TapeWorm

A MythTV Parasite for Windows

What is TapeWorm?

TapeWorm is a "parasitic" Windows front end for MythTV, version 0.19 to 0.22, a popular Linux "homebrew PVR" (Personal Video Recorder) program. 

Okay, if you say so.  But what does TapeWorm let me DO?

TapeWorm allows you to do two things. 

First, TapeWorm allows you to watch the shows MythTV has recorded on a Windows Computer that's on the same network as your MythTV Server.

Second, TapeWorm allows you to capture shows MythTV has recorded and take them on the road with you.  Going on a business trip?  Use TapeWorm to copy a few shows to your laptop so you can watch them on the plane or in the hotel.  TapeWorm doesn't facilitate distributing shows in any way -- that would be a copyright violation -- but it does facilitate your personal viewing when you're not able to be at home with your MythTV Server.

What do you mean "parasitic"?

Well, TapeWorm doesn't really quite play by the rules.  Unlike WinMyth, TapeWorm does not communicate with the MythTV Server using the MythTV API.  TapeWorm attaches itself to the MythTV Server without permission, and it sucks off the data it needs to work.  Then it just goes about its business, doing what it does.  The MythTV server doesn't even know it's there.  Just like a parasite.

Why does TapeWorm do that?

I tried WinMyth.  I really wanted to like WinMyth.  It would have been a lot easier for me if WinMyth had worked for me.  But it didn't.

When I tried to play a recorded video using WinMyth, it was really choppy.  It'd play for half a second, then pause, play another half second, pause again, and so on.  The video was unwatchable. 

Plus, it maxed out my poor, old network.  Whenever I tried to watch a show, my son would yell at  me for causing "lag" for him on "DotA", whatever that means.  He swears it's a big problem.  What ever!

Sure enough, with TapeWorm, I can now watch recorded shows on my Windows computer.  They play smoothly, and I'm no longer causing "DotA lag".

TapeWorm is very cool.  Do you have any other software for working with video?

Why yes, how nice of you to ask.  At work, I develop, maintain, and support a program called Transana, which facilitates the transcription and qualitative analysis of video and audio data.  Be sure to check it out.

How do I get TapeWorm?

Well, the first step is to read the TapeWorm Download Page.