[mythtv-users] Advice on cheap boxes for front-ends only

[Stephen Tait]

At 11:58 06/07/2004 -0300, you wrote:
>On July 6, 2004 11:02 am, Stephen Tait wrote:
> > When you say "low power", are we talking MPEG2 low power, or MPEG4 low
> > power? Most o' those funky EPIA boards will handle MPEG2 fine, but will
> > thrash on some MPEG4. Some of the newer boards are fine with MPEG4, at the
> > expense of some noise and heat.
>
>I actually meant low power as in power usage :P

Sorry, I always think of horses first. Personally I'd go for a mATX with an 
Athlon Mobile (or Ultra Low Voltage, or whatever they're called) in it, but 
that's just me; I dislike proprietary components, and I don't think the 
EPIA's are terribly good value for money.


>But I would need MPEG4. Ar ethose EPIA boards really thatc rappy? My dad's
>P233 can play MPEG4 video for pete's sake. It's not hard to play MPEG4.

Firstly there's the issue of GFX drivers, which aren't stunningly good 
under Linux at the moment (I don't know what the GFX for the Xbox are like, 
as I have zero interest in buying another MS product ever again... I just 
hope my mouse lasts long enough...). I think even the most powerful EPIA's 
are only rated to be about the same speed as a 4-500 MHz P3, alot of their 
multimedia functionality comes from inbuilt acceleration circuits in the 
nbridge, etc, which are poorly supported under Linux. I think even the 
highest powered EPIA boards will choke on high res XviD's, but this is just 
anecdotal as I don't have one to try out myself.

As Isaac pointed out a few days ago, you get miserable performance out of 
fullscreen Goom with them...


> > Of course, the Xbox is subsidised hardware, but then you won't be able to
> > add any PCI cards or grooviness like that; presumably you can add-on USB
> > peripherals
>
>What would be the need for any add on hardware? Remember this is front end
>only.

Well, there's frontends and frontends. My frontend had a digi TV card in it 
(until the HD died) cos the backend is only a mATX at the mo, and so can 
only fit one tuner card in. One of the best things about this whole 
client/server thing. Eventually my current workstation will be turned into 
the master back, so two digi cards in the backend and a PVR-250 and a digi 
card in the frontends seem a good idea.