[mythtv-users] Help me solve this mess...

[Duarte Cordeiro]

Hi all,

I've started to look to mythtv, but before diving in, I need help
solving my hardware/cabling...
Setup:
 1 - TV PHILIPS 32PW9618 (manual here:
http://www.p4c.philips.com/files/3/32pw9618_12/32pw9618_12_dfu_eng.pdf)
  it offers PIP/PAP/Multipip/dual screen, 4 scarts, 2 digital input, has
6 speakers+subwoofer with dolby prologic II + dolby digital, s-video
input, and a lot more. Its really the TV I wanted to buy, so I'm happy
:)

 2 - A "not so old" SONY DVD player with digital out (coaxial/optical),
5+1 analog output, 2 svideo out, 2 scarts (1 in).

 3 - A setup box to decode pay channels on the cable TV with a scart.

 4 - A ASUS PUNDIT (specs here:
http://www.asus.com/prog/spec.asp?m=Pundit&langs=01)
   it offers 1 x S/PDIF-In,1 x S/PDIF-Out,2 x IEEE 1394 (6pin, 4pin),1 x
S-Video, 1 x TV-out + 80 GB harddrive

 5 - A hauppauge wintv-pvr-350 

 6 - A "server" with a P4 2.6Ghz, onboard Serial ATA RAID (1) + 2x
120GB, 1GB Mem, + a $5 video card.

 7 - A 15" TV set in the bedroom with only a scart.

 8 - A mid-end gaming computer in the bedroom.


Questions: (where do I start)

 a) the "ideal" solution would be to have the server act as a mythtv
server, and the pundit + bedroom pc acting as fronteends to the TV sets.
So, imagining that the server hardware is supported in linux, and that I
put the hauppauge in there, I don't need to buy a new video card for the
server, don't I ? Because the server is only decoding/encoding, correct
? But, do I need to buy a good sound card to use in the backend ? Or its
the same as with the video?

 b) One of the requisits is to be able to watch DVDs using the SONY dvd
player, and tv directely in the PHILIPS tv set. So, I must have the DVD
connected directely to the TV set. Also, I need to connect the setup box
to the tv set, to be able to view the pay channels. But, then, how can I
record or view the pay channels in the pundit if the signal isn't
decoded ? :( Any solution ? 
 
  c) Any idea on how to connect everything ? I'm a little lost... I
don't have cables to connect things yet, because I need to buy them :).
But I don't know what to buy. Any suggestion on the interconection stuff
?

Thanks for reading the long email,

 DC