KnoppMyth

MySettopBox.tv has made it really, really simple to get MythTV running. They've created KnoppMyth, a distribution that combines Knoppix with MythTV so that a MythTV install can run directly off a CD.

Read on for the scoop why this is very useful. This does increase both the processing and RAM needed if you want to use it seriously, but it is a dead-easy way to "temporarily" setup a PVR, or to test hardware to see if it works. KnoppMyth can then be installed directly to the hard drive.

MythTV would still be my choice today for building a Linux-based media PC – it is the most complete and the most feature-rich.

The other leading project is Freevo. The nice part is that it is not an entire distribution, and the binary is self-contained with no external dependencies, meaning you could install it on a "regular" Linux machine and boom! you've got full-fledged PVR functionality as well.