[mythtv-users] Initial experience with an ION backend

Jim Stichnoth stichnot at gmail.com
Thu Jul 9 23:55:40 UTC 2009


On Thu, Jul 9, 2009 at 1:26 PM, Paul<pturpin+mythtv at gmail.com> wrote:
> On Thu, Jul 9, 2009 at 12:20 PM, Jim Stichnoth <stichnot at gmail.com> wrote:
> <snip>
>>
>> My conclusion is that if your recording/commflagging requirements are
>> modest, an ION system could make a perfectly suitable combined BE/FE
>> myth system.  It should easily commflag standard definition programs
>> in real-time, and almost keep up with real-time for high definition
>> programs.  (I am very pleasantly surprised by this, as I expected
>> commflagging performance to be much worse.)  If you tend to have
>> bursts of simultaneous recordings, like when the networks compete in
>> lucrative timeslots, and you care about near real-time commflagging,
>> you might want to consider a dual-core Atom board and hope the cooling
>> fan is unnecessary (though if you already have a spinning disk for the
>> recordings, maybe the fan isn't so bad, as far as noise is concerned).
>>
>> Jim
>
> A somewhat related scenario i had considered was to use  an atom based
> system for the backend and then a more powerful Intel or AMD dual core
> system for the frontend (Non-myth requirements made it so an ion based
> system wouldn't work). Commflagging could then be run on the frontend,
> and it could be shutdown and started up as needed. Also since the
> backend would be low power it wouldn't hurt to leave in on most the
> time.

This sounds like a low-power version of the common scenario of using
old underpowered hardware as a dedicated backend.  What surprised me
is that an Atom is not at all bad at commflagging.  BTW, my diskless
ION system idles at 20W, whereas an equivalent diskless E5200 system
idles at 35W, so the 15W difference isn't such a big thing, though
it's apparently enough to go small and silent.  The whole backend
apparatus, including computer + 2 hard drives + 2 HDHRs + HD-PVR +
STB, draws about 175W.

In trying this out, I was basically following up on a June 21-23
thread started by Allen Edwards, where he was wondering if an ION
could serve as the basis for a small, silent, not too expensive BE/FE
for his daughter.  I think in this case the answer is yes.  (Total
cost is about $500, which includes ION + RAM + case + IR receiver +
2.5" hard drive + HDHR + network switch.)

Jim


More information about the mythtv-users mailing list