[mythtv-users] Special needs dad with MythTV hardware questions

[R. G. Newbury]

On 11/23/2013 04:43 PM, Jerry wrote:
> On Sat, Nov 23, 2013 at 3:47 PM, <mythtv-users.jim-j at mamber.net
> <mailto:mythtv-users.jim-j at mamber.net>> wrote:
>
>     [Which tuner(s) to buy]
>     My only source of TV is an antenna in my attic for receiving digital
>     OTA TV.
>
> I have a HDHR Prime with 3 tuners and it only has one cable connection.
> I think you'll be fine with a HDHR (non-prime).

The early HDHR's are alleged to have less sensitive tuners than, for 
example some tvs. IIRC the HDHR Prime is for CABLE ONLY. I have 2 HDHR's 
with one being fed from a pre-amp and they give me no problems.

I have a 2250 and usually it is being fed analog cable. (No unencrypted 
QAM available). Testing shows that it is quite good for ATSC. I have 
found that it needs to have the modules loaded in a particular order.

Both the HDHR and 2250 have only one coax input.

      [Which video card to buy?]
For this you may want to do some research. The marketing mode is to sell 
video cards for the gamer market and those cards can be power hogs and 
serious overkill for what is needed for tv. I'm doing fine with an 
on-board GT9300 video chip and a 9600 card in the desktop at work*.

* for *testing* purposes only, I swear.


>     [Which case to buy?]
> Silverstone makes decent HTPC cases.  Lian Li?, I think, is another
> one.  I don't know any models offhand, sorry about that.  I'm sure
> someone else will chime in. :)

Silverstone makes some nice 'audio-style/home theatre' cases. Some have 
builtin Soundgraph iMon IR remote hardware and come with a remote. (and 
the kernel directly supports that hardware with the imon module and 
devinput.
Thermaltake Bach and Mozart series cases are really nice 'home theatre 
style' cases. Some come with IR remote hardware as above.
Antec make some great *quiet* cases. If you are using an external IR 
transceiver then the case does not matter as much.
For quiet, I would recommend an Antec Kuhler or Corsair CPU water cooler 
unit. I have a Kuhler 920 on the desktop box (Antec P183) at work and it 
is basically silent even under max load.

HTH


              R. Geoffrey Newbury			
            Mandamus Publishing Inc.
       Suite 106, 150 Lakeshore Road West
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               www.mandamus.ca

         t416-479-0930 f905-271-1638
               rgn at mandamus.ca