TV support, audio inputs (i.e. WDM driver, ASIO line in, etc.), CD ripping/playing, and a few other things aren't available for linux. You may also struggle to get all your media keys/remote buttons working depending on the linux desktop you install.
Thank you for the very fast reply !
However, suspecting as much, I wrote that the MC server machine will remain Windows based.
So would this work ? A client Linux MC going through a Windows based MC server to :
- access live TV
No, a linux client can't access live TV even from a windows server.
- browse the TV guide
Nope, ditto
- specify recordings
Also nope
- watch pre-recorded TV programs
Yes, you can do this because the recordings are just like any other video file.
In my understanding, it is the server that talks to the HDHR4 tuners...
You're generally right, but there's no UI "plumbing" in MC for linux for TV because its not supported, so it just never shows up as an option in the UI. It's a bummer because several models of networked TV tuners just expose a video stream that I'm fairly sure MC could play if I could figure out the right way to pass it in (i.e. HDHomerun tuners work fine with VLC or even just a web browser on linux, so there's no driver barrier, the streams are there, I just can't get MC to display them)
So if you need TV support in MC you're stuck on windows, and the last word I heard was that general Linux TV support was unfeasible. My ecosystem is 90% linux, so I've just carved out the TV recording/live viewing and use a different program for that, and just use MC for everything else.