[mythtv-users] Building another system, hardware questions

[Wander Winkelhorst]

I have a VIA SP1300.

I wouldn't recommend buying one unless you really like to troubleshoot.
It has poor driver support (needs to have x.org (not xfree) and some
strange patches from what I can see (I didn't succeed at getting it to
work yet))
It has buggy hardware (use cpufreq and DMA at the same time and your
in for some lockups)
It still makes quite some noise (little 40mm fan that spins like mad
at 6000+ rpm)
And to top it all off, it is allso pretty slow compared to anything
else at 1Ghz.


On 3/7/06, Chad <masterclc at gmail.com> wrote:
> Hello!
>
> I'm in the process of building another frontend.  This time I want
> something small and quiet :D  Who doesn't right?  So I'm looking at
> using the VGA output from the P4V8X-MX since it has the Via P4M800
> that does the hardware mpeg2/4 acceleration.  So...  I assume I won't
> need such a beefy CPU, which I figure translates to less heat and in
> turn translates to quieter PC (less power for smaller CPU, less heat,
> quieter fan to dissipate heat).  But I'm still not sure what to do.  A
> Celeron D looks cheap and puts out 2.5Ghz for 50 bucks.  However, I
> would think that a 1.9Ghz P4 (533mhz FSB) would put out less heat and
> has a 512KB L2 versus the Celly's 256KB, but the P4 costs about 70
> bucks (20 bucks more than the Celly).  Any hardware nut out there to
> clarify this for me?  More importantly, can anyone tell me if running
> a MythTV frontend would enjoy using the extra L2 cache, or if I'm just
> being a paranoid delusional freak?
>
> Ok, so onto the other part of all this:
> I want, I REALLY want, DVI output.  I don't see it as an option with
> any motherboard that has the P4M800 chipset from Via (unichrome Pro).
> So, I looked for CN400 motherboards.  The motherboard I found was a
> Commell LV-667D (
> http://www.logicsupply.com/product_info.php/cPath/78_76/products_id/406
> ).  Another option was the SP series Epia's and get the LVDS to DVI
> addon daughterboard (
> http://www.logicsupply.com/product_info.php/cPath/78_72/products_id/507
> ) But with either of those options, just for the motherboard I'm into
> it ~260 bucks.  Add on a decent case and RAM (from caseoutlet.com )
> and I'm touching $420.00 bucks.  Why?  Because I want DVI?
>
> Form factor is important, but the P4 is mATX and is still small, AND
> has a slew of cases to choose from (some of which are very nice
> looking and very nicely priced).  The case choice is limited and cost
> is outrageous for an Epia with a CN400 chipset.
> Ok, so what am I getting at?  I've recently acquired a decent
> projector (an Optoma H27).  The projector is not an HD projector.  Do
> I really need the DVI?  Would the average human see a difference in
> the DVI versus the VGA output from these 2 different motherboards?
>
> A few trailing questions:
> Does anyone think 128 is too little RAM to run a MythTV frontend that
> is doing *most* of it's decoding through hardware, and not much else
> (no comm flagging, no transcoding, yes deinterlacing).
> Does a standalone videocard exist (for us average buyers) that has
> mpeg4 acceleration as well as full frame HD mpeg2 hardware decoding?
> I'd just stuff an FX5200 in there and call it good except I would be
> cooking my system anytime I watched a transcoded (mpeg4) file.
>
> Thanks!
>
> Chad
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