[mythtv-users] Rearranging my myth system architecture - thoughts on directions?

[Bruce H McIntosh]

Mike LaPlante wrote:
> I would say go with the new beefy frontend, and make the old frontend
> the new backend. Except that the Shuttle case makes for a really small
> backend, and probably not enough PCI slots. Maybe if you used the HD
> homerun setup for HD instead of PCHDTV 5500's.... Just a thought.

I'd be less than entirely comfortable with the Shuttlebox as a backend.
The form factor is way too limited for the task - no real possibilities
for disk i/o expansion internally or externally, given both PCI slots
would have some species of tuner card in 'em.  And moving to HD, I'm
uncomfortable with using parallel ATA for the disk i/o - SATA or SCSI
seems the much safer alternative.

Andrew Close wrote:
> get a core2duo mac mini w/ 1GB RAM for the frontend and add an HD
> Homerun to the backend for HD.

I'm less than enchanted with the Mac Mini for this application.  Based
on my system-spec'ing research, I can still beat the Mac Mini on
price-performance piece-parting a machine from NewEgg, especially if I
take advantage of bundle deals and sale prices.  Also, I want to be able
to use the frontend as a DOS/Win games machine.  I still cling
tenaciously to Wing Commander and System Shock (which I expect to bet
16x as creepily immersive on a colossal screen even with the big blocky
pixels at 640x480).  SHODAN LIVES!

Tom Greer wrote:
> I like the concept of making a new Myth box that is a combo
> frontend/backend.  There are several reasons for this.
>
>   1. It allows you to keep your existing setup functional while you muck
>   around with the new stuff.
>   2. Having multiple backends provides some redundancy. (For example, if
>   your old backend fails, you can re-create the mythconverg db on the new
>   system and be back in operation quickly.)
>   3. Adding two HD tuners to the existing backend may be too much for
>   that old P3 hardware.

All valid points, especially the redundancy argument.  $spouse gets
tired of flaky old hardware crapping out in the middle of watching
$vital$show :-).

> With a dualcore FX CPU, you should have plenty of horsepower to drive
> both backend and frontend process without any problems.

Well, ok... trouble with the combined approach is, I forsee occasionally
wanting to boot the frontend in (gasp!) DOS; see above mention of
playing Wing Commander or System Shock on the mondo screen.  I guess I
could forgo that esoteric luxury and just play those on my desktop
machine.  Hmmm... maybe DOSBOX or VMware...

> I love my HDHomeRun. You may want to consider this option.

Several people have suggested this gizmo to me.  What sort of bandwidth
requirement emerges from the notion of streaming two hidef vid streams
at the same time?  Would I be looking at needing to throw money at a
GigE switch?  Hmmm... that actually begs the question of recording two
HD streams in the same backend box - will I swamp the PCI bus or the
SATA controller?

> If you have another TV in your home, you may want to use the Shuttle box as
> a second frontend.

Dang.  THAT is a good point.  We moved the displaced TV back to the
sewing/craft/guest room.  Might be nice to have a mythbox there.

> Or, you may want to move your mythconverg database to
> this box.

Does it make more sense to separate the db to its own box?  If so why?
Would it make accomodating multiple backends easier?

> In any event, more boxes means more options - never a bad thing.

True, up to a point.  However, one eventually does run into issues like
the electric meter whirling like a dervish (keeping all those machines
spooled up costs real money these days, plus a lot of heat getting
thrown into the immediate environment - welcome in the winter but
UNwelcome in the summer), and the daily reboot-and-journal-recovery for
a half dozen boxes when (not if, this is north central Florida we're
talking about!) the thunderstorms take out the power.

Hmmm... I hadn't really considered the power consumption issue until
just now, and it's a biggie - our electric bill's out of hand as it is.
That would tend to mitigate in favor of a combined frontend/backend
everything box in the stereo cabinet, moving the current frontend back
to the sewing/guest room TV, and decommissioning that big loud hungry
dual PIII machine.

Jury's still out on the PCHDTV 5500 vs the HDHomeRun; I'd appreciate
hearing more from folks using either of those two options.  I'm really
leaning more toward the PCHDTV card at present; they were early and
enthusiastic linux advocates, and I like to support companies that take
the pro-open-source stance.

Thanks all for the input.  It's remarkable how being able to save off,
timeshift, skip commercials, etc., has improved the whole TV experience
for us.

-- 
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    Bruce H. McIntosh  scotsman at afn.org  www.afn.org/~scotsman  WA4UF
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         Network geek with a strong affinity for Telecasters