[mythtv] System Plans

[Andy]

---- Original Message -----
From: "Larry Matter" <mythtv@matter.net>
To: <mythtv-dev@snowman.net>
Sent: Sunday, December 15, 2002 9:52 AM
Subject: Re: [mythtv] System Plans



> I also have an Athlon 1.2 Ghz.  Live TV is no prob.  I have not tried
> recording one show while watching another previously recorded show.

I can capture in MPEG 2 (5000-7000+kbps) or even Divx in W2K using Power
PVR, but like you, I haven't tried watching something else at the same time.
Matter of fact, I don't think I've ever watched CPU usage while
recording....need to do that.



> > Maxtor 40GB D740X HD
>
> Go for as big as you can.

I've got other HDs that I can throw at this if I really get set on it.  This
is just a test right now (actually, that was wrong, I have a 60GB drive in
that box along with a 80GB that is going to keep running W2K for awhile.
The 40 I gave to a relative).



> > I/O Magic PC PVR (Supposedly a Pinnacle)
> > Pac Bell remote
> ....
> > and has
> > anybody used the IOMagic (or Pinnacle PCTV) TV card?
>
> I have a Pinnicale PCTV Pro, which so far I like very much.  It comes with
> a nice remote that works from at least 15 feet away (and there are lirc
> configs for it already).  I did have problems with it in an ASUS A7A266
> mobo, but turns out it was an mobo issue (documented at ASUS site) and
> changing to A7V266 solved it.

Thanks for the info on the Pinnacle.  I think it is basically the same card,
so that bodes well for my IOMagic.  I didn't figure it would be a problem,
since it is bt based, but I hadn't heard my particular card mentioned here,
and searching the archives didn't get any hits, either.


> > As for which distro of Linux, I think I'll try Debian, since that seems
> > popular here.  Any reason a newbie should pic another for a box that
> > will be running MythTV and little else?
>
> I would not recommend debian for a newbie (I've been using Linux for 10
> years and I still shy away from it :-).   I have had no problems with
> Mandrake 9.0; easy to install, automatically detected my TV card and
> installed Xawtv, and everything compiled just fine.  The myth docs are
> super for Mandrake as well.
>
> I also have an SBLive, which has also worked just fine, no problems.
>

Thanks.  Sounds like everybody is advising I avoid Debian, so I'll take that
advice :)  Sounds like Red Hat or Mandrake seem good possibilities.  I also
looked through the page somebody posted last night ( www.freeplaytv.org ) on
setting it up in Slackware, and it looked doable, too.

I'm still concerned about what I'll do for sound.  If my C-Media onboard
doesn't work, I'll have to look around.  Anybody using a Forissimo 2 (or any
other Cirrus 4624 or 4630 based sound card, like the Turtle Beach, Hercules
Game Theater, etc?)  ALSA seems to support them according to the web page,
but I haven't heard how well for this application.  Like I said before, I
really dislike Creative as a company based on past experiences, and don't
like giving them my dollars anymore.  I want to avoid a Live if I can.  I'll
buy a cheap one if I have to, though.  I'm not principled enough to stop
myself from doing what I want to do if there are no other options :)

Andy