<div><span class="gmail_quote">On 10/11/07, <b class="gmail_sendername">Chuck Rudolph</b> <<a href="mailto:rudolph4404@comcast.net">rudolph4404@comcast.net</a>> wrote:</span>
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<div><font face="Arial" size="2">After reading over the many welcome comments in my first attempt at designing my<br>first MythTV box (<a onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="http://www.gossamer-threads.com/lists/mythtv/users/289526" target="_blank">
http://www.gossamer-threads.com/lists/mythtv/users/289526</a>),<br>I've put together my revised shopping list.</font></div>
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<div><font face="Arial" size="2">I'm looking for recommendations to the following. Over built? Under built?<br>Too noisy? Too hot? Too ugly? Too geeky? Not geeky enough?</font></div>
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<div><font face="Arial" size="2">Am I forgetting anything?</font></div>
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<div>Thanks for you shared expertise...<br> </div></div></div><span class="sg">
<div><font face="Arial" size="2">-Chuck Rudolph<br>Email: <a onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="mailto:rudolph4404@comcast.net" target="_blank">rudolph4404@comcast.net</a></font></div></span></blockquote>
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<div>Chuck - I'm not an expert - but I'll throw my two cents in.</div>
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<div>I started off with a combined BE/FE - but quickly separated into a dedicated server/backend with separate frontends system. I think one of the key benefits of Myth (relative to the 'other' solutions) is the client/server model.
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<div>My backend is built into a really ugly big box that's hidden. It now has 5 HDDs in it (1x200GB system and 4x750GB) (which are noisy) and a few fans which are also not silent. It's a C2D with 2 GB of memory - which would be overkill for 'just' a mythbackend - but it's picked up more and more server tasks - now it runs slimserver, zoneminder, vmware server, and a few other things as well as serving as the central repositary of photos/music/videos/etc.
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<div>I have three frontends - the best by far is an Intel Mac Mini running linux. Small, cute, completely silent, well built, ... My other 2 backends are old laptops that have been repurposed as frontends driving separate Monitors/TVs.
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<div>So - without knowing your budget - I'd think through a separate backend/frontend before going too far, and highly recommend a Mac Mini running Linux as a frontend.</div>
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