[mythtv-users] Any problem with main frontend also being household network server?

[Raymond Wagner]

On 8/8/2012 05:28, Damian wrote:
> My question is, Is there any good reason why the main frontend should be
> a different machine (to the backend and network server) or can I have
> them all in one quiet attractive box that lives on the book case?

Well that's the real question. Can you fit everything in one quiet 
attractive box that lives on the book case? There's always going to be 
tradeoffs. Small and quiet means poor cooling, which means you need much 
more expansive laptop-grade hardware to get the same performance and 
storage. Quiet and inexpensive means you're going to have to go big, to 
have large heatsinks and large, slow fans, which are going to make 
"attractive" difficult. Small and attractive is easy, but then you end 
up with a vacuum cleaner in the corner of your room.

You can do it, sure. However, many users find it is cheaper and quicker 
to split the two (or more) boxes. It's significantly easier to make a 
computer silent against the background of a TV, and turn it off when not 
in use, than it is to make it silent against a quiet room. There is 
always the third option of using a loud old machine in your garage, or 
other convenient room, and running audio/video/ir to your television 
remotely.