[mythtv-users] Looking for a board for a new mythbox

[Zagaroth]

>>> MicroATX need min. 2 PCI slots
>>> VGA with TV-out
>>> Sound with SPDIF
>
>> Do you mean all of that stuff directly on the motherboard, no extra
>> bracket headers required? I'm not familiar with such a board, but my
>> Chaintech 7NIF2 is a micro-ATX board, has 3 PCI slots, onboard TV-Out
>> (no extra bracket required) and onboard SPDIF if you get the bracket
>> for it (which can then fill the slot unused by the AGP slot).
>
> Sounds nice, but has a chipset fan, which I want to avoid. How loud is
> it? I don't want to go to go through all the effort to get a low noise
> system and have a small fan whirring inside. ASUS has the A7N8X-VM
> which
> will need two brackets (no problem) but this will be quite expensive
> (108 EUR or $ the board, 25 $ TV-out bracket and 20 $ SPDIF bracket)
>I can't hear any difference between this board and the previous fanless
>chipset board I was using. That tiny little fan is next to inaudible,
>and certainly quieter than an idling hard drive, so I don't think it
>would be a problem.

If u really want quite get a VIA EPIA M board with the 2 PCI card raiser.
That has all you want but its only worth it if ur going to have a PVR-250 or
350 for the hardware MPEG2 encoding. That with the MPEG2 decoding on the
PVR-350 or on the motherboard and it will be great. (assuming to just want
it for TV) if u don't want (can't get) a hardware encoding card then have
alook at the Leadtek WinFast K7nCR18GM motherboard range. They do need a
bracket for the SPDIF and the 2nd moniter but it comes with that included in
the package. Check it out, it has everything u asked for.
http://www.leadtek.com.tw/motherboard/winfast_k7ncr18gm_2.shtml
Hope that helps (oyer its based on the nForce2 Chipset and thats pretty well
supported in linux isn't it?)
-Laurence