[mythtv-users] Need suggestion for Frontend only fanless solution

[Todd Houle]

The Mac Mini is a low cost Macintosh ($500).  It is just a small  
computer (2inches x 6.5 in x 6.5 in.).  It does not come with a  
keyboard, mouse, monitor or enough RAM.  It is designed to be fully  
functional, but inexpensive- and it's quiet.  I think it comes with a  
bit small of a hard drive and not enough RAM.  The system bus may be  
a little slower than other computers as well, but I'm sure it works  
for MythFrontEnd just fine.  If you're serious, I'll pick one up to  
test on (I'm an Apple guy).  Mac is a unix machine so it's not too  
different from other unixes out there (which is why Myth could be  
ported to it).

The mini has DVI out and an included DVI to VGA adapter.  An S video  
out adapter is $19.  There's a nice port of MythFrontEnd out there so  
I can just run it on my Mac laptop and point it to my Linux backend.

And I do run MythOnMac on my laptop - over wireless even.  I have an  
old 802.11b router so I get a 1/2 second pause every 3 seconds of  
show.  Kinda annoying, but to watch the game and keep up on the score  
while i wash dishes, it works just fine.  Someday I'll get an 802.11g  
router and I hope that'll fix it.

http://www.apple.com/macmini/
http://www.mythtv.info/moin.cgi/MythOnMacOsx

Todd

On Oct 6, 2005, at 6:09 PM, Ricardo Kleemann wrote:

> Thanks Todd,
>
> Which version of the mac is the "mini"? I'm sorry I'm not too  
> familiar with Macs, I'm just interested in finding out more about  
> different alternatives for frontends. Is this an older mac? Does it  
> already come with an appropriate video card?
>
> It's awesome to think mythtv can run on a laptop...!
>
> Ricardo
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Todd Houle
> To: Discussion about mythtv
> Sent: Thursday, October 06, 2005 3:04 PM
> Subject: Re: [mythtv-users] Need suggestion for Frontend only  
> fanless solution
>
> I'm running a front end (not to TV) on my Mac G4 laptop (1.6Ghz)-  
> which has a hair more power than the mini.  Here, I'm using 33% of  
> my CPU when watching a show.  The show is recorded with a PVR350 at  
> high quality (720x480?).  Seeing as the mini is only a little less  
> brainy than this machine, I think it would work just fine as a  
> front end.  I don't know anything about HDTV though.  The S-video  
> output adapter is an optional purchase for $19; it comes with DVI  
> and VGA output.
>
> btw- on a remote front end, when I pause live tv, that's still  
> using the buffer defined on the back end, right?  Starting a show,  
> I hear the hard drive buzzing away in my laptop...
>
>    Todd
>
> On Oct 6, 2005, at 12:42 PM, Ricardo Kleemann wrote:
>
>> Does this mini-mac solution work well for a frontend?
>>
>> What model / version of the mac is this?
>>
>> Ricardo
>>
>>
>
>
>
> __________________________________
> Todd Houle
> Apple Certified System Administrator
>
>
>
>
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