The perpetual quest for a decent STB (set top box)

MikeWhitney · **Joined:** Wed Aug 20, 2003 9:15 pm **Posts:** 4724

Every year or so I try something new, and nothing ever really hits all my buttons. Just to make some clarity I tried to put all of my criteria (rows) and things I have looked into (columns) onto a spreadsheet.

Anyone who is curious or interested, take a look, and let me know if you can answer any of my "unknown"s. Any other options I should be adding to the list?

Enjoy. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc ... SaFE#gid=0

PS - I think we're about 1 year away from Android STBs entirely taking over this market. Looking forward to it.

Cash Davidson · **Posted:** Wed Jan 16, 2013 9:52 pm

I thought you were looking for a Strut Tower Brace.

Seriously, I use an older Mac Mini for DVD player, Netflix, Pandora, Browsing and limited live streaming (due to my relatively slow DSL). I also have three antennas that feed into a signal combiner and pre-amp then delivers OTA HD to four TVs in the house. I get PBS, CBS, ABC, NBC, CW, ION, FOX.

I cut the cable/Sat cord and been using this setup for about 2yrs and love it.

The Mac Mini is not the cheapest STB, but it is stable, flexible and should have a longer life than most STBs.

Good luck with your search. :thumbsup:

MikeWhitney · **Joined:** Wed Aug 20, 2003 9:15 pm **Posts:** 4724

To be clear, I have or have had everything I want, but it has taken 3-4 systems running at a time to get it all. My in-laws were in town this weekend and were in horror when I took them through how to switch between systems. And I have done a LOT to simplify what I have down to the least possible number of steps and remotes.

And it still sucks. In terms of usability that is.

Please, someone out there just make something that does everything I'm asking for. I promise that everyone I know will buy one eventually.

Andrew Jonell · **Joined:** Mon Mar 23, 2009 6:43 pm **Posts:** 1350

Might need to roll your own or look into MythTV.

Somebody who used to run with the club, his roommate had quite the setup:
- MythTV as the front end
- Some Linux/BSD box as the back-end

He has his satellite connection go through his PC in the living room, and MythTV can act as a live viewer and as a DVR (saves to the NAS box). It also has a bunch of cool features like auto-skipping ads.

From Wikipedia:

Quote:

Pause, skip, and rewind live TV shows.
Completely automatic commercial detection and optional skipping.
Intelligently schedules recordings to avoid conflicts.
Interfaces with TV listing sources such as XMLTV or PSIP.
Interfaces with nonprofit subscription listings service Schedules Direct in the United States and Canada. Schedules Direct delivers the same Tribune Media Services listings data that TiVo and other video recorders use.
Supports ATSC, QAM, DMB-T/H, ISDB-T and DVB (everything supported by LinuxTV) high-definition television.
Supports Xv, OpenGL, and VDPAU video output.
A backend server and frontend client architecture, allowing multiple frontend client machines to be remotely served content from one or more backend servers. A single computer can perform as both the frontend client and the backend server.
Plays recordings at an accelerated or decelerated rate, adjusting the audio pitch as necessary.
Schedule and administer various system functions using a web browser-based interface.
Controls a settop box using an infrared remote (IR blaster), or firewire.

I'm not sure what type of satellite box he has since it seems like there can be/will be issues with encryption.

It's also Linux, but this has been around for a while.

Aaron Buckley · **Posted:** Thu Jan 17, 2013 9:57 am

My Directv Genie gets it all done... oh wait, this was a cut the cord discussion :mrgreen:

Carry on. - AB

Jason Mauldin · **Posted:** Thu Jan 17, 2013 10:25 am

If you're going to use a computer as a backed, I think a ps3 can do everything else on the front end.

I found it was much easier to just cutout tv all together. Everyonce in a while ill watch an episode of mythbusters from Netflix or stream something from the history channel. All of that is done from my appleTV and iPhone.

MikeWhitney · **Joined:** Wed Aug 20, 2003 9:15 pm **Posts:** 4724

Jason Mauldin wrote:

If you're going to use a computer as a backed, I think a ps3 can do everything else on the front end.

I found it was much easier to just cutout tv all together. Everyonce in a while ill watch an episode of mythbusters from Netflix or stream something from the history channel. All of that is done from my appleTV and iPhone.

Agreed, but most of my impetus is to keep houseguests happy at this point. People addicted to channel surfing.

Kendra and the kids spend more time watching Netflix on tablets than using the big TVs at this point...

Scott Lusted · **Joined:** Tue Oct 27, 2009 9:52 am **Posts:** 215

Mike. I use WD Live TV boxes on all of our TV's. They are simple and play every file type from the home fileserver. The only thing it doesn't do is play Amazon VOD. Hopefully they will add that soon but not sure with the Roku on the market.

I'm currently trying to find something that could work as the DVR. I'm almost looking for something that I can put a tuner card in the fileserver and queue/schedule all recorded tv shows via a web based or app type setup. This way everything could be saved to the local fileshare and easily replayed on the WDTV or loaded onto tablets for road trips. No luck on that so far but I keep looking.

-Scott

Scott Johnson · **Posted:** Thu Jan 17, 2013 9:28 pm

MikeWhitney wrote:

Agreed, but most of my impetus is to keep houseguests happy at this point. People addicted to channel surfing.

Do nothing, they will leave sooner.

Have you tried Plex as a front end?

clinehall · **Posted:** Fri Jan 18, 2013 9:02 am

Damn, that's a lot of work to watch tv. I think it would be easier to just become Amish.

Aaron Buckley · **Posted:** Fri Jan 18, 2013 10:18 am

clinehall wrote:

Damn, that's a lot of work to watch tv. I think it would be easier to just become Amish.

With this in mind, what do you guys do for live sports outside of OTA HD or the like? This is what kills any of these options for me. - AB

Cash Davidson · **Posted:** Fri Jan 18, 2013 10:55 am

Aaron Buckley wrote:

With this in mind, what do you guys do for live sports outside of OTA HD or the like? This is what kills any of these options for me. - AB

That is the hardest thing to replace and the thing I miss the most. Fortunately, I can get the broadcast networks OTA, so I can get some live sports. Otherwise, I go to a bar or a freinds house (and remind myself I'm saving $100/mo). :mrgreen:

Aaron Buckley · **Posted:** Fri Jan 18, 2013 11:20 am

Cash Davidson wrote:

That is the hardest thing to replace and the thing I miss the most. Fortunately, I can get the broadcast networks OTA, so I can get some live sports. Otherwise, I go to a bar or a freinds house (and remind myself I'm saving $100/mo). :mrgreen:

That's what I figured. I am a diehard Yankees/Knicks/Rangers/Giants fan which makes getting anything local nearly impossible. While I admittedly pay way too much for Directv, if I had to got to bar to watch my games, I would spend well north of what I was saving there

- AB

clinehall · **Posted:** Fri Jan 18, 2013 12:02 pm

Aaron Buckley wrote:

Cash Davidson wrote:

That is the hardest thing to replace and the thing I miss the most. Fortunately, I can get the broadcast networks OTA, so I can get some live sports. Otherwise, I go to a bar or a freinds house (and remind myself I'm saving $100/mo). :mrgreen:

That's what I figured. I am a diehard Yankees/Knicks/Rangers/Giants fan which makes getting anything local nearly impossible. While I admittedly pay way too much for Directv, if I had to got to bar to watch my games, I would spend well north of what I was saving there

- AB

I don't get rid of cable as cable is cheaper than a divorce.

Michael Westerfield · **Posted:** Fri Jan 18, 2013 2:55 pm

clinehall wrote:

I don't get rid of cable as cable is cheaper than a divorce.

yeah, what he said.

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