[mythtv-users] HTPC Configuration for first MythTV box

[Jarod Wilson]

On Wednesday 08 September 2004 18:59, mythtv user wrote:
> > >Here's a first try at configuring a Home Theater PC with the goals of:
> > >
> > >  - run MythTV on Fedora Core 2
> > >  - provide redundancy for some components
> > >  - eliminate VCRs, DVD players, 200-CD changer
> > >  - do more when I realize what else the box can do
> > >
> > >
> > >    Case . . . . . . . . . . Antec Overture
> > >    Power Supply . . . . . . Included with Antec Overture
> > >    Motherboard  . . . . . . Asus A7N8X Deluxe
> > >    CPU  . . . . . . . . . . AMD Athlon XP 3200+
> > >    Memory . . . . . . . . . Two Samsung 512MB PC3200 400MHz DDR
> > >    Hard Drives  . . . . . . Two Western Digital 250GB WD2500JDRTL
> > >    Optical  . . . . . . . . Two Sony DRU-710A DVD+RW
> > >    Video Capture  . . . . . Hauppauge WinTV PVR-350
> > >    Graphics Adapter . . . . Asus GeForce FX 5200
> > >    Keyboard/Mouse . . . . . Logitech Cordless MX Duo
> > >    Sound  . . . . . . . . . Use Motherboard Audio Features
> > >    NIC  . . . . . . . . . . Use Motherboard NICs (two)
> >
> > I'd say that, for a system under you TV, it's a bit overpowered, and this
> > will make it noisier. Shoehorning all that into a case as small as the
> > overture would also give rise to heat issues.
> >
> > My advice would be...
> >
> > Drop the CPU to at least a 2800 Barton. They throw out less heat and are
> > still waaaaaaay more than adequate for everything.

'Cept maybe HDTV. Though my 3200 doesn't go above 80% utilization with pretty 
much every possible filter on. And this is w/0.15.1, not the latest CVS, 
which has plenty of further improvements for HDTV performance, I believe.

> I agree I have a AMD 2500 and it works fine.

For non-HD stuff, I ran fine on a 1700 for quite a while (frontend and dual 
tuners all in one machine). And I've run on an 800 just fine as well 
(frontend-only, but probably would have been fine if it had to do the capture 
as well, assuming a PVR-x50).

> > I'd advocate a case like the CoolerMaster 620

I love mine.

> Again I'll second that suggestion.  I have the Antec Overture case and
> think it is too noisy.  From your list it seems $ is not a problem so I
> would by a case w/o a PSU and buy a silent PSU.

Just moved my second Myth box to an Antec Sonata (a tower worked better when I 
moved my HDTV to make way for the pool table...). The Sonata is damned nice 
and quiet. Never really was wild about the Overture.

> > Two DVDR's? One would do, surely?!

I would think so...

> > If the system is going to be used for lots of things, save yourself the
> > hassle of using the PVR's TV-Out (even though it's unmatched in quality)
> > and get a PVR-250 instead. Whilst you're at it, you might want to
> > consider buying two from the off, depending on how much simultaneous
> > recording/watching you're gonna want to do.

I definitely recommend multiple tuners, esp. w/the rest of what you're 
getting. Gotta have two to really fill that pair of 250s. :-)

> > You're spending all that money and using onboard sound? I'd recommend an
> > Audigy or M-Audio card (both, IIRC, are supported under ALSA and OSS via
> > open source drivers). Unless the onboard has SPDIF, and you can then do a
> > passthrough to your AV setup.

Onboard sound... Ick. Mos def go Audigy or M-Audio Revo. I'm also somewhat 
partial to the TerraTec DMX 6fire my buddy has.

> > A combined front/back end works fine with minimal swapping on just 512MB

Hell, I don't think I see *any* swapping w/512. Even when playing back HDTV 
stuff. Anything more than like 384 is probably mostly wasted (but I like 
having 512 for "just in case"). I bought new RAM for my rebuilt 
pcHDTV-equipped system a few weeks back and opted for a pair of 256 sticks 
(so I could run dual-channel).

> > If you can, I'd throw all the moolah into a backend in the cupboard that
> > you can keep as noisy and as powerful and as full of HD's as you like.
> > Keeping all that stuff under your TV will mean constant whirring. The
> > backend doesn't need to be anything special; just a cheap box full of
> > hard drives and the TV cards.

Yup. That's basically what I did.

-- 
Jarod C. Wilson, RHCE
jcw at wilsonet.com

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