[mythtv-users] Plextor TV402U, laptops, saving power and a rebate

Brad Templeton brad+myth at templetons.com
Wed Apr 25 03:26:38 UTC 2007


On Tue, Apr 24, 2007 at 11:12:31PM -0400, Chris Pinkham wrote:
> * On Tue Apr 24, 2007 at 06:57:28PM -0700, Brad Templeton wrote:
> >         Automatic script to move recordings when slave comes up
> 
> Why do you need this, why not just use nfs or cifs to write
> the files directly to the master's recording directory and turn
> on MasterBackendOverride.  You could also create a user job to
> set the recorded.hostname field to the name of the master as well
> and then you wouldn't have to turn on MasterBAckendOverride and
> you'd have the ability to delete recordings from the master when
> the slave wasn't online since the master would now own those
> recordings.

The goal is that the low power laptop is the master backend, and
the only backend that's normally on.    The other front/backends
would be high power (to display 1080i) and only on when tv is being watched.

As such, the master (laptop) would record most shows to its own
disk, which is always there, and since it only has a small disk,
it would need to move the files to the backend/frontend system
when that system is on.     (The frontend/backend would probably
boot from clock every day for a short time to do this.)

It may be simpler to stick a large external drive on the laptop
of course, as that can be set to power down when not in use, though
you always get better performance on things like FF and audio speedup
when the video you are playing is local to the frontend.

I need to have one server on all the time in my house, but it
doesn't have to be particularly powerful, and thus could be a low
power surplus laptop.  The main thing stopping me is the always on
server is also the mythtv master backend.

It may be that the best course is to try to plug away at getting
suspend to work, though for waking up a remote backend you can do
that with plain old cold boot.   However, a frontend that you need
to cold boot every time has some annoyance factor to it.  I'm not
sure how much I want to trust timed boot for a master backend.

My frontend is an SFF, so it only has one PCI slot, so it can't
hold all my tuner cards.   It could use USB tuners of course.

I haven't decided my final course to reducing power but it's getting
to be a must.   Using high powered computers that cost $300 per year
in electricity in order to run "free" MythTV is a very false economy.


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