[mythtv-users] Questions: multiple HD tuner backend with Pentium 4 3.0 GHz front-end

[Marland V. Pittman]

Mitch Gore wrote:
> Questions:
>
>
>     - A P4 3.0 GHz machine (with XvMC) on a 6600 or an 8400 GS should
>     work
>     for HD playback, right?
>
>
> No problem.
That's good to hear. I'm still not sure what I'll do video card wise, 
but I might have to stick with a 6600. Low profile is starting to become 
an expensive proposition case-wise, and funds are already getting tight. 
This mythTV stuff is expensive... cheaper than being tied to rental from 
the cable/satellite/TiVo people in a long-term relationship though.
>
>
>     - Does the 8400GS HD playback assistance only work in Windows? 
>
>
> XvMC is the hardware assist.  yes this card will work.  Many use a 
> 5200 or a 6200 but a higher end card will work fine.
>
>
>     - Do I really need 2 GB of RAM in a front-end? Will 1 GB be fine?
>
>
> No, heck i use 512mb in my BE/FE w/2 hd tuners
Hmm, maybe I'll go with my PCI FX5200 / 2.53 GHz P4 / 512 MB machine as 
a BE/FE first, just to get started, then upgrade incrementally. Next 
purchase really should be a tuner card.
>
>     - Is 2.8 GHz fast enough to simultaneously record 3 or more HD
>     streams?
>     I remember reading that you could record with very little CPU
>     power, and
>     that playback was the big issue.
>
>
> Thats fine.  Its hdd bandwidth that is a issue in recording, but you 
> wont hit it with this.
I assume the difference between 2.8 and 2.53 won't matter much, but if I 
don't do playback on a different machine, I might not be able to 
playback while I'm recording with a combined FE/BE.
>
>
>     - I assume HD needs lots of bandwidth. Do I need to upgrade from a 100
>     megabit switch to gigabit to pull this off? I'm hoping if I have 5
>     tuners in the machine, but I'm only pulling two tuners worth of live
>     content, or two prerecorded shows at once, I can manage.
>
>
>  100mb will be good for 3 streams 4 would push it.
Looks like my backend is getting Gigabit. I don't know if I'll end up 
upgrading my switch, but it's good to know I can probably get away with 
staying at 100 megabit.
>
>
>     - A180 vs PCHDTV 5500. The A180 is cheaper, but the PCHDTV 5500 is
>     supposedly made for Linux. I want easy, and I'll pay for it, but
>     if the
>     A180 isn't any easier to use/install than the 5500, I'll take the
>     50 %
>     savings x 5. Is that broadcast flag thing still an issue?
>
>
> I would looking the HDHomeRun. Great value and works great.
I heard good things about it too. I think I want to go with cards inside 
the machine though. I'll probably want 4 tuners, and don't want to buy 
two HDHomeRun boxes. I didn't get much feedback on the pcHDTV HD5500 
card versus the Avermedia A180. Anyone have some commentary about these, 
or is it pretty much irrelevant?
>
>     - Is MythDora being based on F6 really a problem? I mean, these are
>     going to be appliances... I'm not planning on mucking about with them,
>     but I would like to be able to upgrade them as necessary.
>
>
> Na, its supported.  When upgrades are needed they will provide the 
> tools to do so.
Hmm, wonder what I can do to help along the *new* version of MythDora?