Partial success with digital MythTV

Looks like I’m getting closer to getting my MythTV box working with ATSC/QAM digital television.

MythTV is a two-part system: the backend (the server) and the frontend (the client). Both are needed to carry the TV pictures from the ether to your eyeballs. When I fired up my Ubuntu MythTV frontend (as opposed to the OS X clients I’d previously been using), I was happy to see video! Upgrading the OS X Myth frontends also provided me the desired digital video. Progress!

However, the Myth backend is still not recording the programs. Instead it creates infuriating zero-length files and displays the show as recorded in the UI. Only when you click on the show do you get told the file doesn’t exist. Its handled very, very sloppily.

The other issue coming up is apparently the slow hardware I’m using for my backend server. A 1 GHz Athlon on a 7 year old motherboard just isn’t cutting it. The video is still throwing junk on occasion and freezing up other times. I know it isn’t the networking as I get the same results whether on a 100Mbps wired connection or a 54 Mbps wireless one.

Its obvious I need to put some more horsepower on the server end, including perhaps upgrading the drives, so that I can get this thing working the way I want it working.

Desk topped

I’m so glad to be back to using Ubuntu Linux for my primary desktop. Most people would consider it a step down to go to a Linux machine from a Mac OS X one, but not me. I was a bit surprised to find myself longing for the freedom of free software.

While GNOME and Ubuntu aren’t perfect, they do suit me.

Mythnomer

A diabolical plan was hatched at MT.Net. A mutiny, really. The rest of the family has been scheming behind my back to force me to fix the broken MythTV server.

Their plan of attack? The daily watching of The Wiggles DVD – and the only one we have – over and over and over. I find no redeeming value whatsoever in The Wiggles. None. Well, they do have some mighty colorful shirts, but that’s it.
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Unbelievable Wolfpack game

After thawing out from our parade this morning I turned on the TV and was happy to see the Wolfpack ahead of the dreaded Tar Heels, 10 to 3. It was the start of a 41-10 drubbing the Pack would hand the Heels on their home field, on Carolina’s senior day no less.

Coach Tom O’Brien has carefully crafted the team into what it is today, and today the Wolfpack seemed utterly unstoppable. Any win is a good one against the Heels but this one was one for the record books.

Christmas parade

We took the kids to the Raleigh Christmas parade this morning. It was in the 20s with a steady wind, and we were in the shade at the corner of Fayetteville and Hargett. Even so, we all had a great time watching all the bands and floats go by.

We also took the opportunity to ride the bus to and from the parade. It was super easy, and though the bus only runs hourly on weekends we spent the extra time hanging out in Marbles. I think the kids enjoyed the bus ride as much as the parade itself.

Chief Dolan

I’ve been so busy job hunting (and making my rounds of civic meetings) that I forgot to post about Monday’s CAC presentation by Raleigh police chief Harry Dolan.

Chief Dolan spoke about the state of crime in the city and what needs to be done to reduce it. He stressed again and again that it begins with the parents and the community, not the police, and I fully agree. It was easy to tell that while the chief would rather not put kids behind bars, until someone close to these kids can show them a better way he’ll keep locking them up. But he’d be much happier if these kids had mentors.
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Get results

One thing I’ve always liked about Monster.Com‘s user interface is that the button you click on when you fill out a form says “get results” rather than the word “submit,” “Get results” is far more positive than “submit.” Nearly everyone would rather get results than simply submit. I know I would. Now if Monster could only scrub their user interface of all those sneaky University of Arizona signup pages they’d be all set.

On a related note, one thing I hate about submitting my resume to sites like Monster and CareerBuilder is all of the solicitations I get from pyramid scheme-ish “business opportunities” or “affiliate marketing programs.” I’ve already sent three of them to the bit bucket this week.

Sheesh. Save the scams for the suckers, please!

Everybody wins

One thing about being at home during the day is that I can dance and belt out songs without an audience.

Update on musician Mark Turner

Aaron Parks posted an update over the weekend about jazz musician Mark Turner’s progress in healing from his recent finger injuries:

Hi everyone,

I know many of you have been asking for more news about Mark’s condition. Out of respect for the privacy of him and his family during this difficult time, I’ve been a bit reluctant to make any more posts about it. Also, there’s a lot of people who have known him for much longer than me and would probably be better chosen for the job of keeping people informed. At this point, though, it seems that this blog has become the primary source for information about what happened, and therefore, it’s the place many people are coming to for information about ways that they can help. It’s with this in mind that I’m writing this post tonight.
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