[mythtv-users] Hardware Suggestion for under $1,000

[jedi]

On Wed, Dec 15, 2010 at 05:23:25PM -0500, Blake Perdue wrote:
> I am new to MythTV. I've been doing research to put together a hardware list. I have budgeted $1,000 for this project.
> 
> While I'm new to MythTV, I've built other systems before, most recently a hackintosh machine.
> 
> I am having trouble figuring out a good hardware setup for my needs. Details below. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
> 
> Thanks!
> -Blake
> 
> 
> I live in New York City. I am a Time Warner Cable subscriber. I have a Scientific Atlanta cable box that outputs HD and SD channels to our HDTV. 
> What I need is a frontend and backend in one system that can:
> 
> - record a minimum of 2 HD or SD channels at one time; I would prefer to record 3 or 4 (2 HD plus 1-2 SD) channels at the same time
> - do commercial flagging
> - have lots of storage to build up a media library (I'm thinking a RAID array of two 2TB drives)
> - room to expand the RAID array (so I need a case and motherboard that can handle a RAID array of at least 4 to 8 disks)
> - a good CPU to also do DVD ripping and other media operations
> - a bluray drive to play bluray discs
> - decent video card for HDMI output to an HDTV
> - have enough RAM and CPU power to last a few years and eventually be the backend for 2-3 front-end systems
> 
> Thoughts? Do I even need a cable box for this? What CPU/Motherboard and capture card/video card combos do you recommend? Thanks so much!

    Your single biggest expense is likely to be tuners. For HD cable, you
will probably need to use the HD-PVR. These go for about $200 a pop, can
only record one show at a time, and need to be each paired with their own
cable set-top-box.

   There are other video capture possibilities like Firewire and CableCard
but the HD-PVR is the one that will work regardless of how cooperative your
local cable company is.

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