[mythtv-users] Plans for front & back end Myth boxes

[Brian Wood]

On Sunday, August 08, 2010 04:05:15 pm Tortise wrote:
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Jessica Perry Hekman" <jphekman at arborius.net>
> To: "Discussion about mythtv" <mythtv-users at mythtv.org>
> Sent: Monday, August 09, 2010 1:30 AM
> Subject: Re: [mythtv-users] Plans for front & back end Myth boxes
> 
> On Sun, Aug 08, 2010 at 04:42:33PM +1200, Tortise wrote:
> > Providing a URL to the manual of the TV is often a good way to
> > accelerate the advice given to you here.
> >
> >My TV's manual is available here:
>  http://www.retrevo.com/support/Philips-27PT543S-TVs-manual/id/278dj493/t/2
> /
> 
> >Right now, I would really like to just buy an Acer Revo for my front
> 
> end, as that seems to be what people here recommend. However, it does
> not have s-video out.
> 
> >The TV also supports RCA and composite, and I'm fine with using either
> 
> of those. (Would either of them work with the Acer, with some sort of
> converter?)
> 
> Your TV also takes component which should give you the best quality from
> what you have.
> 
> A good cheap option (especially if you have one already) would be to find a
> good quiet second old Pentium say 2-3G, 1-2G RAM box with a 512M NVIDIA
> 8400 or 8500 or 9400 or 9500 PCI or PCI-Express with the "S-Video"
> component break out adapter, (and DVI to cater for any future unexpected
> winnings) for a frontend.  http://www.sparkle.com.tw/ gives a well
> presented range of examples.   I put S-video in quotes because while the
> socket look at first glance to be S-Video its not, searching the web can
> clarify as it is generally (incorrectly) referred to as S-Video also.  A
> remote and IR device might be a consideration also.
> 
> http://www.buy.com/prod/gyration-gyr4101us-air-music-remote-with-lcd-displa
> y-motionsense-and/q/loc/111/207964449.html was recently pointed out and is
> probably a great option.  (Want to buy 2 and ship the second to me, as
> they wont ship/sell to New Zealand!!!?? Happy to pay.)

I agree, the Revo is not for you if you need S-Video or composite out. Both of those are limited to standard definition, so 
you may be able to use that 5200 card I believe you said you had, with the same caveats about the connector as mentioned 
above.

It's funny, the 5200 was the "Gold Standard" of video cards for Myth for a long time, but its inability to handle HD has 
made it a dinosaur. XVmC allowed under-powered computers to decode video,  but XVmC has pretty much been supplanted by 
VDPAU.

Getting an 8xxx or 9xxx video card would mean you could move to HD should you replace your set.

If you think you may be upgrading your TV set in the foreseeable future, then you probably don't want to spend money on 
something that can only handle SD, but if you have it already and.or can re-purpose something you have, the above advice 
is sound.


> 
> Aesthetics and quietness add cost.....

Small, Quiet, Cheap, pick any 2.