[mythtv-users] New install - Backend, multiple frontends - reccomendations

Paul Bender pebender at san.rr.com
Fri Aug 25 23:19:01 UTC 2006


Blammo wrote:
> On 8/25/06, Jim Moseby <JMoseby at nrbindustries.com> wrote:
> 
>>I am in the process of building a house, and I am almost at the point where
>>I am installing media and network systems.  My plan is to install a single
>>backend server with, say, 6 TV cards in it, and put little diskless/fanless
>>frontend boxes at each TV location (4 bedrooms, Family room, kitchen, and
>>office).
> 
> 
> Frontend Performance:
> For HD content, you may want something more beefy. Lots of 1080i
> content, and deinterlacing, at least good De-Int takes some CPU. I'd
> recommend AMD64 with a PCI-E Nvidia card of some sort (passive cooled)
> for good solid HD performance

Jim, if you decide to go with an AMD64 based machine, then you might 
consider one with integrated NVIDIA graphics. I have found that the ASUS 
A8N-VM CSM motherboard with an Athlon64 3200+ processor is more than 
enough to play back 1080i content even without XvMC. In addition, my 
NVIDIA+AMD solution is less expensive than my VIA SP based solution.

The only downsides of the NVIDIA+AMD based solution relative the the VIA 
SP based solution are that it is not fanless (but it is very quiet with 
the Antec NSK24000) and it is larger (although it still fits in my home 
entertainment center.


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