This project aims to create an alternative to MythTV for Linux-based machines. The project will utilize the already-proven capabilities of the VLC project for video decoding and playback, and combine them with the proven networking and database capabilities of Java to create a stable, portable PVR application that should (hopefully) be available for Windows and OS X in the not-too-distant future.

As with MythTV, LegendTV will separate the PVR system into a presentation tier (front-end), which handles playback via a Swing or Java3D-based GUI (user preference), and an application tier (back-end), which handles scheduling, recording, and file management. This will allow multiple front-end machines to utilize a single back-end, multiple back-ends to be managed by a single front-end, or any combination of the two. One of the most important goals of the project is to ensure high usability, high reliability, and excellent performance/responsiveness.

The user interface and a large portion of the application tier will be implemented during the Fall quarter of 2008 as part of a class project for 4010-444 - Engineering Methods of Software Usability, a Software Engineering course at the Rochester Institute of Technology.