[mythtv-users] Cost of MythTV Machines

[Bean]

Well I did a build from scratch in July last year and happened to still have my online bill as below:

Aria Aluminium Media PC Case @ 56.99 +VAT
Caviar 200GB 8Mb Cache 7200RPM HDD OEM @ 52.99 +VAT
WinTV Nova-T PCI Digital Free-to-air TV Card @ 51.46 +VAT
Sempron 2800 2.0Ghz Socket A 256KB 333Mhz OEM @ 40.95 +VAT
KM4M-V SocketA Graphics Audio LAN MAXT Motherboard @ 24.55 +VAT
128MB Radeon 9200SE DDR TV Out DVI AGP @ 22.72 +VAT
512Mb PC2700 184pin DDR DIMM Memory @ 21.50 +VAT

The only thing I reused was a DVD-RW drive, so even allowing for that a total brand new cost would have been about £ 375.00 or around $ 650 USD.

----- Start Original Message -----
> > Date: Sun, 22 Jan 2006 21:26:02 -0700
> > From: Brian Wood <beww at beww.org>
> > Subject: [mythtv-users] Cost of MythTV Machines
> > To: Discussion about mythtv <mythtv-users at mythtv.org>
> > Message-ID: <C635FA7D-B51D-4F04-B447-535761BB02FC at beww.org>
> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed
> > 
> > With some recent discussion here about CPUs and costs I wonder what  
> > the "average" cost of a MythTV machine might be.
> > 
> > I have seen some "turnkey" machines offered for what I consider to be  
> > very high prices, even given the fact that the builders deserve a  
> > certain profit. I do not wish to mention names, but $1500 for what  
> > seems to be a minimal front/back-end box with 1 capture card seems  
> > quite high to me, although I will grant that it is a far better deal  
> > than what Sony wants for a DRM-ridden MCE device.
> > 
> > I think if one was constructing a computer specifically for MythTV a  
> > minimal F/B configuration might cost $600, using refurbed components  
> > perhaps, and with 1 MPEG-encoding capture card. $1500 would buy a  
> > very nice machine with maybe 1TB of storage and 3 capture cards.  
> > These guesses include a "computer" monitor but not an entertainment- 
> > quality display.
> > 
> > Anybody have ideas? What "should" a MythTV machine cost? Are the  
> > "commercial" offerings realistic? Obviously a lot of us are re-using  
> > hardware we have hanging around, it may be rare for somebody to  
> > purchase gear solely to build a DVR. I'm just wondering what folks  
> > are doing.
> > 
> > A related matter - What is the position of Zap-2-It Labs on these pre- 
> > built machines? Does this violate the "personal use" license? I admit  
> > I have no idea on this one.
> > 
> > 
> > Brian Wood
> > beww at beww.org