TV Related Software

Here, we aim to provide useful information about software applications that are directly related to or which are generally useful in some respect to the reception and manipulation of TV signals on Linux based computer systems.

In order to be most useful for the reader, this page is divided into three sections:

• An Alphabetical Overview Listing
• A Categorized section for software useful for DVB TV cards (for both full featured and budget cards, as this distinction doesn't make a difference for most of the software)
• A Categorized section for software useful for analog TV cards (also see the information currently contained in the video4linux wiki).

Note: If you're new to this aspect of computing, rather than trying single programs one after another, you might be more interested in how to quickly get a fully working system as described in the "Example setups" page. Or perhaps instead you may simply want to perform some quick tests on your system, such as like those outlined in the "Testing your DVB device" article.

An Alphabetical Overview Listing

Software	DVB-S	DVB-T	Record mpg	Playback mpg	Comments
** dvbsak
** dvbshout	y	y	n	n	Stream radio to Icecast/multicast
** dvbsnoop
** dvbstream					a streaming utilitity that is part of the DVB tools project
** DVBStreamer	y	y	-	-	PSI/SI tracking and correctly streams all PIDs including PCR
** gdvb
** GeeXboX
** getstream	y	y	-	-
** Kaffeine	y	y	y	y	Desktop TV Solution
** KaxTV
** Klear
** LinuxTV Drivers
** LinuxTV dvb-apps
** LinVDR
** pluto
** Mini DVB Linux	y	y			Distribution with live-CD
** MPlayer	?	y	n	y
** mumudvb	y	y	n	n	Stream multiples channels in multicast (each channel in different group)
** MythTV
** ProjectX
** xawtv
** XdTV	-	y	y	-
** xine	?	y	?	?
** ZapDvb

Categorized software for use with Digital (DVB) TV cards

• LinuxTV Drivers

DVB Utility Suites or Standalone Tools

• LinuxTV dvb-apps
• DVB tools
• dvbsak
• ZapDvb

Network Tools for DVB Streams

• dvbshout
• dvbsnoop
• dvbstream
• DVBStreamer
• dvbyell
• getstream
• mumudvb
• VLC media player

Standalone Software to Watch Digital TV

• gdvb
• Kaffeine
  • KaxTV
• Klear
• MPlayer
• VLC media player
• xawtv ... version 4 only for DVB
• XdTV
• Xine
  • gxine

Media Center Software

VDR

VDR is one of the most popular TV applications. It features watching TV, recording storage on disk, EPG, Dolby Digital, playback, multi language and much more. VDR, although originally written for FF cards, works also with budget cards, if one installs the VDR Software Decoder Plugin.

More

• Elisa
• Freevo
• GeeXboX
• LinVDR
• MythTV
• Mini DVB Linux
• pluto

Media Center Distributions

Complete operating systems tailored for easy installation of everything required to have a media centre.

• Mythbuntu
• MythDora

Tools for Editing

• Avidemux2
• dvbcut
• ProjectX

....

Categorized software for use with Analogue TV cards

Standalone Software to Watch Analogue TV

• gnometv
• Kdetv
• MPlayer
• TVtime
• xawtv
  • MoTV
• XdTV
• Xine
  • gxine
• Zapping