[mythtv-users] Sanity check : backend - AMD 64, FC , SATA, Firewire, HDTV...

[Mudit Wahal]

Adam,


> > 1) media mvp (hauppage) --- speaks myth check out
> > the sourceforge site
> > for more info .. quite easy to setup
> I didn't realize this was Myth compatible.  I
> definitely will pick one up for the non-HD/non-web
> surfing viewing stations.  Thanks for the tip!
> 

I'm running the latest mvp mythversion and its fine. It cant decode
AC3, so no DVDs support. Also, you need to convert HDmpeg2 to DVDmpeg2
with 2 channel stereo (as I mentioned before).

> I spent countless hours on avsforum researching the
> LP2 vs the BLT, in the end I think they are fairly
> similar. But regardless, either probably won't give me
> the performance I was looking for.  HD streaming
> quality is superb, but the slowness from the
> server-side UPnP stuff is not acceptable... and, no
> "LiveTV" support. Please let me know when you figure
> out how to make it into a Myth frontend, I'd like to
> give it a shot.
> 
I dont understand what you mean by "slowness from serverside" ? I've
been running LP2 for over 1 week now and I dont see any "slowness"
while accessing files/directories etc.

Regarding live TV, it depends upon your use of the DVR (timeshift
etc). I feel that I'm controlling my TV watching via scheduling my
recordings around my time. In that way, any DVR (myth for ex.), is
more preferrable to watching live TV (unless you are really really
bored and nothing else to do ...).

I think I'm very close to getting a real live TV on the LP2. I've
managed to write an application (using the mediamvp's libcmyth
library) which can control the backend, change it to live TV mode, and
change channels.

I'm in process of hacking the wizd server so that when it opens a
special directory "LiveTV" (which is symlink to my /cache/cache), it
opens the directory, check for ringbuf.nuv filename. If it finds the
file, it serves the file to the LP2 :-) If the file is not present, it
calls libcmyth functions to connect to the backend, open the recorder
etc etc. This will create ringbuf.nuv file in my live TV directory
(/cache/cache) if a recorder is available. Then I can serve the file
to the LP2.

There is an *exploit* in LP2 right now, that if you press the left
arrow key (goto-0%), it does send something like "Range=0-" to the
server. I can use that as in indication to change channel UP when I'm
in LiveTV mode.

To get the same functionality, low profile, quietness, user friendly,
HD readiness, etc, etc for LP2, you need to spend more than twice the
amount. Some have managed to get cromwell mobo PC for about $600+ as
HD frontend.

LP2 is 250+10(S&H)+20(tax if you are lucky enough to live in CA).

I wanted something now for my frontend HDTV, without going through
agony and pain. Price was also a factor. So I opted for LP2. Its
serving my purpose (which may not be same as yours :-). I want myth as
my backend but I dont want it to dictate the way I view my media.

Thanks
Mudit