[mythtv-users] Myth TV on server

[Gavin Hurlbut]

On Fri, Nov 5, 2010 at 5:24 PM, Robert Johnston <anaerin at gmail.com> wrote:
>> Additional computer specs:
>> MOBO: Tyan Thunder K8SR
>> CPUS: 2 AMD Opteron 270 Dual core 2.0Ghz.
>> memory: 4 gig
>> Hard Drive: 1TB drive, 3 empty SATA ports.
>
> Okay, first of all, that is MASSIVE overkill for a backend server! It
> doesn't need anywhere near that amount of processing power.

I totally disagree with that evaluation.  If you end up doing HD
captures, especially with HD-PVR (over USB), you will want a nice
powerful server as the commercial detection will require plenty.
Other than being PCI-X instead of PCI-E, this server is fairly
comparable-ish to the i7-860 (quad core) box I built for my backend
recently.  And you will almost assuredly run out of disk space :)

> IIRC, PCI-X is backwards-compatible with PCI, so you could use a PVR
> 150/250/500 to capture from your cable box just fine.

PCI-X is 66MHz 64bit PCI, IIRC.  So yes, you should be able to use
PVR-x50.  However if you intend to do HD captures, you are down to
using either the HD Homerun (connects via ethernet) or the HD-PVR
(USB).  Almost all current capture cards are PCI-E.

> This will give you Standard Definition recording. If you want High-Def (And
> if your cable box supports it) you could get a PCI Firewire card and hook it
> up to the cable box. Then, in thoery, you would get a HD capable feed, and
> the channel change commands could (if it's a supported unit) be sent over
> firewire as well, making it a self-contained solution.

There are a *lot* of "ifs" in that scenario.