[mythtv-users] New system build. Looking for opinions.

R. G. Newbury newbury at mandamus.org
Wed Jun 21 22:29:13 UTC 2006


Marvin Match wrote:
> On 20 Jun 2006 at 18:49, Troy Beneke wrote:
> 
>> The reason I'm starting with a 120 GB HD is because I have an extra one laying around.

> Yeah, I understand your thinking. I used to think this way. It's because you're not yet 
> a MythTV user. Besides, how big is your CD collection? or your DVD collection?
> 
> Here's what I mean: 
> 
> 1. I ALMOST NEVER watch anything live. You and your wife won't either. It'll take 
> you little while to catch on, but once you have MythTV up and running, it just doesn't 
> make sense to let the network programmers dictate your viewing habits.
> 
> 2. Selecting programs to record is just so darned easy that you (and your wife) will be 
> recording more programs than you ever dreamed you would, or even have time to 
> watch. That's just the way it works out.
> 
> 3. Most of the shows I record I have set to "record any time on this channel" So they 
> just automatically get picked up. Because of this I go for weeks at a time without 
> changing the programs I've selected to record. All my favourite programs just 
> magically show up on my hard drive(s). No tape swapping, no setup, no nothing.
> 
> and because of 1, 2 and 3:
> 
> 4. There is always 100 hours or so of prime (for me) programming for me to choose 
> from at any one moment.
> 
> Oh BTW, I watch almost everything sans commercials and at 1.5X speed, so a 1 
> hour show takes about 35 minutes to watch. Believe it or not, once you get your brain 
> tuned up to the fast speed, most of the shows I record are better when played fast.
> 
> If you already have the 120 Gig drive it'll (barely) allow you to get your feet wet, but 
> you're going to be hooked and I guarantee you'll be looking for more hard drive 
> space real soon. Over the last couple of years I've upgraded, rebuild, replaced and 
> re-configured more times than I can count, and now I'm running with nearly 2.5 
> terrabytes total on 2 servers.

My reaction is exactly the same as Marvins.

Although you may have a 120G drive lying around, I would strongly 
suggest that you need another drive.
I started with a single 120G SATA drive, and I find I am constantly 
fighting to  keep the 92G video partition from overflowing. I am about 
to put the smallest 3Gb/s SATA drive I can find, into the box, to use as 
an OS drive, and dedicate the 120 to video...that will give me back the 
30G presently used by Fedora. Interestingly, the smallest drive I can 
find is 80G!! For $59.00 Canadian... while a 320G SATA drive is 
$137.00..(but 1.5Gb/s I think). Storage usage in myth is QUITE different 
  than you are used to.
The ONLY thing my wife watches live anymore is Oprah in the afternoon, 
when she is home, and some news and weather. There are still about 6 VHS 
tapes with programs recorded for her and then it will be all mythtv.

Geoff



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