[mythtv-users] Hardware ideas

[Stephen Tait]

At 18:44 24/06/2004 +0200, you wrote:
>David Brieck Jr. wrote:
>>On Thu, 24 Jun 2004 11:32:42 -0400, David Wood <david.wood at thestreet.com> 
>>wrote:
>>
>>>I'm getting ready to build a MythTV box. I've been reading a lot (hardware
>>>db, google, blogs), and I wonder if anybody has an opinion about my ideas
>>>so far (or if this will help others)?
>>>
>>>So far it sounds like an Athlon XP 2xxx+, a big HD, and a Hauppauge
>>>PVR-350.

IIRC, Athlon 2600's have the best power/watt ratio. If you do use big hard 
drives, make sure they're quiet - personally, I'd recommend a seperate 
system disc and storage disc or (even better) keeping the storage on a 
completely different machine.

>>>But I have some reservations about the 350, since it sounds like
>>>the TV output device driver is in flux and not reliable/stable. And is it
>>>true that I won't be able to play movies through it that aren't in MPEG2
>>>format? Will I have to awkwardly switch between using it as a decoder and
>>>using it as a regular X display?

IANAPVR350U, but no, you won't have any problems playing back anything 
MPEG2 related. MPEG4 (e.g. xvids and transcoded TV shows) won't of course 
be able to use any of the MPEG2 decoding hardware, so must all be done in 
software, which is why you need a fairly beefy CPU.


>>>I see a lot of people going with PVR-250 etc and an geforce mx440 for
>>>output. Is that a better idea, even though the quality might not be as
>>>good? It's certainly cheaper. But I'm most concerned with whether there'll
>>>be fewer headaches...

Well, the combo of the PVR-250 and an nVidia card (GeForceFX 4000 in my 
case) has proved stable, fast and reliable, despite closed source drivers 
(I stuck with the 2.4 kernel, as 2.6 still has some creases that need 
sorting out WRT to nVidia and ivtv).


>>>I want to put this in the entertainment center like a stereo component. So
>>>minitowers are out, as are many desktops (has to fit in 18"W x 14"D). I
>>>don't see any reasonably priced, prepackaged systems that are in this
>>>formfactor. I'd consider "fancy" entertainment center cases (i.e. ahanix)
>>>but would just as soon take a cheaper, simpler, more standard case that's
>>>the right size. So far this is the best I've come up with:
>>>
>>>http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProductDesc.asp?description=11-116-159&depa=0
>>>
>>>But I get the feeling there's a lot out there I don't know about. Is
>>>anyone else using a case they'd like to recommend? In general, is there
>>>anything else I should be wary of?
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>noname - 1K Download
>>
>>I'm using the Antec Overture:
>>http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProductDesc.asp?description=11-129-142&depa=1.
>>I'm using this case with a variable speed cpu cooler:
>>http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProductDesc.asp?description=35-106-601&depa=1.
>>It's very quiet and the case fits in great.
>>I'm also using the 250 and 440mx. I'm very happy with the quality of display.
>
>I would like to buy an overture because it's the only destop case  which 
>support atx and look good. but i have seen a lot of user not really happy 
>with it. (because  not very quiet expescially the power).

TBH, I'm not keen on the Antec HTPC cases. They're quite pretty, and I'm a 
big fan of Antec's other kit (their dirt cheap 4U is *amazing* for the 
price, and their PSU's kick total ass), but reviews say their HTPC cases 
run hot and are rather noisy, so I shied away. I went with a CoolerMaster 
620 BX myself (mATX) which has the added advantage of *not* using a 
proprietary small form factor PSU (which are very expensive to replace when 
the fan goes!). I chucked in a nice ATX PSU, 7Volted the CPU and system and 
it's very quiet indeed and runs cool to boot.

If you have to have an ATX motherboard (required if you want more than one 
TV card in any one machine, mATX boards typically share the PCI IRQ's to 
hell and back), there are plenty of *very* nice cases that will fir the 
bill. KustomPC's (UK based) have a very large range of said cases here 
http://www.kustompcs.co.uk/acatalog/Kustom_PCs_Shop_HTPC_Cases_96.html 
(review of a very nice Silverstone case here 
http://htpcnews.com/main.php?id=silverstone_lc03_1); I don't know what 
availability is like stateside, but you shouldn't have too much of a problem.

Personally, as soon as my current workstation is replaced with a hulking 
dual Opteron monster, I'm going to shove as many digital TV cards as I can 
onto my current 2800/Abit mobo and throw it in a cupboard under the stairs. 
I'll keep one or two PVR-250's in the frontends, but that is all. The less 
equipment you have under your TV and the more centtralised the system is, 
the better.