[mythtv-users] Australian HOWTO?

[Dave]

Quick run down on my system:

Albatron KM18G-Pro nforce2 micro-atx motherboard
(using onboard graphics and sound)
Athlon-XP 2500+ (barton)
256mb ram, 2x120G HDD

The above stuff was purchased at the computer fairs in canberra, which
kick ass. (www.computermarket.com) You can also get the mobo etc (which
is working great) from www.auspcmarket.com.au with whom I've always had
good service.

For capture, I use 2x DVB-t cards:

1. Nova-t, I got this from www.digitalnow.com.au back when pci dvb cards
first came out and they were one of the only places to get them. That
place is actually a guy in canberra, I picked it up from his house on a
saturday morning! It works perfectly, uses the "budget-ci" and
"tda1004x" kernel modules in the stock 2.6 kernel. I haven't seen them
around lately, not sure you can get them locally anymore. Cost was $250
I think, it was a long time ago :)

2. Ultraview dvb-t lite, This is actually a DVICO FusionHDTV Lite in an
Ultraview box. I got it from the computer fairs for $139. The "lite"
card actually has some advantages over the non-lite version. a) its a
half-height card and b) it has a RF passthough for hooking up in-line
with another card (or tv etc). The full version does not have these, but
does have an external video-in (capture), which the lite does not. DVICO
and their rebadged versions are dime a dozen in OZ atm, and seem to have
a good reputation. Currently they are not supported in the latest
(2.6.9) kernel though. You need to build recent cvs of both dvb-kernel
and video4linux. The support for these cards was added by a fellow
aussie who has a page about it here:
http://www.itee.uq.edu.au/~chrisp/DVICO-Linux/
I just looked up that site again now, and it seems he has posted a
tarball for easy compilation.

[cheapest dvb-t card I've seen was a 'spirit' which I think is a
rebadged 'visionplus', for $119 at the computer fairs. IMHO, dvb cards
are virtually identical under linux provided they are suppored at all.
Its the software that sets them apart for windows users. Just buy the
cheapest you can find!!]

What else....

After the success of my mythtv trial in the living room using a cheap,
nastly looking micro-atx case, I purchased an obsenly expensive HTPC
case from a mob in perth:
http://www.hometheatrepc.com.au/

I also got a quiet PSU and cooler from there.

Software:
Debian Unstable (sid)
Mythtv compiled from cvs

Hope this helps,

Dave


On Mon, 2004-11-01 at 20:50 +1100, Geoff O'Callaghan wrote:
> G'day,
> 
> Sorry if this is approaching a FAQ, but i'm a newbie with this.  What i'm 
> looking for are any docs/howtos from an Australian perspective.  What gear 
> have you purchased locally, what works, what's rubbish etc.  What would you 
> buy 2nd time around. 
> 
> If it's too off topic or an often repeated request and don't feel the list 
> needs any more emails like this, please email to me direct - i'd appreciate 
> it.
> 
> Cheers
> Geoff
> _______________________________________________
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> mythtv-users at mythtv.org
> http://mythtv.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users
-- 
Dave <david.collett at dart.net.au>