classes in the past and haven't followed up on things. It's true that it's a steep learning curve. But at least MythTV is a big motivator to learn.

One thing though, is I don't think MythTV is a great choice if you are starting from scratch computer-wise. You need to buy the computer and a TV tuner (they can be cheap, but there are some advantages to not going too cheap). If you get a cheap computer you'll probably want to add a big second drive, and then you'll need either a VGA-NTSC converter or a TV-Out Video card (unless you are using a monitor or a fancy TV with VGA/DVI input). When you add that all up it will probably cost more than a TIVO (although no subscription fee).

OTOH, if you want a Linux computer to mess around with you could get away with running Myth and using the computer at the same time (with the right setup). Myth is divided into backend and frontend parts, so the backend (the part that handles recording and scheduling) can run while you use the computer and then you run the frontend when you want to watch TV or a recording. The backend and frontend don't have to be on the same computer.

I should also note that my Mythbox is not HD capable. You can build one with HD capability, but I have no experience to help. Also, mine is hooked up right to basic cable, so I'm using a tuner in the comptuer as opposed to a firewire connection to a cable box or something like that.