[MakkaD]

Hi all
I'm buildin up a dstribuited video setup.
There will be a linux based server used for storage with a combo drive bd player/dvd burner.
It will provide tv recording capabilities from at least two dvb cards (dvb-t and dvb-s/s2), more cards will be added in future to allow two recording or to allow recording and feeding live tv channels.
The software on the server will be mysql for db and one from tvheadend, mythtv or vdr for recording and live feeding of tv channels.
On the clients side there will be two or three zotac hd-id34.
Clients will use XBMC on windows 7 and power dvd for BD playback.
What are your advices about the three tv software?
Is it possible to build the pvr clients for these backends from pvr-testing2 branch in windows?
Are there any better setup than what i am thinking of?
Thank you in advance.

MakkaD

[poofyhairguy]

A few things:

Why Windows clients? You are gonna have tons of trouble with a Linux backend and Windows clients when it comes to Live TV.

See, the PVR branch is still in an early form. The only way it really works (well) is if you keep the backends together. So if you want Windows clients, you need a Windows server running Mediaportal (the Windows PVR backend). If you want Linux clients, stick to a Linux server with TVheadend. An honestly, again in my opinion, the only completely useable backend at this point is the Linux one because that is where the development focus has been.

Years from now maybe you can mix and match, but for now even when you stay within a single OS there are issues, which is why the PVR branch isn't part of the next official release. Why make it harder on yourself?

Why PowerDVD? Either rip the Blu Rays to your Linux server and serve them from there, or use Makemkv to stream the Blu Rays to XBMC. PowerDVD is the worst ten foot program ever maybe.

[MakkaD]

First of all thank you poofyhairguy for your answers.
Unfortunatly there is not yet a reliable and easy way to play BD in linux that i'm aware of without ripping them and i want to be able to just put the disc in the client and play it without have to go through the ripping process and time.
About makemkv i've read something but didn't get too deep into it.
Is it possible to make a script/addon (or did it already exists) to put the BD in the drive and watch it in a simple way such as "press play on remote"?
Powerdvd can be switched with another software able to play BD and 3d BD, i mention it just becouse it is the more common player but if you have a better solution it is wellcome.
The linux server is there becouse, as you said, it is the target os for the best pvr backends and i wish to stay away as much as i can from microsoft mess.
I'm an experienced in linux system administration and should be no pain for me to set up a lightweight server without graphic interface or unnecessary software.
Using linux clients and server was my first options but the clients will be used as mini-pc too for browsing the net, play audio cd, skype comunication, send emails and other simple tasks by non experienced users who probably will had some problems dealing with a user interface different than the microsoft one.
Using windows clients and server was my second option but, after trying mediaportal (and other windows pvr) i think that they are far behind the linux software.
They have issues with multy dvb cards, have much less configuration options and the resulting performance are worse than the linux counterparts.
That's why i was asking if there are issues mixing the two operating system, to take the best from each world.

MakkaD