[mythtv-users] Backend / Frontend advise

Jonathan Oexner jonathan.oexner at alum.wpi.edu
Tue Jan 10 22:52:20 UTC 2006


Yeah, I was happy to learn that RCN Boston doesn't use 5C encryption.  I
*knew* there was some reason I went with them over Comcast...

Wow, the Roku looks like a pretty sweet little box.  Could I put a different
Linux distro on it if I wanted, or would I have to stick with what came with
it?

For that matter, why is it such a PITA to run mythfrontend on it that it
requires a separate project?  I mean, you had to kinda-sorta hack your XBox
to get it to do something interesting, but the Roku comes right out and says
it's a Linux box.

Sorry, never hurts to be skeptical.  ;)

On 1/10/06, Steve Adeff <adeffs at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> On Tuesday 10 January 2006 15:13, Michael T. Dean wrote:
> > Jonathan Oexner wrote:
> > > Sorry to semi-hijack, but I'm in a kinda similar situation.  I've got
> > > an Athlon XP 1800+ box with 3/4 gig of memory and a 4x AGP slot.
> > > Right now I'm just using it as a backend to capture SD via a PVR-250
> > > card.  I'm using an XBox as a remote frontend, via a component video
> > > adapter hooked up to my HD TV.  Works like a charm, couldn't be
> > > happier, but...
> > >
> > > At the end of the month I'll be getting a DTC-62xx (I think) from RCN
> > > here in Boston.  I'd like to capture via the Firewire port and watch
> > > it on my TV, but I understand that the XBox probably doesn't have the
> > > horsepower to decode and display a 1080i signal.  Is there a video
> > > card with component video outputs that I can drop into the 4x AGP slot
> > > on my mobo that will be able to render a 1080i video stream?
> > >
> > > I've heard people mention that some Nvidia 6200-based cards come with
> > > a component-out dongle and they work well for HD video, but all the
> > > cards I've seen say AGP 8x (or PCI-e).  Would an AGP 8x Nvidia 6200
> > > card even work in a 4x AGP slot, or would the video kinda suck if the
> > > card stepped itself down to AGP 4x?
> >
> > The 1800+ will most likely be a problem (although you might be able to
> > make it work with XvMC, it will be so close to the edge it will probably
> > still be annoying), so you might want to just create a new dedicated
> > frontend.  That would allow you to get a processor that will be able to
> > decode the video as well as a MB with an AGP 8X (or PCI-E) slot.
> > Unfortunately, that will be more expensive than just dropping a video
> > card in the existing backend...
> >
> > Mike
>
> Another option is, if you only use mpeg2 is to buy a Roku and install
> MythRoku
> on it as a front end. All the firewire transfers from the cablebox will be
> in
> mpeg2, so original recordings won't be a problem, its any transcodes, etc
> you
> might have.
>
> The Roku can be had for ~$300.
>
> You might also want to get a couple DCT's from RCN, from what I
> understand,
> RCN in Boston doesn't enable 5C.
>
> --
> Steve
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