| MythTV | |
|---|---|
 | |
 A screenshot of MythTV's main menu in the default theme, Terra | |
| Developer | Isaac Richards |
| Initial release | April 10, 2002; 23 years ago (2002-04-10) |
| Stable release | v35 / 24 February 2025; 9 months ago (2025-02-24) |
| Repository | |
| Written in | C,C++ |
| Operating system | Linux,FreeBSD,macOS,Windows(playback only) |
| Type | Digital video recorder |
| License | GNU GPL |
| Website | www |
MythTV is afree and open-source home entertainment application with a simplified "10-foot user interface" design for the living room TV. It turns a computer with the necessary hardware into anetworkstreaming[1]digital video recorder, adigitalmultimedia home entertainment system, orhome theater personal computer.[2] It can be considered afree and open-source alternative toTiVo[3] orWindows Media Center. It runs on variousoperating systems, primarilyLinux,macOS, andFreeBSD.[4]
The MythTV project was started in April 2002 by Isaac Richards,[3] who explained his motivation:[5]
I got tired of the rather low qualitycable box thatAT&T Broadband provides with their digital cable service. It's slow to change channels, ridden with ads, and the program guide is a joke. So, I figured it'd be fun to try and build a replacement. Yes, I could have just bought a TiVo, but I wanted to have more than just aDVR – I want a web browser built in, a mail client, maybe some games. Basically, I want the mythical convergence box that's been talked about for a few years now.
MythTV is capable of capturingHDTV streams from any source that will provide unencrypted video. This means broadcastATSC andDVB content, as well as encrypted DVB content when using a tuner with an integratedCI module. Most U.S.cable andsatellite providers use encrypted video only accessible through their ownset-top boxes. Cable systems may provide some unencryptedQAM channels, but these will generally only be local broadcast stations, and not cable programming or premium channels.
OpenCable devices are available to access encrypted content on U.S. cable systems, but as this is a fullDRM system, and not justCA like DVB CI, every piece of hardware and software on the playback chain must be tested and licensed byCableLabs. At current, Windows Media Center is the only DVR software to meet these requirements, and only it, and other software using its recording libraries, can use these devices. In 2010, CableLabs relaxed the DRM restrictions allowing unlicensed devices to recordcopy freely content using these devices,[6] however it is still entirely up to cable operators what content they provide flagged as such.
As an alternative to direct digital capture, one can use an external decoder to receive the channels, and then capture using digital-analog-digital conversion (theanalog hole). A popular means of doing this conversion is to connect the component outputs of a set-top box to theHauppauge HD PVR.[7][8]
MythTV's add-on modules (plugins) include:
The base system integrates with its modules. A system can be controlled with an infrared remote control usingLIRC, or radio remote control usingkernel modules.
MythTV is available for many operating systems based on Linux or Unix, including Mac OS. The MythTV website distributes only source code, which must becompiled for the desired system; executable programs can be downloaded from various third-party sources.[9] The software runs on and is officially supported by Microsoft Windows, but as of January 2013[update] no official executable version was available; there are detailed instructions for compiling for Windows.[10] All core frontend features work under Windows, including LiveTV, scheduling, and watching recordings, but most plugins do not work without additional patches.[11]
Notable projects that include a Linux distribution bundled with MythTV (and associated libraries) are:
