[mythtv-users] Looking for a Mini Mac/AOpen mini PC replacement

[Todd Ignasiak]

On 10/19/07, Mark Knecht <markknecht at gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi Craig,
>    I've got one of the original PPC-based Minis here. No one seems to
> want to use it so I was wondering about using it as a front-end. Do
> you think it will work for regular cable TV recordings?

Yes, it works fine for SD programs (My G4 Mini is the 1.42GHz version,
but I would guess that even the 1.25GHz unit would work).   It also
works fine for DVD playback, making it a decent HTPC for many uses.

The new version of Mac OS X, Leopard, includes their "Front Row"
software.   Front Row + MythFrontend is quite nice if you have iTunes
and iPhoto content.

But, the G4 cannot handle HD content.  It would need MPEG2
acceleration to do that.  If the Mac OS DVDV code ever reaches
maturity, or the Linux Radeon drivers support XvMC, the G4 Minis could
even be a good HD MythFrontend.


>    I think I'd prefer to put some sort of Linux on if you have a
> recommendation. I run Gentoo but don't know anything about Gentoo on a
> Mac so I'm open to anything easy if you have a recommendation. I
> understand you are x86 but I'm thinking maybe you ran across some
> ideas as you went down that road.

As others mentioned,  I would suggest first trying the Mac frontend as
a proof of concept.
It's simple to install.. the only problem is the download of the large
binary.. ~100MB.

> On 10/19/07, Craig Treleaven <ctreleaven at cogeco.ca> wrote:
> > At 4:15 PM -0400 10/19/07, Chris Ribe wrote:
> > >Just a nit to pick here, but I see this myth floated out there a lot.  A mac mini is not silent.  It is extremely quiet under light load, but it sounds like a jet aircraft when its fan starts going.
> >
> > I have two Intel Minis and they most definitely do not make any jet aircraft sounds.  Even while transcoding and playing back HD material simultaneously.  Maybe the old G4's did.  The optical drive does make some sound...but I don't find it distracting during normal use.
> >
> > Craig
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