[mythtv-users] what is the cat's ass of integrated "set top box" like hardware now?

[Paul Wootton]

On 22 Jul 2011, at 09:18, mythtv . wrote:

> On 20 July 2011 20:06, Paul Wootton <pwootton at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> I'm running 2 of the Acer Aspire Revos R3700's as  hi-def FE's (1080i, not Blu-ray though), and one as a std-def FE/BE (present for a friend), and I'm happy with them.   They seem pretty quiet, the one in my bedroom seems to exhibit a bit more fan noise than my main one; but that could be because it's stood on a hollow box.   In  the UK they're an 'exclusive' from ebuyer (http://www.ebuyer.com/revo?gclid=CJvGgr_NkKoCFRRc4QodUH64xw) at £200.00
> 
> Observations so far...
> 1.  No IR, so needs an external IR receiver and remote.  I'm using £20 mceusb ones from maplin;
> 2. Can't  turn on with  IR signal, so power button needs to be accessible - though my main one is turned on via wake-on-lan, triggered from a DHCP request from the TV when it is turned on)
> 3. Of the 3 systems I use, none of the TV's have the right VESA mounting for the Revo bracket.  However as the Revo doesn't seem to clip firmly into the bracket, not a loss
> 4. With mythbuntu 0.24/1 fixes; the PIP is performing badly - lots of 'break-up' in the PIP image.  I suspect this is because the Revo's come with 1x2Gb ram, rather than 2x1Gb.  Doesn't worry me since I don't use PIP.  I might swap the ram in one of the systems for 2x1Gb to see if that sorts it, but probably not any time soon.
> 5. No dvd drive; I used an external usb dvd to install mythtv.
> 
> I regard the above as very minor things; and I'm happy with them overall
> 
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> I would echo most points here. I have a combined FE/BE/XBMC box running on a Revo 3610 and a FE/XBMC running on a 3700 upstairs. I couldn'e decide whether to go fro the 3610 or the 3700 for the second box as they were both the same price. Finally went for the 3700 as it was black and had wireless N built in (rather than having to prise the box open and change if I wanted to). In the end I found the wireless to cause a few problems that I surmounted by hardwiring into a wireless bridge/repeater (DD-WRT) instead and I find that stock upgrades to the kernel dont always work out of the box. One of my main criteria is to not have to go patching left right and centre and I dont run the fixes branches but stick to the using Mythbuntu. With hindsight I should have opted for the 3610 but I would still buy another 3700 if it was the right price and I am sure that things will sort with the 3700. I think it is just the wireless card that causes my grief and I could just diasble that but I have a system that works and a re-install image so I havent bothered!
> 
> Another option for the remote is to use the Sony PS3 (£15 from Amazon and a couple of quid for a BT dongle). Only real downside with BT is that if you sit on the remote it still operates the TV!
> 
> I like the idea of wake on lan via DHCP I must try that one how did you configure it?
> 
> Martin
> 
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I'm running dnsmasq on my main server (actually a mac mini running os x), and wedged in a bit of perl to look for the dhcp request.    This server already has a populated /etc/ethers for all the things on my network, and I already have a wake-on-lan script so that I can wake up other systems remotely if needed (fpr example my desktop mac).     If anyone's interested I can pass the scripts on.    (Once the front-end is woken up, it also runs a script that periodically pings the tv and powers down the back end after the tv has been off for at least 10 minutes and I'm not remotely logged in.     WHen I get round to wall mounting the TV I'll 'glue' the revo to the back of it.

-- Paul --
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