Home Theatre PCs

See HTPCnews.com. This site also has some excellent forums.

These threads may be useful:

• Speeding up XP boot times, any tips and tricks we can share?
• definitive list of frontend software

In 2004 Anandtech did a two-part article, Building a Linux PVR Part I - MythTV Setup and Install and Building a Linux PVR, Part 2: Microsoft's MCE 2004.

These softwares may be used for your HTPC:

• MediaPortal
  • MediaPortal Wiki
• GameEx
• Meedio
• MythTV (on Wikipedia)
  • KnoppMyth
• OpenHTPC

The MediaPortal wiki lists compatible cards:

• http://wiki.team-mediaportal.com/Supported_TVCards
• http://wiki.team-mediaportal.com/Supported_TVCard_DVBt

Lightweight Ubuntu distros - Xubuntu, Ubuntu Lite, and Fluxbuntu.

Linux specific HDTV tuner cards: http://www.pchdtv.com/

A useful site is http://www.linuxtv.org/

• http://www.linuxtv.org/wiki/index.php/How_to_install_DVB
• http://www.linuxtv.org/wiki/index.php/First_steps_with_a_budget_DVB_card
• http://www.linuxtv.org/wiki/index.php/Supported_Hardware
• http://www.linuxtv.org/wiki/index.php/DVB-T_PCI_Cards

Tuners that appear to be well supported under linux:

• Avermedia DVB-T A777 (HDTV) $93 from pcmaniacs.com.au
• Compro VideoMate DVB-T200 PCI (HDTV) $77 from Umart
• KWorld DVB-T 220 (SDTV only, not HDTV) $86.70 from mwave.com.au
• Kworld PCI DVB-T 100. $75.10 from mwave.com.au
• LifeView FlyDVB-T (doesnt seem to be very available in Aus)

There is a HDTV version of the Kworld… DVB-T220