[mythtv-users] Newbie wants criticism of component choices...

[Mark Hood]

Mark,

thanks for the quick response!

1. Good point, I'll look into AGP/PCIe - could be useful for future
expansion too.

2. HD isn't available in the UK (where I am) so I'm not worrying about
it yet. Maybe later!

3. Thanks, I'll read more. Are you saying I should add a sound card to
get this? The motherboard I had in mind had basic sound support on it,
so I was going to leave a dedicated sound card for future expansion...

4. I specced a single 512MB stick, but forget to add it to my list -
would that be enough? The guides I read suggested anything over 256
wasn't worth it, so I figured it was OK.

Thanks again,

Mark

On Wed, 16 Mar 2005 10:18:34 -0500, Mark L. Cukier <mark at pemicro.com> wrote:
> Mark:
> 
> Looks pretty good, a few comments though:
> 
> 1) I would get an MB with an AGP/PCIe slot. That way, you can easily add
> a monitor. Also, personally I didn't have much luck with the TV-out on
> the PVR350! I switched to an nVidia with TV-OUT... so it's always best
> to have that video card option available....
> 
> 2) A celeron will probably be fine for 1 channel record + watch with a
> PVR-350. That being said, you'll be hosed if you ever want to go HD,
> etc. Of course, that's a bridge you can jump off when the time comes... :-)
> 
> 3) Digital sound out can be achieved through most popular sound cards
> that support it! Check the archives for details... it's not too complicated.
> 
> 4) You'll also need some RAM ;-)
> 
> - Mark
> 
> Mark Hood wrote:
> 
> >Hi there,
> >
> >I've scanned the FAQs, searched the web and reviewed the archive, and
> >am still overwhelmed by the choices I can make regarding hardware for
> >a MythTV box. I'd appreciate any comments you more experienced
> >builders would have on my selection (I've not ordered any of these
> >yet, so feel free to tell me to change everything!)
> >
> >My requirements:
> >An all-in-one box (frontend & backend together) which will only need
> >to record one channel at a time.
> >Quiet.
> >No need to worry about DVD playback at the moment, I have a good DVD
> >player - but maybe one day...
> >Beyond that, I'm not too worried...
> >
> >My choices:
> >Motherboard: Gigabyte S478 Intel 845GV MATX no AGP DDR Audio/Visual/LAN
> >        This has 3 PCI slots, and I figure I only need 2 (TV card &
> >maybe wireless later)
> >Processor: Intel Celeron D 330 Socket 478 256Kb 533FSB Inc Fan
> >        2.6GHz, and comes with a fan (which I can replace in the
> >future if I find it too loud)
> >Case: CoolerMaster ATC-630-B21
> >        MicroATX, should be the same as the motherboard :) with 200W PSU
> >TV-Card: Hauppage TVR-350
> >        The only part I'm truly confident of!
> >HDD: Maxtor DiamondMax Plus10 300GB UDMA133
> >DVD: Pioneer DVD+-R/RW DualLayer 16x IDE
> >
> >And the usual cables, mouse keyboard etc.
> >
> >My questions:
> >1. Is this any good? :)
> >2. Does anyone with experience of the case know if I need a riser card
> >or not? If so, how many of the slots will become unusable?
> >3. Am I over-speccing? I would like to think it's future-proofing,
> >rather than anything else :)
> >4. How do I go about getting digital sound out?
> >
> >Thanks in advance for any suggestions - feel free to reply to me
> >personally and I'll summarise for the list, or reply in public if you
> >prefer, I can't be the only one wondering!
> >
> >Cheers,
> >
> >Mark
> >_______________________________________________
> >mythtv-users mailing list
> >mythtv-users at mythtv.org 
> >http://mythtv.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users
> >
> >
> >
> >
> 
> --
> 
> --
> 
> ____________________________
> *Mark L. Cukier*, /Design Engineer/
> P&E Microcomputer Systems
> 710 Commonwealth Avenue
> Boston, MA 02215
> _________________________________
> e-mail: mark at pemicro.com <mailto:mark at pemicro.com >
> phone : (617) 353-9206 x19
> fax   :   (617) 353-9205
> _________________________________
> 
> visit us on the web at: http: //www.pemicro.com
> 
>