[mythtv-users] Backend/Frontend hardware (new system)

Nick Rout nick.rout at gmail.com
Tue Sep 18 21:16:20 UTC 2012


On Tue, Sep 18, 2012 at 2:13 PM, Michael Watson
<michael at thewatsonfamily.id.au> wrote:
> On 18/09/2012 10:58 AM, Nick Rout wrote:
>>
>> On Tue, Sep 18, 2012 at 12:45 PM, Michael Watson
>> <michael at thewatsonfamily.id.au> wrote:
>>>
>>> On 18/09/2012 9:39 AM, Nick Rout wrote:
>>>>
>>>> On Tue, Sep 18, 2012 at 9:36 AM, Michael Watson
>>>> <michael at thewatsonfamily.id.au> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> On 18/09/2012 7:27 AM, Tyler T wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Do you still intend to record TV for later viewing? I don't see a
>>>>>> tuner in your hardware list.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> FYI a DVR doesn't require expensive hardware if you're willing to give
>>>>>> up commflagging* and transcoding**. Pretty much any PC new enough to
>>>>>> have SATA will work as a backend-only, so you could get some random
>>>>>> used desktop PC for cheap off Craigslist and run it headless in a
>>>>>> closet. Then you can use whatever you like for a separate frontend
>>>>>> such as a WD Live or similar media player***.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> * I prefer manual 30-second skip anyway
>>>>>> ** Just get a bigger hard drive, not worth the trouble IMHO
>>>>>> *** Note that using something other than an actual Myth FE will
>>>>>> require you to schedule recordings via MythWeb, but most probably
>>>>>> won't find this a dealbreaker
>>>>>>
>>>>> Nor do you really need a big beefy machine for frontend work.
>>>>> I have several P4 3.0 Ghz Machines with GeForce 8400GS Cards that work
>>>>> excellent as frontends.  (There are plenty of SFF HP/Compaq/Dell
>>>>> machines
>>>>> that will work perfectly as a frontend)
>>>>
>>>> And most of them power hogs! There is certainly a tradeoff between
>>>> cost and power saving and speed and quietness.
>>>
>>> I don't believe so.  Last time I did the figures, the TCO over expected
>>> life
>>> span of each machines, it worked out roughly the same cost (new low power
>>> machine vs low cost second hand equipment), if you then include cost to
>>> the
>>> environment, then the s/hand equipment wins hands down.
>>> (Recycle/Reuse/Reduce)
>>
>> Or are you better to go with the lower power machine if you want to
>> look after the environment? We burn coal for electricity after all. I
>> simply don't know the right answer here! I doubt that any one answer
>> is "right".
>
>
> Coal is not the only material used to generate power.  There are many others
> including Nuclear, Wind, Solar, and Water

Well I wouldn't classify nuclear as environmetally friendly, the waste
has to go somewhere.

Every extra amp you pull means more coal or other wasteful and/or
dirty methods have to be used, until you get consumption down to the
point where clean methods supply all our needs.


>
> But, back to the original statement.  You do not need a new high priced
> machine to run Myth Frontend or Backend seperate or combined.  You can do it
> quite happily on equipment that is 5+ Years old, for very little out lay.
>

I don't disagree, just pointing out the other issues involved in that approach.


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