[mythtv-users] Minimum hardware recomendation

[Jim Stichnoth]

On Sun, Jun 21, 2009 at 10:07 AM, Allen
Edwards<allen.p.edwards at gmail.com> wrote:
> My daughter told me my father's day gift was that she was moving out (have
> you heard of boomerang kids?).  She was kidding but had heard that was a
> recommended gift.  We went to her new place yesterday and got OTA broadcast
> from her Menlo Park apartment with and old UHF antenna I have had for 50
> years and a single dipole at Channel 7 taped to her balcony.  Everything
> comes in very strong.  Now she needs her own MythTV system.  She also needs
> something cheaper than buying cable w/DVR for a year.  Perhaps that cannot
> be done...
> I know with the Atom-ION systems things are changing fast so perhaps it is a
> good time to ask this.  I looked at newegg and realized I don't know
> anything about these solutions.  What kind of power supply, case, etc.   Can
> you get a barebones or complete version of these systems?  Lots of
> questions.  I looked on Tom's hardware and didn't find anything useful.
>  Perhaps someone on this list can help.
> Allen

Here is one potential starting point.  It's probably possible to do better.

$160 Zotac IONITX "C" version from Amazon (includes power brick)
$30 2GB DRAM
$30 Streamzap IR receiver + remote
$90 500GB laptop hard drive
$145 HDHR
$30 network switch
$5 decorative 7"x7" cardboard box from Michael's for a case
$10 power button, power LED, HDD LED, jumper wires from Fry's

That's $500, which is probably about 10 months of cable/satellite.  I
didn't include keyboard, mouse, or DVD drive.

Except for the hard drive, there are no moving parts (i.e. fans) in
this system, and the system is tiny and doesn't look like a
techno-geek project.  That's a big plus for some.

I think the Atom should be OK for running the DB, though I haven't
tried.  It's probably not good enough for real-time commercial
flagging.

Jim