interesting mythtv frontend now available for Android TV

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jfabernathy
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interesting mythtv frontend now available for Android TV

Post by jfabernathy »

I don't know how widely this is known but there are 2 excellent frontends for mythtv backend for devices like Nvidia Shield TV and FireTV stick 4K.

The Mythtv Wiki has some great information at https://www.mythtv.org/wiki/Android

The images are linked on this wiki page at https://dl.bintray.com/bennettpeter/generic/

Mythtv-Frontend for Android works great but the new experimental app Mythtv-Leanfront has amazing video quality and works well with the standard FireTV and Shield TV default remotes. It's all my wife and I use now.

My reason for standardizing on these app and devices is we are cord cutters so no cable TV or Satellite TV for us now. So streaming and OTA is what we watch. The FireTV 4K stick is less than $25 now and allows one interface for Youtube.TV, Hulu, SlingTV, etc. as well as Mythtv TV recordings. You can even install the Kodi app on the FireTV 4K stick or Shield TV and use that for Mythtv via the PVR-mythtv addon.

Very flexible.

Thanks to the developers for so quickly getting the Android TV to be an option for Mythtv.

Jim A
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Re: interesting mythtv frontend now available for Android TV

Post by chicobiker »

Thanks for your comments on Mythtv-leanfront. I wasn't paying any attention to it.

Have been running mythtv_31 for over a week now on my nvidia shield pro and other than a couple of minor issues am very happy with it. Will install the latest leanfront today and see how it goes.
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Re: interesting mythtv frontend now available for Android TV

Post by chicobiker »

Mythtv-leanfront has been through several updates and just keeps getting better. Worth giving it a try if you haven't yet.
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Re: interesting mythtv frontend now available for Android TV

Post by jfabernathy »

chicobiker wrote:
Fri Sep 11, 2020 11:55 am
Mythtv-leanfront has been through several updates and just keeps getting better. Worth giving it a try if you haven't yet.
I agree. But I find that with recent updates that Leanfront and mythfrontend on Android, both are excellent on Shield TV and very good on FireTV 4K.

I found that I had some interaction with using a USB3 memory stick in my Shield TV that for some unexplained reason interfered with the operation of both mythtv frontends. With that memory stick removed I find I'm perfectly happy with both android frontends in my normal TV viewing. It doesn't keep me from still experimenting with RPi4 but I don't see that every being as good as the Shield TV or FireTV 4K. Especially if you factor that FireTV 4K is $25 and a RPI4 is $75

My wife only views Mythtv so Leanfront is all she uses.
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Re: interesting mythtv frontend now available for Android TV

Post by loddonlily »

I'm interested, but read in the wiki at https://www.mythtv.org/wiki/Android_TV_ ... k_Frontend that there is no facility for setting up recordings. Is that still the case, and if so how do you use it?
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Re: interesting mythtv frontend now available for Android TV

Post by jfabernathy »

loddonlily wrote:
Sat Sep 12, 2020 1:35 pm
I'm interested, but read in the wiki at https://www.mythtv.org/wiki/Android_TV_ ... k_Frontend that there is no facility for setting up recordings. Is that still the case, and if so how do you use it?
If you have a remote headless backend, then your best bet is to use mythweb and a browser to setup and control your recordings. In my case I direct my browser to 192.168.0.250/mythweb
There is also a beta web app called Webfrontend that you can use by 192.168.0.250:6544.

Remember to use the IP of your backend and not mine :lol:

However, since I have an android tv device like FireTV or Shield TV, I can run the real mythfrontend as well as leanfront. I use android mythfrontned for all my control of recordings and video editing. I don't think leanfront will process commercial skip flags, so if you do that you'll need mythfrontend. I have both on my Shield TV.
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Re: interesting mythtv frontend now available for Android TV

Post by loddonlily »

jfabernathy wrote:
Sat Sep 12, 2020 1:45 pm

If you have a remote headless backend, then your best bet is to use mythweb and a browser to setup and control your recordings...
Thanks for the response - I thought that might be the case. I use mythweb sometimes myself but it has zero WAF and it's not exactly convenient when sitting on the sofa in front of the TV!

mythfrontend is good on the Shield - I'm still fiddling but with only a tiny amount of keymapping its already pretty good. If only I could get the menus the way I want... (see my other thread!)
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Re: interesting mythtv frontend now available for Android TV

Post by jfabernathy »

On my Shield TV, I also needed a keyboard so I could do the editing of the cuts that Commflag maps out because there not always the way I want them. So I quickly edited them which requires a keyboard.

My solution is I have a Bluetooth smart remote and a Bluetooth keyboard paired with my Shield TV. It's easy to do.

In fact my Bluetooth keyboard is a very old Mac BT keyboard. I never used it with the Mac because it had no numeric pad like the wired Mac keyboard. So it's only become useful when I got the Shield TV.

My remote is a Smart Control hub from Logitech Harmony. Very old, but I've learned a few tricks with it so I can map any Windows Keyboard function to a remote button. So I can do 98% of my MythTV functions with the BT Harmony remote. In fact I have my Harmony remote mapped so whether I'm using MythTV on the Shield TV, Linux PC, or Raspberry PI, the Harmony controls them all the same.

This is an updated version of of my remote https://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Harmony ... B00BQ5RYI4
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Re: interesting mythtv frontend now available for Android TV

Post by flyingfox »

loddonlily wrote:
Sat Sep 12, 2020 4:10 pm
jfabernathy wrote:
Sat Sep 12, 2020 1:45 pm

If you have a remote headless backend, then your best bet is to use mythweb and a browser to setup and control your recordings...
Thanks for the response - I thought that might be the case. I use mythweb sometimes myself but it has zero WAF and it's not exactly convenient when sitting on the sofa in front of the TV!

mythfrontend is good on the Shield - I'm still fiddling but with only a tiny amount of keymapping its already pretty good. If only I could get the menus the way I want... (see my other thread!)
As an FYI - mythtv-leanfront has a very useful function that when you voice search a TV program it shows existing recordings and programs in the guide. From there your can just set recording options. This is really useful and easy for my family to set new programs to record. They like it much more than the mythtv or kodi TV guide interfaces. Really useful for those occasions where you see an advert for an upcoming program.
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Re: interesting mythtv frontend now available for Android TV

Post by flyingfox »

...and just in case anyone is looking for confirmation, mythtv-leanfront works just fine on my Chromecast with Google TV stick as well. I simply followed the installation instructions on https://github.com/bennettpeter/android ... -Leanfront.

Thanks to Peter for a really enjoyable app. This is now my family's default interface for mythtv.
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Re: interesting mythtv frontend now available for Android TV

Post by mapota »

jfabernathy wrote:
Sat Sep 12, 2020 5:20 pm

My remote is a Smart Control hub from Logitech Harmony. Very old, but I've learned a few tricks with it so I can map any Windows Keyboard function to a remote button. So I can do 98% of my MythTV functions with the BT Harmony remote. In fact I have my Harmony remote mapped so whether I'm using MythTV on the Shield TV, Linux PC, or Raspberry PI, the Harmony controls them all the same.
Jim, any hints on how you set up the "keyboard functions".

I am trying to get the guide button on my remote to work. So in essence i need to send an "S" when the guide button is pressed, but i cannot seem to get it to work. I tried adding the mythtv device, but it then tries to send ir signals not BT signals. i also tried truning on the Keyboard entry in the "andorid" remote app, bu tevery activity but "watch shield" is listed.

Where am I going wrong?.

I can do most things with the harmony remote on the shield, i.e. play/pause, navigate myth menus etc, even skip forward/bakward, but just cannot get some of those other functions to work, like guide and menu on the mythtv etc.

Thanks in advance
Last edited by bill6502 on Thu Jun 17, 2021 3:36 am, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Fix quote [
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Re: interesting mythtv frontend now available for Android TV

Post by jfabernathy »

if I remember correctly, I added a device to the Harmony Hub called PC Keyboard (which may just be a PC) and then I could define Guide or other buttons on the Harmony to send the 'S' key from the Keyboard to the Android TV.

For me it got simpler since I use a Shield TV since Harmony has that device in it's database so It new about all the extra keys on the 2019 Shield remote. I could map the Harmony keys to on of them.
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Re: interesting mythtv frontend now available for Android TV

Post by mapota »

jfabernathy wrote:
Thu Jun 17, 2021 10:00 am
iFor me it got simpler since I use a Shield TV since Harmony has that device in it's database so It new about all the extra keys on the 2019 Shield remote. I could map the Harmony keys to on of them.
I have a shield tv but there is no guide button on the shield remote.

I can get the phone app to send an "s" via the keyboard entry but cannot get the harmony remote to work.

I tried adding a windows computer as a device, then sending the 's' from that but just get an error on the remote. You have to use the Harmony remote app to pair this device"(or something similar). But the remote is paired with the shield. Do you think it may be talking about pairing with the windows computer? I only bought the shiled this year so assume it is a 2019 version also but could be a 2017 one. It is the square wedge type not the tube style.
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Re: interesting mythtv frontend now available for Android TV

Post by PhilB »

The mythtv frontend works great on a Firestick 4K but I have just tried it with my first ever HD recording. The frontend is connected via 5Ghz wifi to a router about 2 metres away; the backend is connected by Gigabit ether.
HD recordings are jittery - a scene with little movement is fine but it just cannot keep up with panning scenes which jump about 4 frames/sec.
Is this likely to be a bandwidth limitation fixed by an ether connection to the Firestick? I'm using OpenGL high quality.
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Re: interesting mythtv frontend now available for Android TV

Post by jfabernathy »

Most of my FireSticks 4K are connected via wired adapter. I have tested using WiFi and it will break up some but not alot. I have not tested since replacing my Netgear with a TP-Link WiFi 6 router. It's way better. I get 231Mbs even on the phone
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