[mythtv-users] MythTV client node: xbox or mac mini?

Johan Kihlström johan.kihlstrom at bredband.net
Fri Dec 9 16:35:51 EST 2005


I use a modded Xbox with a bigger harddrive as my mythfrontend. Haven't
had any problems with that so far, easy to control from the Xbox DVD
remote. Also quiet if you replace the stock fan with something suitable.

If I want to play games, I just boot into standard MS dashboard and go. 




On Fri, 2005-12-09 at 12:13 -0800, Owen Mehegan wrote:
> I used MythTV with great success a couple of years ago, using one
> system for the frontend and backend. I planned for this to just be a
> proof of concept for me, but it worked out well enough that I never
> bothered to upgrade it or anything. I then moved to an apartment where
> my roommate had, and was annoyingly devoted to, a TiVo, so I
> repurposed my MythTV box for other things.
> 
> 
> I've moved again, and I'm looking forward to rebuilding my Myth system
> with much newer code, hoping for some nice improvements. In addition,
> I'm considering making a separate backend and client system. There's a
> closet right next to where my TV is going to go, and I have an idea
> that I will run my cable in there, put the cable box, myth server, and
> network stuff all in there, and then just have my TV and a myth client
> node in the living room. Quieter, no big ugly PC case, etc.
> 
> 
> I was originally planning to buy a Mac Mini for this purpose, but I
> have since become the owner of an original Xbox. I know there are
> people using their Xboxes as Myth systems also, and I'm wondering how
> practical this really is. My box is modded, so I presume that I just
> need to install Linux and Myth, get it on the network, and I should be
> good to go. But how do I manage playing games also? Is it a simple
> process to just reboot into game-playing mode? Do I need to have two
> different BIOSes on my mod chip, one for Linux and one for loading
> games? Or can I use one of the hacked bootloaders to choose between
> booting Linux or playing games? Is partitioning my hard drive for the
> Linux setup as well as game availability going to be a giant hassle?
> What does one use as a remote control?
> 
> 
> On a related note, if I decide to go with the Mac, is there enough
> bandwidth over 802.11G wireless to run video to the client node, or am
> I totally better off just running ethernet for it?
> 
> 
> Thanks in advance for any suggestions :-)
>                                                                   
> --
> 
> owen at nerdnetworks.org (Owen B. Mehegan)
> 
> 'But I have that within which passes show,
> 
> These but the trappings and the suits of woe.'
> 
>   --William Shakespeare
> 
> 
> 
> 
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