[mythtv-users] Output to h.264

[mike at grounded.net]

This isn't an argument, I think people are over analyzing this. I'm simply asking for input so that I can determine steps to take.

> This argument doesn't make sense at all -- you say you want to replace
> 'power hungry' modulators with Computer systems running MythTV???   So
> going from 10-20W per modulator to 200-400W per computer?

Yes, the modulators use about 10W each and I've got 15 or so sitting in a rack. I have camera's, various video players, DTV boxes and so on connected to these things. Each outputs it's own channel onto the coax and we simply tune into what ever channel we want to watch.

I have a lot of hardware running at any given time since my environment is a development one. Most of my computers are in fact blade chassis and I have older ones which could be used for this since they are sitting idle.

So yes, I would be using more power by about 150W per blade in fact. However, by doing this, I would also eliminate the modulators and have better use of the video if it were on the LAN. So it's not really a power savings need but it would allow me to get rid of these modulators which are mostly mono anyhow.

In the process, I would learn something new and interesting. 
 
> In order to use MythTV properly, you need one or more Backend servers, with
> one or more tuners (to capture the video content), and one or more frontend
> systems connected via ethernet (to play back the content).

As I understand at this time, a front end is any device which can talk to the backend. Meaning, it could be another myth box or it could be a set top box which talks with the backend. I would want a set top box which allows for IR signals so that when I am tuned to a certain backend, I could in turn control that device, such as pausing live TV, etc.
 
> You can also use the UPnP functionality in Myth to play it's recordings on -
> many- (but not all) upnp players, without the need to build a full
> frontend, but with much less functionality than a 'real' frontend system.  
> (IE: No scheduling recordings, searching, etc.)

For example, perhaps I would have a full front end (assuming you mean a full blown PC) for my home theater setup. But for any other TV or PC in the building, the above is what I am interested in.

I'm just trying to get a handle on all of the components that I need to do this. I have plenty of hardware to build as many backends as I need or I could stuff at least some of it into a PC like I have now for testing. In this case, I have the nvidia card, local TV card and satellite card.