[mythtv-users] Looking for your experience

Aaron Griffin aaronmgriffin at gmail.com
Fri Sep 3 17:23:35 EDT 2004


apart from the flaming, you made a good point - I wasn't thinking
about the fact that TV sound is, in fact, simple crappy stereo.  now
it "clicked" so-to-speak

and to answer the first question, this is for a small apartment.  I'm
doing a single box install, front/back ends combined.  noise is also a
big issue.  the cost, however, is not.  so I'm planning on building up
a decent box which can handle things on it's own, but also stay quiet
(no I'm not going to water cool it... I don't care THAT much).

On Fri, 3 Sep 2004 23:00:33 +0200, Maarten <mythtv at ultratux.org> wrote:
> On Friday 03 September 2004 21:45, James Pifer wrote:
> > On Fri, 2004-09-03 at 14:31, Aaron Griffin wrote:
> > > Hey all,
> > > I must first admit, I am a newbie to MythTV, although that's not my
> > > reason for this.  I'm going to use you all for your experience in
> > > dealing with the hardware side of this...
> > > Anyway, I'm looking for some advice on the *BEST* hardware setup...
> > > the cost isn't that much of an issue....
> > >
> > >
> > > Current Plan->
> > > TV-in: PVR-250
> > > TV-out: No clue...I have an All-in-wonder so I need to buy a new one
> > > Processor: Most likely AMD 2000-3000 or something
> > > Case/Mobo/Form Factor: Anyone research this and find something really
> > > cool that's not a Shuttle (too expensive for what you get)?
> 
> Jeez.
> The list gets drowned in these kind of (stupid) questions.  Why don't you all
> try to be a bit more specific or 'verbose' about this ?  If you need a
> (backend) machine for in the attic / basement, don't you think you'd buy an
> entirely other machine than if it had to reside in the livingroom...?
> (Hint: there is a HUGE difference between an old P-II 400 MHz equipped with a
> PVR350 and a brand-spankin' new P4-3200 with a btttv card...  but the viewing
> pleasure is almost similar)
> 
> In other words, what are it's "selling points" ?   Silence ? Price ? Size ?
> Versatility ? CPU conservation ?  Disk conservation ?  What ?
> 
> > > Hard Drives: How much, how snappy? I'll probably be recording about
> > > 1-2hours a day and deleting it after I watch
> 
> That is (probably) not realistic, even far from it.  But if you _really_ only
> record 1-2hours a day and delete it afterwards, all you'd need is a 8 GB
> harddisk.  Mythtv uses between say 1 and 3 gigs per hour, depending...
> 
> Needless to say you'll surely want to keep some recordings, and needless to
> say 8 GB harddisks are not for sale anymore either...
> 
> But I'll give you a free advice from experience: buy the biggest harddisk you
> can afford. You will not regret it. You will regret it if you don't...
> 
> I'm totally sure your girlfriend -which you mention below- will fill a 80GB
> harddisk within a week (with reruns of the bold and the beautiful, etc.)
> 
> > > Sound Card: I'm assuming Audigy 2 Platinum, anything better?
> > > DVD-ROM: How fast to emulate a store bought DVD player?
> 
> If what you get off the air is "only" normal stereo sound, why do people think
> that sound somehow magically "gets better" when you throw a hugely expensive
> soundcard at it ??  I myself use a dirt-cheap SB and I seriously doubt that a
> fiber-connected 24 bit ultrasound hyper audigy ultra deluxe 7.1 will sound
> any better than that, since your regular TV isn't broadcast with that quality
> to begin with. Worse; if you're REAL lucky it will not be far worse than CD
> audio.  If you're unlucky, it will be worse than badly received FM radio...
> 
> Incidentally, in case you didn't know: "store-bought" (video-)DVD players are
> always single speed (al-ways!!) as are audio CD players: single speed only.
> You know, computers aren't race cars where you can impress your girlfriend by
> the number of cylinders or the size of your engine.  A DVD movie plays at
> speed==one and not a single snippet faster. You can however buy a 4 speed
> drive, which comes in real useful if you someday want to see the Godfather
> Part 1 in just under 55 minutes.  But apart from that...  nope  ;-)
> 
> > > I am building this for me and my girlfriend, and the total cost isn't
> > > THAT big of a deal.... because I'm doing it for her (awwwwww, how
> > > cute!)
> 
> Gosh....  love is a splendid thing isn't it...   as long as it lasts that is.
> ;-)
> 
> Maarten
> 
> --
> Linux: Because rebooting is for adding hardware.
> 
> 
> 
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