[mythtv-users] Motherboards: help me understand my choices

[Sixten Otto]

I'm considering replacing a very aged Myth box with a new,
from-scratch build, and I need some help sifting through the piles of
advice.

I'm mostly interested in an HTPC to record and time-shift ATSC
broadcasts (no cable, satellite, or analog broadcast) and watch ripped
content (XViD, H.264, etc.). Maybe someday (when they're cheaper) I'll
install a Blu-Ray drive. Will be hooked up to a 720p LCD TV for the
foreseeable future, so I'm not super-concerned about 1080p playback.

It seems like the integrated graphics are really, really good these
days, but I'm not sure how the Linux driver support is. It'd be nice
not to need another card, but not if I'm stuck in driver hell.

I've read some very, very positive things about the new 780G
motherboards for AMD (like the GIGABYTE GA-MA78GM-S2H). The main worry
I have there is that those reviews are mostly Windows-centric; the
conventional wisdom for MythTV boxes has always been, "go with
NVIDIA." On the other hand, it seems like the main benefits of that
(driver quality, hardware acceleration support) are very much
diminished these days.

There are a number of motherboards with NVIDIA graphics (6100, 7050,
8200) for both AMD and Intel, and also Intel options with their own
integrated graphics (for which the driver support seems to be getting
better). Would any of those provide a significant advantage in speed,
quality, or driver support over the 780G options?

Thanks,
Sixten