[mythtv-users] advice for frontend/backend

[Sean]

> On Thursday, Sep 18, 2003, at 14:07 US/Pacific, Neil Konouchi wrote:
> 
>> I know it's been asked a thousand times, but in searching the archives,
>> it's been hard to find a solid answer. i'm looking to build a
>> front/backend to sit in my entertainment console. the basic ideas i've
>> had are the Asus Pundit, a Shuttle XPC (not sure which model), or a
>> homebuilt using either the Leadtek K7NCR18GM
>> (http://www.leadtek.com.tw/motherboard/winfast_k7ncr18gm_1.shtml) or
>> MSI
>> K7N2GM
>> (http://www.msi.com.tw/program/products/mainboard/mbd/
>> pro_mbd_detail.php
>> ?UID=437&MODEL=MS-6777).

I have been weighing this question over the past few months and being a
complete nOOb in the ways of HTPCs, Linux, and the wonder that is MythTV, I
have been researching A LOT. Ironically, the part that I should have down
pat is where I keep stumbling - system buildout. Here is what my limited
knowledge has come up with:

The Pundit and Shuttle systems would look good and work well as a HTPC
front/back but only if you don't want to expand your system to say include a
2nd tuner or more storage. A Full-size ATX board in a tower gives TONS of
functionality, but aside from the Antec Overture (due late September) and
several varients of the Atech D.Vine series (which as $200+), there are
seemingly no good home theater sized, full-ATX capable desktop units (that
look like anything).

So I too have gone the microATX way of thinking. Chaintech makes a microATX
board that has the Geforce MX S-Video out onboard. ABIT has microATX boards
in Intel and AMB (VIA) flavors that offer optical and coaxial SPDIF out.
ASUS has their A7N8X-VM board which would be excellent if they included the
nearly impossible to find SPDIF and Svideo out brackets.

My choice will be (once they start distributing the damn things) the ABIT
VA-11. It is just the right blend of all-inclusive microATX boards for a
HTPC system. I should have 2 free PCI slots (once I tack on a GeforceMX AGP
card and the Hauppauge PVR-250). If I had to do it today, I would sacrifice
the onboard Firewire and go for the ABIT VA-10.

(I should note that the Chaintech is a tempting choice, but it doesn't
leverage the feature set well. True the onboard S-Video makes it appealing,
but the AGP slot will go unused and I would still have to add a separate
sound card like and Audigy 2 to supply the digital out.)

Hope this helps. There are other like us in the same position I am sure and
I for one would like to hear some other choices. Good luck and have a good
one all!

--Sean