[mythtv-users] advice for frontend/backend

[Keith C]

Thanks for the research!  I'll look at these ABit boards when I pull
MythTv out of my primary PC and make it a dedicated box. Sure would be
nice to have optical out without having to buy anything from Creative
(still pissed that they discontinued support for my Mac Soundblaster
card).

Keith C

On Fri, 2003-09-19 at 09:37, Sean wrote:
> > On Thursday, Sep 18, 2003, at 14:07 US/Pacific, Neil Konouchi wrote:
> > 
> >> I know it's been asked a thousand times, but in searching the archives,
> >> it's been hard to find a solid answer. i'm looking to build a
> >> front/backend to sit in my entertainment console. the basic ideas i've
> >> had are the Asus Pundit, a Shuttle XPC (not sure which model), or a
> >> homebuilt using either the Leadtek K7NCR18GM
> >> (http://www.leadtek.com.tw/motherboard/winfast_k7ncr18gm_1.shtml) or
> >> MSI
> >> K7N2GM
> >> (http://www.msi.com.tw/program/products/mainboard/mbd/
> >> pro_mbd_detail.php
> >> ?UID=437&MODEL=MS-6777).
> 
> I have been weighing this question over the past few months and being a
> complete nOOb in the ways of HTPCs, Linux, and the wonder that is MythTV, I
> have been researching A LOT. Ironically, the part that I should have down
> pat is where I keep stumbling - system buildout. Here is what my limited
> knowledge has come up with:
> 
> The Pundit and Shuttle systems would look good and work well as a HTPC
> front/back but only if you don't want to expand your system to say include a
> 2nd tuner or more storage. A Full-size ATX board in a tower gives TONS of
> functionality, but aside from the Antec Overture (due late September) and
> several varients of the Atech D.Vine series (which as $200+), there are
> seemingly no good home theater sized, full-ATX capable desktop units (that
> look like anything).
> 
> So I too have gone the microATX way of thinking. Chaintech makes a microATX
> board that has the Geforce MX S-Video out onboard. ABIT has microATX boards
> in Intel and AMB (VIA) flavors that offer optical and coaxial SPDIF out.
> ASUS has their A7N8X-VM board which would be excellent if they included the
> nearly impossible to find SPDIF and Svideo out brackets.
> 
> My choice will be (once they start distributing the damn things) the ABIT
> VA-11. It is just the right blend of all-inclusive microATX boards for a
> HTPC system. I should have 2 free PCI slots (once I tack on a GeforceMX AGP
> card and the Hauppauge PVR-250). If I had to do it today, I would sacrifice
> the onboard Firewire and go for the ABIT VA-10.
> 
> (I should note that the Chaintech is a tempting choice, but it doesn't
> leverage the feature set well. True the onboard S-Video makes it appealing,
> but the AGP slot will go unused and I would still have to add a separate
> sound card like and Audigy 2 to supply the digital out.)
> 
> Hope this helps. There are other like us in the same position I am sure and
> I for one would like to hear some other choices. Good luck and have a good
> one all!
> 
> --Sean
> 
> 
> 
> 
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