[mythtv-users] Minimum hardware recomendation

[Jim Stichnoth]

On Mon, Jun 22, 2009 at 10:12 AM, Allen
Edwards<allen.p.edwards at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> Here is one potential starting point.  It's probably possible to do
>> better.
>>
>> $160 Zotac IONITX "C" version from Amazon (includes power brick)
>> $30 2GB DRAM
>> $30 Streamzap IR receiver + remote
>> $90 500GB laptop hard drive
>> $145 HDHR
>> $30 network switch
>> $5 decorative 7"x7" cardboard box from Michael's for a case
>> $10 power button, power LED, HDD LED, jumper wires from Fry's
>
> This is a v
> It looks to me that you can get the Zotac boards either with or without the
> power module with a difference of about $20.  Add to that the $5 for the
> cardboard and the $10 for the buttons and you are at $35.  It also looks
> like you can get a real case for about $40 with a 200 watt power supply.
>  However, buying a low end power supply and having more capacity than needed
> is not always a good idea.  Having a place to securely mount the HD and the
> BM does seem like a good idea.  Being able to add a DVD drive so she can
> watch movies also seems like a good thing.
> Where do people come down on the power brick vs a case with power supply?
>  If the case, which one?

An internal power supply will have a fan.  A cheap power supply will
have a cheap (likely noisy) fan.  So I greatly prefer the brick.  BTW,
my system draws 19-20 watts at idle, according to the Kill-A-Watt, and
the highest I was able to drive it was 26 watts.  The Zotac power
brick is 90 watts so there's plenty of reserve.

As for securely mounting the HD and MB.  Once you start getting
creative with a cardboard box and a sharp utility knife, securing the
HD will probably come naturally (on the side? under the lid?).  I
didn't even bother to secure the MB -- the I/O shield and the various
connectors do an OK job.

As for the DVD drive.  At least in 0.21, I find the Internal player
spotty at best with playing DVDs.  Xine works, but then you lose the
consistent Myth interface.  So I just leave out the DVD drive
altogether.  Your customer probably already has a comfortable way of
viewing DVDs.

You may consider asking your customer whether she prefers an
8"x8"x2.5" aluminum techno-case (like the M350, which is about the
smallest I've seen), or a 7"x7"x2" labor of love that doesn't look
computery at all.  This is something my wife was actually willing to
weigh in on, and you can guess which way she leaned.

Jim