The $5 Xbox Digital TV Tuner
by manu
I've got a new toy. It is called the Xbox Digital TV Tuner, an official addon from Microsoft for the Xbox One, released more than a decade ago. It is nothing more than a USB cable with a tuner attached to. I've got it for cheap from the german craigslist. As someone who lives close to the border, it is usually cheaper to buy stuff from there. I haven't spent more than 5 bucks on it. And because it's so cheap, I've decided to get 2 more of them!
Netflix for the poor
If you're running anything other than GNU/Linux, it won't give you much joy. Lucky me, the mn88472-firmware is available in the Arch User Repository (AUR). After I've tinkered for a while with a DIY barebones solution using w_scan2 and mpv, I ended up with tvheadend as the streaming server and PVR of my choice. It allows me to watch TV and record the movies and shows I'm interested in. All of that in a totally legal way. Awesome!
What's more, with the triple tv tuner setup I'm able to watch TV while recording two other channels at the same time. While I barely watch live TV anymore these days, with the built in PVR it feels more like a video-on-demand solution such as Netflix or Prime. Macgyver, the A-Team, Knight Rider, Deadliest Catch, Bear Grylls. I'm currently recording a bunch of shows and whatever movie that sounds interesting to me. None of it requires me to spend a single penny.
I love it when a plan comes together!