[mythtv-users] My Ultimate Mythtv?

[Brad Sagowitz]

Great!  I think it might be better to just get PVR-250's for each front end
and have each box control its own receiver.... that in theory should work.
Thanks for the reply.... anyone else?
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Joseph A. Caputo" <jcaputo1 at comcast.net>
To: "Discussion about mythtv" <mythtv-users at mythtv.org>
Sent: Tuesday, September 16, 2003 12:06 PM
Subject: RE: [mythtv-users] My Ultimate Mythtv?


> Comments inline...
>
> >-----Original Message-----
> >From: mythtv-users-bounces at mythtv.org
> [mailto:mythtv-users-bounces at mythtv.org]On Behalf Of
> >Brad Sagowitz
> >Sent: Tuesday, September 16, 2003 12:46 PM
> >To: Discussion about mythtv
> >Subject: [mythtv-users] My Ultimate Mythtv?
> >
> >
> >I'm trying to put together the best possible MythTV setup using existing
> hardware and
> >purchasing new stuff.
> >
> >I want (I think) the following:
> >
> >Backend: (headless)
> >
> >AMD 1.4 GHZ proc (1600+) (have already)
> >512mb PC133 (have already)
> >ECS k7s5a (have already)
> >1 20gb drive for operating system (have already)
> >3 160GB Seagate Drives LVM'd as /var/mythtv for storage (will buy)
> >Case with 400w PSU (have already) but will upgrade to a Antec Sonata for
> more drive mounts
> >3Com 3c905c NIC (have already)
> >2 PVR-250's (have already one will buy the other)
>
> As far as specs go, this is fine for a backend.  You may be surprised at
how
> quickly your drive fills up with 2 PVR-250s, though.  Also, have you
> considered allocating space on one of your drives for music or movie rips?
> You'd have to NFS mount those directories to access them from a remote
> frontend, but you may want to figure that into your setup...
>
>
> >Front-end #1 (Bedroom)
> >36" JVC TV (have already)
> >1.2 GHZ Duron
> >Athenatech MicroATX desktop case (have already)
> >ECS k7sem (have already)
> >256mb PC133 (have already)
> >20gb IBM drive (have already)
> >Linksys 10/100 NIC (have already)
> >GF4 440 MX SE w/tv out (have already)
> >Gyration Keyboard and Mouse suite (have already) but dog chewed mouse...
> still works but ugly
> >SoundBlaster Live! Value (have already)
> >Hauppauge 401 WinTV (have already)
> >
> >Front-end #2 (Living Room)
> >Sanyo PLV-70 Front Projector (on order) accepts SVGA input
> >AMD 1700+ (will buy)
> >Cooler Master ATC-610-GX1 micro atx case (will buy)
> >380Watt Antec True PSU (will buy)
> >Gigabyte GA-7VM400M motherboard
> >40gb Maxtor HDD
> >GF4 440 MX SE or ATI Radeon 9000 (don't need tv out and ATI now has Linux
> drivers) (will buy)
> >SoundBlaster Audigy 2 or M-Audio Revolution (will buy) I want optical to
my
> Pioneer 43TX
> >Elite Receiver don't know yet how to get this
> >3Com 3c905c NIC
> >Hauppauge 401 WinTV (will buy)
>
>
> Without delving into specifics (brands/models/etc), these specs look OK
for
> frontend/backend combos.  I assume you're using wired 100Mbit Ethernet?
One
> thing, though... you're putting WinTV 401 cards in the frontends... do you
> plan on integrating them into Myth (i.e., you'd then have 4 tuners)?  If
so,
> then what you're setting up is really a master backend plus 2 slave
> backend/frontend combos.  The slave backends (WinTV tuners) could record
> either to their local disks or to the master backend's disk via an NFS
> mount.  Either way, all recordings will be available to both frontends.
> It's just a question of how you want to manage your disk space.
>
>
> >Next month I get Satellite (Direct TV's 4 room installation)
> >
> >I'll have two receivers at the backend feeding the 2 PVR-250's, so here
is
> a question #1:
> >
> >will MythTV be able to control two seperate receivers using lircd?
>
> I don't know the specifics of DirecTV receivers, but you could run in to a
> problem here.  Think of it this way:  if you have 2 receivers and aim a
> remote control at them and press CH+, what happens?  Do both of them
change
> channels?  The answer, I think, is "yes", unless they have a device
setting
> that allows you to 'target' one or the other of them.  If they do have
such
> a capability, then you might get away with 1 IR transmitter, provided it
has
> a line-of-sight to both receivers.  Otherwise, you need 2 IR transmitters
> and make sure that both the transmitters & receivers are positioned such
> that their lines of sight (could be a pretty wide angle!) don't overlap.
> There are also probably some LIRC issues with setting up 2 separate
> transmitters.  If you have the option to control them via a serial cable
> (like some models of digital cable box), that would be best.
>
> >Question #2
> >
> >Can you guys/gals see anything wrong with the hardware I have/will buy?
>
> I have no experience with the specific mobos or sound cards you mention.
> The GF4MX 'just works' for TV-out, and I have an Athlon XP 1600+ in my
> 1-tuner backend/frontend combo with a single WinTV tuner, working just
fine.
> Other than that, I can't say.
>
> >Question #3
> >
> >What soundcard is everyone using to get optical out to a receiver?
>
> I dunno... I'm still getting by with my 10-yr-old Denon receiver w/Dolby
Pro
> Logic :-)
>
>
> -JAC
>
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