[mythtv-users] Building a system from scratch

[D Banerjee]

> I was also looking at the WinTV-HD card.  I figure down the road, as
> HDTV catches on, it would be ideal to have this (though I'm also far
> from an hdtv expert).  FWIW, I have an HDTV ready tv, so think I'm good
> there.  Looks like HDTV is already broadcast as mpeg2, so hdtv doesn't
> need an encoder?  Looks like this card has an mpeg-2 decoder, but not an
> mpeg-2 encoder(?)...  Also, looks like it has the tv out (obviously) to
> connect to the hdtv itself.  For non-HDTV signals, I'm guessing with
> this card it needs to encode in software?  Is this card (well) supported
> in MythTV (is this the pcHDTV card noted on the MythTV homepage as being
> better supported in .12)?

If you plan on using hdtv, don't waste the money on a 350. You will
want/need an nvidia card (because it has hardware decoding acceleration
under linux) take a look at www.pchdtv.com Also your tv-out will not be a
"tv-out" you will split your regular monitor video output into your hdtv.
Google for hooking up your computer to hdtv. HDTV is broadcast as an mpeg-2
stream, you just save it to disk, no cpu involved, but you will need a good
processor and a good video card with acceleration to play it back.

btw, it seems the current crop of hdtv cards have both the hd-mpeg capture,
and a regular analog input. Afaik this isn't work _yet_ on the pchdtv, but
it's just an issue of someone fixing the drivers. This _is_ bleeding edge,
so beware.

>
> My end goal would be to put a large box with multiple encoders in a
> central location, connected to the hdtv, later creating smaller mythtv
> frontend boxes for around the house.
>

This is ok if you know what you are doing with properly designing a system
for sound and air-flow. i.e. 5400rpm FDB drives, soft-mounted, sound-proofed
case, etc. I have 7 5400 rpm FDB drives in a system with soft-mounts, it's
hard to hear them idling/reading even with your ear next to them.