Project Overview

XDBTV is a simple personal video recorder (PVR). It is designed to be web based, and can therefore be controlled from any machine with access via the web (see system prerequisites).

At the time of writing, XDBTV:

• Is completely controlled from a web page - you can show any days' information, and click on a program and select 'record' - just like Sky+
• Saves video files, and these files can be played back through a web browser - however, due to bandwidth, this can only really be done on the main server machine - although the system can be updated to convert the videos to FLV format that can be played back to any machine that can see the web service - however, this can only be done after the video is recorded. (see future expansion)
• Allows the user to specify favourites
• Allows the user to search by name and/or Genere

 

Development Status

XDBTV is currently fully functional, however, parts are more developed than others, some areas of configuration have to be done by altering batch files rather than through a nice configuration front end. Graphics, while functional are not too asthetically pleasing (as yet! - see appeals!)

At this time, I regularly use the system to search for and record programs.

 

System Prerequisites

To run, the following pre-requisites are required, (more detail is given in the step by step installation guide):

• A server that is has a web service, and is running PHP version 5 (e.g. a standard linux setup)
• A database to hold the tv data - in my case MySQL, however, as I use 'adodb', other databases can be used.
• The server should have a TV card installed (I use a cheap pinnacle PCTV rave) - although theoretically, this can actually be a separate machine.
• The WEB/PHP server should have the package 'xmltv' installed, and configured
• 'Mencoder' (part of the MPlayer package) needs to be installed (although other tv capture software can be used - such as 'streamer'.
• Although not actually required, if you want to take the recorded video and remove commercials and save the video, I'd recommend the package 'avidemux'

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