[mythtv-users] Hello after long absence - looking to build very small Myth setup.

jedi jedi at mishnet.org
Mon Jun 17 19:01:18 UTC 2013


On Sun, Jun 16, 2013 at 09:08:08AM +1200, HP-mini wrote:
> On Sat, 2013-06-15 at 14:55 -0400, Bert Haskins wrote:
> > On 06/15/2013 01:19 PM, Rob Davis wrote:
> > > On 6/7/2013 3:26 PM, Mark Knecht wrote:
> > >> Hi all,
> > >>     I've resubscribed to mythtv-users after a long (3 year?) absence. I
> > >> ran MythTV for years, then ended up on DirecTV with no real interest
> > >> in trying to make Myth do what their $5/month DVR did. However we sold
> > >> the house and I'm currently using a Mohu Leaf for OTA HDTV so I
> > >> thought I might check out what my options are for a low cost modest
> > >> front-end/back-end combo machine.
> > >>
> > >>     Please note at the outset: We're living in an apartment for the
> > >> next 6-8 months while we look for a house to buy in a more southern
> > >> portion of California. Space is at a premium here so I'm curious about
> > >> building a _very_ small machine that can record no more than 2
> > >> programs at a time and doesn't need to play back more than 1 at a
> > >> time. I'd like to find something _very_ small, like Roku sized if
> > >> possible, but reading through the MythTV site I seem to see a lot fo
> > >> recommendations there for using x86 & NVidia graphics which isn't what
> > >> I'm finding in this sized machine at Newegg or Amazon.
> > >>
> > >
> > > I used an old HP laptop as a frontend with a busted screen.  It had an 
> > > NVidia 8400 onboard which is good enough for VDPAU.  The form factor 
> > > is quiet and flat.  It's not too hard to remove a laptop screen and 
> > > bracket, but the wifi antenna and possibly webcam is also wired into 
> > > the screen back.  They can normally be disconnected from the main part 
> > > of the PC fairly easily.
> > >
> > > Finding a used/broken laptop on eBay is not easy as people who use 
> > > eBay tend to know they can fix it for about $50.
> > Another thing that should be mentioned:
> > Much of the power consumed  by a laptop is for the backlight so when 
> > this is disconnected,
> > the power, heat, and fan noise will all be less.
> > I have used Thinkpads for both backends and frontends with very good 
> > results.
> > 
> > Your biggest problem might be just getting around the overly paranoid 
> > protection schemes that
> > try to keep you from accessing your own network.
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
> The laptop combination of mobile chipsets & compact construction is
> almost unbeatable when bearing in mind that with computers, small &
> quiet are normally followed by expensive..

   ION1 desktops are dirt cheap. ION2+ desktops are also pretty cheap.
Even smaller i3 systems with ample CPU and a GPU which may or may not 
excite you are still likely to be less than a laptop.

   My i3 + fan posessing nv630 is quieter than my other AV components.

   


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