[mythtv-users] 2010 Mac Mini?

[Jarod Wilson]

On Mon, Jul 19, 2010 at 11:07 AM, jedi <jedi at mishnet.org> wrote:
> On Mon, Jul 19, 2010 at 10:01:17AM -0400, Ken Mandelberg wrote:
>>
>> >>>  I know there was discussion about this when it first came out, but I wonder
>> >>>  what the current thinking is.
>> >>>
>> >>>  Does the 2010 Mac Mini run Linux well, and is the graphics well suited to
>> >>>  Mythtv on Linux?
>> >You need a fairly new kernel (latest 2.6.34.y stable may work now, not
>> >sure, 2.6.35 definitely will) to get un-borked sata support, and hdmi
>> >audio may or may not work... It definitely does NOT work with the
>> >nouveau driver, but then, for myth, you'd want the nvidia driver
>> >anyway. So it*should*, at least theoretically, be quite good (albeit
>> >expensive) as a linux mythtv frontend in the relatively near future,
>> >if it isn't already. Really though, I think an ion2 box is probably
>> >more cost-effective and just as functional wrt mythtv under linux.
>> >
>> >-- Jarod Wilson jarod at wilsonet.com
>>
>> Actually, I already run a Linux myth backend/frontend on an older
>> mac mini (the intel only one just prior to nvidia). I have a need to
>> relocate it, and wondered if a new 2010 mac mini would be an
>> improved substitute.
>>
>> I'm not wedded to a Mac mini. Is there a box with a similar small
>> quiet footprint that would be better for a Linux frontend/backend?
>
>    The current mini is probably overkill for your requirements.
>
>    A Revo or other ION nettop would probably be perfectly suitable.
>
>    I run a Revo as a BE/FE myself.

Yeah, an Acer Aspire Revo, Zotac Mag, ASRock ION330 or similar would
be significantly cheaper and about on par as far as functionality. The
latest mac mini has slightly more capable graphics than any first-gen
ion, but really only an issue for running the highest quality vdpau
deinterlacer on 1080i material (at least, my understanding is that the
geforce 320m may be able to do advanced 2x hardware deint). An ion2
may be equally capable though, and at least zotac's ion2 box can be
had for about half the cost of the mac mini.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16856173005

(Some assembly, or at least, the addition of memory and disk (if
wanted), required).

I'd actually rather like one of those myself, and already have memory
and disk laying about... Hm...

-- 
Jarod Wilson
jarod at wilsonet.com