TV on Ubuntu?

[Graham Todd]

On Tue, 30 Mar 2010 10:25:56 +0100
James Bensley <jwbensley at gmail.com> uttered these words:

> As you said with either a dongle or a TV Tuner/Decoder card, you can
> receive FreeView (but this would require an areal). FreeSat requires
> dish, hence the name FreeSat (A free service like FreewView over
> satellite).

First of all, thanks to all who responded to my enquiry.  I'll
certainly let the list know any answers I find!  No to answer some more
specific aspects.

> In regards to your VM question. Do you mean you want to watch one
> channel of you VM box via your TV and record another simultaneously
> on your Ubuntu box all coming dome the same cable?

No, I meant I wanted to be able to pick up Virgin-Media programs from
the internet via the computer running Ubuntu whilst my wife watches
different Virgin-Media programs on the television.  However, I note
that from the links given in previous answers, that to pick up DVB-C
signals from Virgin-Media would invalidate our agreement.  Therefore,
the only feasible way of having signals through the computer would be
to have a separate set-top box, a tv card and software such as
Mythbuntu.

So-called Freeview dongles are usually DVB-T cards which are used
through the usb port, but they still require an aerials.  Prior to
going over to Virgin-Media, we tried Freeview and found we were in a
"signal black spot" and coverage hasn't improved, so this doesn't seem
to be an option.

> This is possible from the infrastructure point of view, i.e. I used
> to have VM and if you get a V+ box with a hard drive you can watch
> one channel and record another. If you want to use your computer for
> this you are going to have troubles. VM set top boxes only have one
> TV output (yeah they HDMI and RGB and S-Video but they all show the
> same thing). A VM box can't display two different channels out of two
> different outputs so that you could feed one into your Ubuntu box.

This is just as I suspected.

> You would need a TV card which takes a cable feed and can decode the
> signal coming in, AND you would need to make it read your VM card (in
> your set top box) so that you could actually get the service so I
> think that method isn't actually going to happen sadly.

It looks like it, but further off-list mail has brought me to look at
Boxee.  That's not quite what I was looking for, but might provide an
alternative way to access tv.  Somebody has also suggested BBC iPlayer,
which is still not what I require exactly but I guess the nearest I can
get at present.

Still looking though.......

-- 
Graham Todd