[mythtv-users] recommendations?: energy efficient FE/BE system

[James Miller]

On Thu, 19 Feb 2015, Dave MythTV wrote:

> One thing I would suggest is don't be afraid to build something radically
> different from what you have now.   :-)
>
<snip>
>
> For example, I've been very happy with my HD FE/BE combo running on an ECS
> Liva.  It's about the size of a large bar of soap, and everything is built
> in including wifi, ethernet, sound, RAM, and SSD. The N2807 SoC has a TDP
> of just 4.3 watts, is completely fanless, and has no problem handling the
> broadcast ATSC content.  I bought mine when they were $109, have seen them
> as low as $99, and I believe they are at $118 right now.    With that kind
> of capability available, you might find that "building" OR buying a
> tradition computer with a modular motherboard, cpu, power supply, etc,...
> it just doesn't make sense anymore unless you want advanced deinterlacing
> or need your HTPC to do other functions beyond DVR duty.   Or if you want
> it all in the same case - not the external USB attachments I have for my
> hard drive, IR receiver, and tuners.
>
> You might consider switching your storage strategy as well.  With SoCs
> using so little power for the computing portion, your spinning hard drives
> will quickly become the most power-hungry part of the build.  I've been
> running the smaller 2.5" notebook hard drives for years...  and 2TB
> capacity notebook drives are less than $90 now.     For noise and power
> usage, a single 2.5" drive will be much better than an array of multiple
> 3.5" drives.
>
>
> These HTPCs are not one-size-fits-all, so you'll have to buy or build what
> makes sense for you and your needs.

Thanks for your input, Dave--this is an interesting option. I guess I'd 
wonder whether, for my scenario, such a system would suffice. My 
uncertainty arises from the fact that, although I'm indifferent to HD 
video, I do get some (OTA) programming in HD. That content has to be 
somehow downgraded (not sure what the technical term is here), as I 
understand it, so as to display properly on my 720p monitor. On a device 
like the ECS, it looks to me like that downgrading would have to be done 
by the CPU, which might get overwhelmed--especially so if another program 
needed to be recorded at the same time as an HD recording was being 
viewed. Your thoughts on that scenario and whether this hardware would be 
up to it?