Smart Home Blog

Next developer version of popular Linux-based software to organize PVR was released recently for testing. There is mostly bug fixing in the changelog. Just a few new languages were added to the user interface.

I’d like to remind you that main purpose of the 1.7.x branch is adding support of HDTV and DVB-S2. So, if you’re planing to watch satellite or terrestrial HD channels the VDR 1.7.x should suit you. Regardless of instable a lot of people use that version on their HTPC. Sure you should be ready to solve some problems by yourself or with VDR community.

Good news for all how already use unstable version of VDR 1.7.X or just are going to install it and don’t want to compile it from the sources. Gerald Dachs started the Ubuntu Jaunty/Karmic repository contained packages from VDR 1.7.X and its plugins. Ubuntu 9.04 Jaunty users should just add following lines to their /etc/apt/sources.list:
deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/gda-dachsweb/vdr/ubuntu jaunty main
deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/gda-dachsweb/vdr/ubuntu jaunty main
and upcoming 9.10 Karmic:
deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/gda-dachsweb/vdr/ubuntu karmic main
deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/gda-dachsweb/vdr/ubuntu karmic main
After that VDR and its headers and plugins can be easily installed using apt-get.

Famous open source project Video Disk Recorder (VDR) recently change the address of its website. The old URL was www.cadsoft.de/vdr and the new one is www.tvdr.de. The new address of FTP server is ftp://ftp.tvdr.de/vdr. New email of Klaus Schmidinger is Klaus dot Schmidinger at tvdr dot de.

The old URLs will be redirected to the new location for a while, but please update your bookmarks as soon as possible.

Zapper is a iPhone App which gives a full control under VDR – Video Disk Recorder. It uses WiFi connection to communicate with VDR box and provides all functionality of ordinary remote control. Even more, using that application you may manage timers, recordings, see EPG and switch on VDR box via LAN (Pro version only).

The Zapper exists in two versions – base and pro. Pro has richer and more attractive user interface as well as function Wake-on-LAN to start VDR remotely. The base version is free for sure but for Pro you should pay something I guess.

Sure the ordinary remote is better then Zapper on the iPhone when you at home. But to control VDR remotely it’s very good option in my opinion.

Recently discovered that popular series of Logitech’s remote controls Harmony has IR codes to control Video Disk Recorder (VDR) box. To get them to your device just download new remote using Logitech software choosing type PVR, producer KLS and model VDR. Also you can use this config file for LIRCd. Have fun!

[via VDR Wiki]