[mythtv-users] Zotac Zbox frontend

Kawayanan kawayanan at gmail.com
Sun Oct 3 14:58:23 UTC 2010


A while ago, my Asus Pundit based frontend/backend died.  I'm now getting
around to replacing it, and a few things have changed.  I have another TV
that I am thinking about connecting, and have now pulled ethernet wires
through my house.  I have also decided that I don't want as big and noisy of
a box by my tv (the pundit wasn't bad, but the hd was the loudest, hottest
part).  I've decided to set up a separate backend to be placed in a closet
and have a smaller and hopefully quieter/cooler frontend.  Right now, I have
a PVR-500, so all my recording would be SD, but I would like the ability to
move to HD later.

For the frontend, I was thinking of using a Zontac Zbox.  I was planning on
running it diskless, with a flash card for mythbuntu.  I was looking at two
models, but can't decide between them.  The ZBOX HD-ID11-U (
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16856173005) and
the ZBOX HD-ND02-U (
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16856173004).  The
HD-ID11-U looks like it has a newer ION GPU, and dedicated video RAM, along
with a slightly faster processor.  Is it enough to actually make a
difference as a frontend though?  Looking through the archives, people seem
to be happy with the Zbox and it seems that they can handle HD, but I'd be
interested in any specific thoughts or suggestions.  If I decided to in the
future, would it have enough power to run MythGame and emulators?

For the backend, I am not yet sure what I want.  I have a couple cases
around that I could use since looks don't matter in a closet, but I would
like something that is efficient and doesn't waste power.  Any suggestions
for a good, cheap, energy efficient CPU choice that would be sufficient for
a backend?

Sean
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