[mythtv-users] Hardware Specs

[Russell Brown]

> I'm definitely cool with going cheap. I just want to make sure I get what I
> need.
>
> The way I read it, I needed the dual tuner card (pvr-500) so I could record
> and playback at the same time, correct?

You need a dual tuner card in order to record two shows at once.

Within myth, tv watching is carried out by playing a recorded
file. Watching live tv is done by starting playback at the beginning
of a file while your card is appending to the end of the file.
If you are watching a previously recorded show, then the tuner
is idle.

Thus, you might need to record two shows at once, in order to
watch show 1 in live tv
on the frontend/backend while show 2 is being watched on the frontend
Or using picture in picture. Or the ordinary meaning of recording two shows
at the same time.

I do not think there is much reason to put a tuner in
the frontend until you have used up your pci slots
in the backend. (If someone disagrees, please let us know.)