Wait, MythTV can't do video playback currently? LOL? What's it good for then?
Phoronix: MythTV 0.26 Gets Ready For Video Playback
MythTV 0.26 Alpha was released this morning as the first development milestone for this open-source PVR/DVR project on its new expedited release schedule...
http://www.phoronix.com/vr.php?view=MTE0Mjg
Wait, MythTV can't do video playback currently? LOL? What's it good for then?
Sure it can. You can use mythfrontend to watch live tv or recordings, but I don't really like it that much. But what mythtv really is good for is recording. You can use something like mythweb to view the program guide and schedule recordings, then mythtv records these shows, and then you watch them with XBMC.
Myth is a powerful beast. It had automatic commercial skipping long before Direct TV. It definitly kicks the snot out of any commercial PVR you can get with the exception that it can't read the encrypted streams from the cable cos. Admittedly that is deal breaker for many.
MythTV and VDR both can deal with Hardware CAM's just fine. So encrypted channels are fine. CI+ however is not supported by hardware yet. I'm sure VDR and MythTV work with those. Also there's so called 'softcams' E.g. oscam. No more hardare cam needed, just your smartcard and a smartcard reader. MythTV, VDR and even TV-Headend all deal with those fine.