[mythtv-users] AppleTV as mythfrontend?

Peter Loron peterl at standingwave.org
Thu Apr 5 18:42:59 UTC 2007


It's absolutely true that what is fine for one person may not be for 
another. I've got an XBOX I have used for a while as a frontend and I 
was unsatisfied with it. Way too slow due to lack of RAM. Even in our tv 
cabinet with the glass door shut, you can hear it running. Not when 
you're watching anything, but when the TV is off. I want to have 
something that is on (or at least comes up very quickly)...so being 
silent and using very little power are big advantages.

In my case the output of the XBOX is fine, I just have a normal SD tube 
I feed with S-Video. Some folks want HDMI, though.

The lack of RAM cripples the XBOX when trying to run a full OS+GUI, at 
least for me. XBMC runs ok. Also, the CPU/GPU is insufficient for HD 
content, AFAIK. More speed and RAM are generally regarded as good.

Yeah, the expense is definitely a consideration. It's probably going to 
wait until I either get a HD tube or ATVs become available refurb.

-Pete

Earl Shannon wrote:
> Negatives are in the eye of the beholder,
> 
> Yes, its bigger.  So?  The ATV is white and the Xbox is Black. 
> 
> Noisier? Might be. But is an Xbox too noisy? If you can hear an Xbox
> over the people talking in your movie you've got some ears.
> 
> More power.  I Don't know. It probably does. After all it does
> have that pesky optical disk in it.  May cost me a
> few extra cents a month to use an Xbox instead of the ATV.
> 
> Output options? How many do you need? I get Component video
> and Toslink on my Xbox with the right adapter.
> 
> Slower Cpu and Less memory. Who cares? It's doing its job isn't it?
> Do I need a V8 with 400HP to drive to work in the morning? No.
> 
> What it boils down to is what do you need, want, and can afford?
> Right now the ATV is too expensive an option to use as a
> Mythfrontend for me. If it will work for you great!
> 
> Peter Loron wrote:
> 
>> Yes, except that the XBOX has a number of negatives compared to ATV:
>>
>> -much bigger
>> -much noisier
>> -uses more power
>> -worse output options
>> -significantly slower CPU
>> -only 64MB vs 256MB
>>
>> ...about the only advantages I can see of an XBOX frontend are that you 
>> have a DVD drive (although I think you can probably hook one up to the 
>> ATV via USB now), and you can play XBOX games on it.
>>
>> -Pete
>>
>> Earl Shannon wrote:
>>  
>>
>>> I'm all for choice. However, it would be a little cheaper to buy a used 
>>> Xbox and mod chip, run linux and
>>> mythfrontend on it than on the AppleTV.  The disadvantages are the 
>>> hacking part ( well actually, I suppose
>>> one must hack both, but it may be a little easier with the AppleTV )  
>>> and the difference in size.
>>>
>>> Regards,
>>> Earl Shannon
>>>
>>> Peter A. Daly wrote:
>>>
>>>    
>>>
>>>> I know there's been a bunch of hacking on the AppleTV to allow 
>>>> different apps to run and to get USB working.
>>>>
>>>> Has anyone gotten mythfrontend (for OSX) running yet?
>>>>
>>>> -Pete
>>>> http://www.mythpvr.com
>>>>
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