[mythtv-users] Myth w/Directv

[Chris Thompson]

Boyd II, Willy (wboyd at fulbright.com) wrote:
> The only long 50ft. connection is going to the cat-5
> networking cable from the frontend to the backend.

Exactly. This is something I think people miss when they insist on putting
capture cards in the front end. We just remodeled my family room and I now
have an ethernet port in a nice wall plate right behind the entertainment
center.

Not having capture local lets you go incredibly small, low power and QUIET
up front. The only reason I can think of to have capture cards AT the TV
location when you have your backend somewhere else is if you want to watch
live TV and don't want the three second lag induced by the ring buffer.

I'm about to add two more frontends, probably diskless pundits or EPIA
systems. I haven't decided which yet, as prices look about the same. One of
these two is in my bedroom, which has NO cables run. So if I wanted capture
up there, I'd have to run Ethernet AND coax, and get a place to put the TV,
Computer, and a DirecTV box. Now I'll just run Ethernet, get an ultra tiny
computer which, being diskless and maybe fanless, should be nearly silent.

_______________
Chris Thompson