[mythtv-users] Potential system

[Glenn Harris]

On 2/27/07, Matthew Asplund <mattasplund at gmail.com> wrote:
> I originally build a little SD mythtv/amarok/Firefox box for my kitchen, and
> the WAF is so high that I am pondering expansion, especially as it  is
> related to HD.  My current system is a 1 GHz P3 with 512 MB and a full
> height PVR-150 card, hooked up to a wall mounted 19" LCD monitor.
>
>  I am looking at an AMD Brisbane (65 nm) X2 processor (1.9 GHz, dual core,
> $95 at newegg), an ECS GeForce6100 base microATX motherboard with 2 GB of
> memory, and a low -profile desktop case (like the Antec Minuet 300) so that
> it fits in the space that I built in my kitchen for it.
>
> 0. How is the onboard 6100 graphics for doing HD?  I know that I will get
> better performance from a discreet board, but it is more money, and more
> heat, and I won't ever be playing 3D games on it.
>
> 1. My current PVR-150 card is a full height.  The Antec, and other cards
> like it, only accept low-profile cards.  My card currently plugs into a rise
> card in my P3 that turns the card 90 degrees so that it fits, and the case
> it designed to have horizontal cards.  I don't think that I can use the old
> case because it is an older ATX power supply, and doesn't have the extra
> motherboard power connector.  Is there a way to re-use the riser card and
> save myself $60 to buy a newer SD card?
>
> 2. I am also thinking about getting a HDHomeRun for HD reception.  As I
> understand it, they don't do NTSC, only ATSC, so I still need my PVR-150 for
> SD.   How hard are they to set up?  In the near future I am thinking about
> getting at 42" LCD for the family room, and I can save $200 (the cost of the
> HDHomeRun) if I don't get an internal tuner, but I need to have it work
> immediately to have the WAF necessary for the purchase.
>
> 3. How much more storage space do I need for HD.  The PVR MPEG2 output is
> about 2GB/Hour.  I currently have a 250 GB which works just fine, bu I am
> assuming that I will need more.
>
>
> I  have been amazed at how quickly my family has taken to my myth system.
> Our WindowsXP box downstairs almost never gets used because the myth box is
> always on, and always stable.  My wife initially scoffed about using Linux,
> but she is pretty convinced now that she is used to it.  I am figuring a
> medium-term budget of $2000 ($800 for the 42" Olevia 342, $160 for the
> HDHomeRun, and $450 each for two AMD X2/ECS GeForce6100 boxes) and I'll be
> in the modern age.
>
> Matthew Asplund

0. The 6100 will be fine for hd content, especially with that processor.

1. No idea :-)

2. Very simple to set up.  Plug it into the network, tell myth about
it.  Myth 0.20 supports the hdhr out of the box.  I only use it with
ATSC, but I have seen reports of some problems with QAM and 0.20,
which has been fixed in SVN.  So if you need QAM, the setup might be a
little more involved.

3. FOX and ABC are usually around 6gb/hr, and CBS, NBC, and PBS are
usually around 8gb/hr.
I have a 250gb drive and I have been fine with it.  Can't do much
archiving, but it does a fine job of queuing up content that I want to
watch then delete.
I also have most of my semi-interest recordings auto-transcoded down
to mpeg4 at 540p (examples:
http://www.myhdbox.com/mythtips/2006/05/tip-4-transcode-profiles-for-hdtv.php),
which drops the storage to about 2gb/hr.  Not quite as pretty to watch
but the space saving is pretty significant.

Good luck!

--Glenn