[mythtv-users] Best front-end machine?

[Michael T. Dean]

On 09/04/2011 01:25 AM, Brendan Pike wrote:
> On 04/09/11 02:41, Michael T. Dean wrote:
>> Losing flexibility in adding more hardware is a trade off of choosing a
>> small case.  Using a processor that can't process the data it's given in
>> any case--large or small--is just choosing to limit yourself for no good
>> reason, IMHO.
>>
>> You can get a good processor in a low-profile machine.  The old Apple
>> Mac Mini machines with nvidia GPUs were a good example (using a Core 2
>> Duo)--though current Mac Minis use Intel or AMD GPUs, so aren't really
>> appropriate, anymore.  And, now, the ASRock Vision 3D seems to be a
>> modern example (allowing your choice of Core i3/i5/i7 mobile processors).
> The ASRock Vision 3D is quite expensive compared to the Giaga
> alternative though if its 'only' been used as a myth-frontend.  I'm
> tempted to build my own since I want to make also use it as a audiophile
> level system but buy a Giaga also for other places around my home.

Yeah, I'm not saying you should buy the ASRock Vision 3D.  I'm just 
mentioning it as an example of an off-the-shelf small-form-factor 
machine that has a real processor that can handle whatever you throw at it.

I would build my own system, too--and you can do that for quite a lot 
less than the Vision 3D.

Mike