[mythtv-users] Mythtv on Rock Pi X

[Calvin Dodge]

Hi,

I've been looking around for suitable low power frontend systems which
can do HD video and involve minimal effort to setup (i.e., I can use
the distro I have been using).  I have some existing ECS Liva systems,
but they fail a bit at a time until they die, and 2G of RAM isn't
enough for sustained usage, especially when editing recordings to
ready them for clipping. Typically Mythfrontend grabs a little more
memory, then a little more, until kswapd goes to 100% CPU, and I have
to power-cycle the frontend.

I heard recently about the Rock Pi X, an X86 single board computer
with the same size and port locations as a Raspberry Pi, so I thought
I'd give it a try.

I opted for the 4G board with 32G of onboard MMC storage ($75).  Of
course, I had to add a case with heat sink and power supply, bringing
the total to around $132.  That doesn't include an RTC battery (on
order), which isn't necessary, but still handy to let the system
retain its CMOS settings and RTC time when no power is connected.

I installed Fedora 33 on it (using the LXDE spin), and the latest
version of MythTV from the rpmfusion site.

So far it's working great.  When I'm playing a 1080p MP4, CPU usage is
about 33%.  I even tested it on my 4K monitor with 1080p video, and it
ran without any noticeable hesitations (the controls were a little
sluggish, which is understandable).

The only caveat I have is that AFTER I had bought everything,
including a CanaKit 5V 3A power supply, I noticed the WIki site
(https://wiki.radxa.com/RockpiX) had a stern warning against running
the system with a 5v-only power supply, stating that it could cause
problems when the system is under load.  But so far it's working for
me.  I'll let you know if that continues to be the case.

Calvin Dodge