[mythtv-users] Possible Hardware Configuration

Dewey Smolka dsmolka at gmail.com
Tue Nov 1 23:50:22 EST 2005


>  Several comments:
>
>  The Athlon 800 is going to be a bit slow for watching Live TV and playback,
> unless you manage to get XvMC working.  (I haven't had much luck there,
> myself.)
>
>  I'd rethink the motherboard -- VIA chipsets have been known to have
> problems with high-throughput PCI cards like the PVR-150's.  On a full-size
> ATX motherboard, you can sometimes get things to work better by moving the
> cards around in the slots, but that's less feasible with a microATX
> motherboard.  Other mainstream chipsets don't have this problem.
>
>  I'm using a GeForce 5200 for TV output, and it's working fine.

Good thoughts, but one more I'd like to throw out. That's a lot of hot
parts in a small case. Heat is going to be an issue, so you'll need to
make sure you have a solid cooling system in place.

If it were me, I'd put those two capture cards into an old mid tower
or similar case and make it a BE. Use the micro-ATX as a FE. Or else
make sure you have some very good fans.


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