[mythtv-users] inexpensive frontend?

[Lance Tost]

On Mon, 17 Nov 2003, Joseph A. Caputo wrote:
> On Monday 17 November 2003 16:15, Lance Tost wrote:
> > Ah, got ya.  Found a box with a Via C3 600Mhz cpu... for real
> > cheap... would just need to add a hd and a tv-out card and maybe
> > memory.. not sure.. considering it.  That should be enough cpu I
> > think...  Also considering an xbox as others have mentioned.
> 
> Is it one of the VIA Epia mobos?  If so, check to see if it's got 
> integrated video/TV-out and/or an MPEG decoder on-board.  Also, you 
> might want to check out the 'MiniMyth' distribution for VIA Epia boxes, 
> which (IIRC) supports net-booting, so you wouldn't need a hard disk, 
> either (assuming you've got a backend somewhere...)

No, it isn't one of those mobos.  It's an ECS P6IWP-Fe... not cutting edge 
by any stretch but I just want a cheap frontend.  Of course, I may want to 
watch videos too and it sounds like 600MHz may not be enough for that 
without hardware decoding.  I guess I could get an M10000 barebones for 
about $100 more (after shipping costs) so that's probably the better 
option.

As someone mentioned earlier, I'm trying to improve the WAF by keeping it 
cheap.  So far, I've spent $100 on two of those AVerMedia M179 cards (I 
hope they work well!).  I still need remotes, and hardware for a second 
frontend... and if that goes well, maybe a third frontend. 


Thanks

-- 
Lance Tost <ltost at pobox.com>