[mythtv-users] what is the cat's ass of integrated "set top box" like hardware now?

[Paul Wootton]

On 20 Jul 2011, at 19:43, Brian J. Murrell wrote:

> On 11-07-20 02:17 PM, Raymond Wagner wrote:
>> 
>> The same can be said with a CPU with a big slow fan.
> 
> Sure.  But I never even mentioned fan noise in my original posting so
> all of this is quite moot with the exception that a big slow fan would
> however defeat my requirement of being able to tuck a small
> Revo-like-form-factor machine behind a TV hanging on a wall.
> 
>> A MiniITX board is no larger than a Revo, but the problem is the IO panel
>> and heatsink thickness.  Unless you're intending to mount the TV directly
>> to the wall,
> 
> Yup.
> 
>> As far as decoding, yes.  It should be able to handle broadcast MPEG2 and
>> H264, as well as any content you get off of Bluray.  As mentioned though,
>> it lacks some of post processing capabilities. 
> 
> And relative maturity.  :-)
> 
> b.
> 
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I'm running 2 of the Acer Aspire Revos R3700's as  hi-def FE's (1080i, not Blu-ray though), and one as a std-def FE/BE (present for a friend), and I'm happy with them.   They seem pretty quiet, the one in my bedroom seems to exhibit a bit more fan noise than my main one; but that could be because it's stood on a hollow box.   In  the UK they're an 'exclusive' from ebuyer (http://www.ebuyer.com/revo?gclid=CJvGgr_NkKoCFRRc4QodUH64xw) at £200.00

Observations so far...
1.  No IR, so needs an external IR receiver and remote.  I'm using £20 mceusb ones from maplin;
2. Can't  turn on with  IR signal, so power button needs to be accessible - though my main one is turned on via wake-on-lan, triggered from a DHCP request from the TV when it is turned on)
3. Of the 3 systems I use, none of the TV's have the right VESA mounting for the Revo bracket.  However as the Revo doesn't seem to clip firmly into the bracket, not a loss
4. With mythbuntu 0.24/1 fixes; the PIP is performing badly - lots of 'break-up' in the PIP image.  I suspect this is because the Revo's come with 1x2Gb ram, rather than 2x1Gb.  Doesn't worry me since I don't use PIP.  I might swap the ram in one of the systems for 2x1Gb to see if that sorts it, but probably not any time soon.
5. No dvd drive; I used an external usb dvd to install mythtv.

I regard the above as very minor things; and I'm happy with them overall