[mythtv-users] HTPC network for my home

[PAUL WILLIAMSON]

>>> "Dave McPherson" <davemcphe at gmail.com> 03/25/05 11:38 AM >>>
> A few weeks ago a saw a blog from someone who had setup a 
> home Multimedia Network using Mythtv and Haugpage MediaMVP 
> units to record and distribute media throughout his house.  
> Unfortunatly I can't find that site again.
>
> Anyone have any idea where the blog is?
> 
> Also I am wondering what I need as far as video cards for my 
> server?
> 
> Please give any suggestions you have.
> 
> Thanks 
> 
> Davemcp

Dave,

I have a combination of which you speak.  The mvp's are great 
for playing recorded material or other mpeg2s.  You can also 
listen to music (rudimentary support) and view pictures (no 
slideshow support yet).  You can view what is scheduled to 
be recorded.  That's about all.  I'm sure once the protocol 
shuffling slows down, there will be some way to access the 
commercial cutlists, but for now the mvp has no way of telling 
when to skip commercials.  You can easily skip through them, 
but that is not nearly as nice as just having a regular frontend 
skip over them.

If given a location where all I wanted to do was play content 
recorded by myth (not even transcoded to mpeg4) or the 
other stuff I mentioned, this is a great option.  Once you get 
into wanting playlists, slideshows, avi/vob playback (with ac3 audio),

you're out of luck.  Might as well get a mini-itx or something.

Other than that, you'll need the usual suspects for recording - 
the Hauppauge line of cards or the other encoding or frame 
grapping hardware in the backend.  Think of the mvp as 
a totally quiet frontend that plays back and can nfsmount 
nfs shares.

Paul