[PLUG] Indoor TV antenna recommendations

[Dick Steffens]

On 11/05/2013 09:58 AM, John Jason Jordan wrote:
> I did finally get MythTV and my HDHomeRun working, sort of. That is,
> the MythTV Frontend application refuses to allow me to view TV because
> it complains that it can't find the Master Backend Server.

Sounds like you need to go through the setup for the backend. This is 
what Galen and I were doing at the last clinic. I had the same error 
message before the clinic. Completing the backend setup solved the problem.

To run the backend setup program exit the front end by hitting <ESC> 
until it asks you if you want to quit. Select Yes, naturally. You are 
then back at the minimal Xubuntu screen. At the top left is a button for 
Applications. The bottom entry under that is System. The fourth entry 
under System is MythTV Backend Setup. When it starts up it warns you 
that the backend is running and gives you the option to stop it, which 
you want to do. Then you have the backend setup menu.

I'm going to walk through the backend setup, but it's more than should 
go in this reply. I'll post a separate message about running the backend 
setup this afternoon.

> But if I use
> HDHomeRun Config GUI application I can find the channel I want and
> click on View, and then it opens the channel in VLC. I should probably
> figure out a better way, but at least I know the hardware is working.

Yes. That is a very handy tool to see that the HDHomeRun is running and 
that you're getting signals out of the ether. While it's possible to 
watch a show that way that's all it can do. If you know ahead of time 
that you want to watch a show live, then it works.

> I should probably start by trying to figure out what a Master Backend
> Server is.

When you installed Mythbuntu it installed one backend server and one 
front end. In MythTV you can have multiple backends and frontends, but 
only one master backend. The one installed with Mythbuntu is your master 
backend server. If, for some reason, you wanted another backend 
somewhere on your network you would have to ensure that it was not the 
master. (I'm sure there's documentation for that, but I'm guessing you 
aren't planning on multiple backends.)

Basically, the backend receives signals, and does any recording, while 
the front end displays programs on your monitor or TV.

-- 
Regards,

Richard C. Steffens