[mythtv-users] iMac as possible Frontend?

[Chris Ribe]

>
> >
> > In fact,  considering current market values (of used powerPC
> > machines), I would not recommend running myth on any processor
> > other than AMD or Intel.  Some people on this list are happy with
> > their VIA setups, but I think they are happy because they work at
> > all, not because of the performance.
>
> I have to disagree with this. I run MythFrontend on my 1.33 ghz
> PowerBook and it works great, even over the Airport Extreme (802.11g)
> for SD. I can't say anything about HD, as I don't have any yet.
>

How do timestretch and fast forward work for you?  Any G4 Mac can handle
playing back standard def mpeg2 or mjpeg video, but I have found the
MythFrontend experience to be much less smooth (menu navigation,
timestretch, and fast forward all suffer), even on a 1.67 GHz PowerBook,
than it is on more adequately processored systems.

A G5 Mac will provide all the grunt you need for a pleasant SD MythFrontend
experience, but they are not a good value proposition, in my opinion.  A
$600 G5 iMac only gets you a 17.7" 4:3 screen ( after taking into account
letterboxing on the 20" screen), although if used for DVD playback, the
16:10 screen might actually be a nice compromise.  The form factor is nice
for a bedroom frontend, I can't argue with that.

However, for that same $600 you could also build a low power x86 system and
get a new 22" LCD.  Or you could get an old x86 laptop and a 22" LCD.  If
you want to really drive the price down, you could probably find a laptop
with a broken screen.

As for PowerMac G5s, yeah they are cheap compared when new, but what are you
really getting for that ~$750 dollars?  You get a monstrous ( they weigh
60lb. ) noisy thing with relatively low power by today's standards.

So, after more consideration, I'll eat my words.  A 20" G5 iMac is a
reasonable candidate for a frontend.

-chris




-- 
TV/IT Engineer
WCJB-TV Gainesville, FL
(352) 416 0648
cribe at wcjb.com
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