[mythtv-users] Hardware advice for new combined frontend/backend

[Josh White]

On Sun, Dec 21, 2008 at 10:00 PM, Richard Shaw <hobbes1069 at gmail.com> wrote:

> On Sun, Dec 21, 2008 at 1:06 AM, Josh White <jaw1959 at gmail.com> wrote:
> > First, a little background information:
> >
> > I'm building a new media room in my basement, and I'll be adding my first
> > HDTV to my setup which means I'll need another frontend.  My current
> setup
> > consists of an old P4 Dell that hosts my 3 tuner cards (Hauppauge PVR-250
> > and 2x PVR-500)  and recordings drive, and I have an 2 500gb drives in an
> > LVM arrangement on my desktop machine that host my video collection
> (mainly
> > ripped DVDs) which I share via NFS with my various frontends.  My video
> > storage is filling up fast, and I'd like to remove it from my main
> desktop
> > machine (since I'm prone to tinkering on that machine, and that leads to
> > reboots...which is a pain with all my frontends and NFS).  Since my video
> > collection is growing larger, and I since I see little chance of the
> growth
> > rate slowing) I'm starting to become concerned with the risk of a drive
> > failure wiping out my entire collection (the time I've spent ripping my
> dvds
> > is extensive, and something I'd rather not repeat).
> >
> > Since I need a new frontend, and since I can't currently do all I want my
> > current backend to do with a single machine, my proposal is to build a
> new
> > combined frontend/backend for my new HDTV, and to retire my old Dell
> > backend.  For the time being, I intend to move my 3 tuners to the new
> > backend/frontend machine (which are analog, but I have no intention of
> > stepping into the HD tuning world yet, at least not HD cable, I may
> tinker
> > with OTA...), add two more 500gb drives for my video collection, that I
> will
> > work into a raid 5 array.  I'll also be adding a 500gb drive just for
> > recordings.  I'll install the OS, database, etc., on an 80gb drive.  The
> > network will be hard-wired via gigibit ethernet.  I'll be using a Phenom
> 4X
> > cpu, 4gb of 1066mhz ram, and the motherboard has onboard nvidia 8-series
> > graphics.
> >
> > It seems like a 4 core cpu with 4gb of ram should be able to handle the
> > various tasks involved; displaying HD video content (on occasion),
> > commercial flagging, occasional DVD rips, and the overhead involved with
> the
> > RAID array.  I run .21, and tend to stick with the major releases, so I
> > won't have VDPAU support until it .22, so displaying HD content will
> likely
> > work the machine a bit in the near future.  My main goal is that it
> perform
> > any/all of these tasks at any given time.  I'd like to be able to set it
> up
> > so that video playback has high enough priority that anything less
> noticable
> > to a human will be done when it gets done (if the CPU is maxed, then a
> DVD
> > rip may take longer, or commercial flagging would have to go a bit
> slower,
> > etc.).
> >
> > I will be wiring the room for 5.1 surround-sound speakers through the
> walls,
> > and I will be using the on-board sound, assuming it will be powerful
> > enough.  If need be, I will add some kind of amplifier (this will be
> quite
> > configurable for me, as I will be integrating a network and sound/video
> > patch panel).
> >
> >
> > So what does the myth community think?  Can this work as I've eluded I'd
> > like it to work?  Are there any bone-headed hardware choices I've made?
>  Do
> > I need more? Can I do it with less?
> >
> > If anyone's interested, here's what I'm looking to buy from newegg:
> >
> > Case:
> > http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811160008
> >
> > DVD burners (2x):
> > http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151176
> >
> > OS Drive:
> > http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148231
> >
> > Raid aray drives (4x)
> > http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148288
> >
> > Recording drive:
> > http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148288
> >
> > Motherboard:
> > http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157141
> >
> > Network Switch:
> > http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833122139
> >
> > Power Supply:
> > http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817153052
> >
> > Memory:
> > http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820104038
> >
> > CPU:
> > http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103244
> >
> > Case Fan (2x)
> > http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835132010
> >
> > Case Fan (3x)
> > http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835705038
> >
> > Of the items in the list, I'm the least sure about the power supply, and
> the
> > fans.  I've never had a bad power supply, ever, and I've had one bad fan
> (in
> > my current dell backend that I replaced 5 years ago...no problems since).
> >
> > Thanks for reading, and thanks for any assistance.
>
>
> Are you sure you want to go with onboard ATI video? Also, it looks
> like your MB is has 2 PCI-E slots which you'll never need. I would
> knock the MB down a bit and spend the money on a processor or storage.
>
> Also, from browsing the list most people indicate that for now you'd
> probably be better with a faster dual-core CPU than a slower
> Quad-core. So again, I would spend a little less on the MB and more on
> the CPU. I have the following in my desktop system and really like it
> for the price. It's well rated, has a dual BIOS in case a flash goes
> wrong and has all solid capacitors. In addition it has optical and
> coax digital audio out, MB headers for audio out over HDMI while the
> board you chose does not have digital audio out as far as I can tell.
>
> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128081
>
> Get a nvidia 9000 series fanless for VDPAU support later.
>
> Just my $0.02
>
> Richard
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>


Um, thanks...Richard.

Sorry, I couldn't resist.  See my previous post concerning the video card
and the PCI-E slots.  I will consider a faster, dual core CPU, but honestly,
the motherboard and CPU are two of the lower-priced parts on the list, I'm
not sure what dual core CPU I could buy that would be faster; I was under
the impression that the Phenom CPUs are faster per clock-tick than an
Athlon64x2.  I suppose for the same money I could get a low-end Core2Duo,
but that would be running about the same clock speed, and I have to think
that four 2.3ghz CPUs would be better than two 2.4ghz CPUs.  I suppose I
could buy a $55 Athlon and add another hard drive to my raid array.
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