[mythtv-users] Best front-end machine?

[Jim Berwick]

On Thu, Sep 1, 2011 at 11:25 PM, Brendan Pike
<brendan at dbinformatics.com.au> wrote:
> I'd like to upgrade my existing Mac-Mini, although its intel based it
> struggles if I play true 1080p content through it.  So I would like to
> know people's opinions regarding what makes the best front-end now
> days.  I see Boxee has a reasonable looking app. for Myth too.
>
> I could build my own shoe-box PC, upgrade to a faster mac-mini, go boxee
> what other options are there that provide best bang for buck?
>
> Thanks
> Brendan

I had a frontend die recently.  It was an older Sempron64 with PCIe
Nvidia card that I threw together to get Myth in the bedroom.  I
replaced it with a Giada Nettop and it has been great.  I don't have
any 1080p content to play through it but it handles all of my 1080i
and 720p without breaking a sweat.  Newegg has a few models that come
complete with RAM and an HD and are very affordable:

2GB RAM + 250GB HD for around $250:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16856176004

2GB RAM + 320GB HD + ION2 for around $310:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16856176006

Hope this is helpful.