[mythtv-users] MythTV w/Digital Cox Service ?

Richard Sears sr22flyboy at gmail.com
Mon Mar 28 20:54:17 UTC 2005


Brad,

Thanks for all the great advice. 

I talked to my next dorr neighbor who also has Cox digital service
with HD and they gave him a Scientific Atlanta 8300HD which includes
USB and two firewire ports.

Hopefully this will be the same unit I get and the firewire will work
for this. Then I can send the PVR-250 as well as the PCHDTC cards back
or sell them.

:-)


On Mon, 28 Mar 2005 01:04:29 -0800, Brad Templeton
<brad+myth at templetons.com> wrote:
> On Sun, Mar 27, 2005 at 11:59:23AM -0800, Richard Sears wrote:
> > Hi Brad,
> >
> > Actually the Dual MP system I had laying around doing nothing, so I am
> > building it to be a dedicated backend system. I have 4 300GB Raptor
> > drives on an LSI SATA RAID controller on the system, and the plan is
> > to have two or three front end systems all talking to the backend
> > system. So the Dual system will be up in my office, so noise is not a
> > factor.
> 
> Then it's double overkill, because if all you want is a backend, and
> in particular if you are going to use pchdtv and wintv-pvr cards, you
> could probably run your backend on a 600mhz celeron.    Maybe even
> a fair bit less than that, for just recording.  (Transcoding and
> commercial elmination would be anoother story.)
> 
> Recording from these cards takes effectively no CPU.  You will use
> some CPU running linux itself and a few other things, but that's about
> it.
> 
> For commercial skip/transcode, of course the more CPU the faster these
> take place.  But they are generally no rush unless you want to watch
> shows with commercial skip right after they air.
> 
> >
> > I got the pvr-350 and the PCHDTC thinking that I needed them, but it
> > sounds like I can use the firewire for everything that I need.
> 
> This also takes no CPU.  However, it's a brand new feature, and
> in theory could go away for HD in the future.
> >
> > When using the firewire, I am assuming that I would need a separate
> > 'digital' box and separate firewire input for each system that wanted
> > to watch 'live' tv. Is that correct..?
> 
> In theory you can put multiple items on the firewire bus, no?  Firewire
> runs 400 megabits.   Digital TV runs no more than about 18 megabits per
> HD channel.  You won't run out on a single firewire controller.
> 
> > On Friday I get the cable system installed. I already questioned them
> > about the digital box, and they would not give me much information on
> > it, who made it or anything. Do you think I should call and make sure
> > they are brining the right unit out..?
> 
> Check the many past threads on this mailing list about getting cable
> companies to give you a firewire box the way they are required to.
> >
> > When using firewire, does audio come over it as well or do I need a
> > separate card for audio.
> 
> It's digital tv, which is always audio and video together as far as I know.
> >
> > I have an Audigy 2 sound card in my system now and my Gentoo install
> > sees the card and the firewire port no problem, so I am very excited
> > to give this a try.
> 
> Your backend in theory doesn't need a sound card, or even a video card
> unless the bios demands it for booting.   Take your dual athlon out,
> it is probably just sucking electricity, and put in something like the
> cheapest Sempron or Celeron you can get, and you'll still be able to
> get decent commercial scan on that.
> 


-- 
******************************************
Richard J. Sears
Vice President         
American Internet Services                          
----------------------------------------------------
rsears at adnc.com
sr22flyboy at gmail.com
http://www.adnc.com
----------------------------------------------------
858.576.4272 - Phone
858.427.2401 - Fax
INOC-DBA - 6130
----------------------------------------------------

I fly because it releases my mind 
from the tyranny of petty things . . 


"Work like you don't need the money, love like you've
never been hurt and dance like you do when nobody's
watching."


More information about the mythtv-users mailing list