[mythtv-users] Hardware suggestions for a newcomer

[Mitko Haralanov]

Hi, My name is Mitko and I recently subscribed to the list. I am a
total newcomer to the idea and I would like to build myself a MythTV
box.

I have been reading the list for some time, as well as the list archive
and I have been concentrating on the hardware posts as I am trying to
decide what hardware to get so I build my machine. As there are hundreds
of choices, I am seeking some advice from people with some experience
with this.

I am going to be building a machine from scratch. I am not planning on
using any leftover hardware that I have since it is too old and most
likely won't work.

Here is what I would like to be able to do with my new box. I want to be
able to have a reliable machine that I will not have to reboot every
day. I want to be able to play back the recorded shows where the sound
is sent to a receiver and not to the tv. I want to be able to edit the
recorded shows and remove the commercials, then record them to DVD and
be to play them back at a later time.

To begin with I have a few questions which will get me in the right
direction. I would appreciate any answers, suggestions, and/or ideas as
anything that people have experience with MythTV is of value to me at
this stage...

1. What is better: using a video card for the TV out or using the TV out
of the WinTV PVR 350? I did read that there are some problems with the
PVR's TVout (in the ivtv module).

2. I read that if I use the PVR-350 to record my shows, then edit the
recording to remove the commercials, the end result will not be able to
be played back using the PVR-350 decoder. Is that correct?

3. If the above is correct, is it better to get the cheaper PVR-250 and
use the video card's hw decoder for playback? Will that work better with
edited streams?

4. According to one of the posters on the mailing list, there is a
specific version of the PVR-250 that is preferred (48432). What does
that mean? Are other version incompatible with MythTV?

5. I have a very old NVidia GeForce256 DDR that has TVout. Does that
card work with MythTV at all? If yes, does anyone know how well?

6. For people that are using the Chaintech 7NIF2 motherboard, is the
onboard audio and video powerful enough for good playback? I am going to
be hooking up the audio to a receiver and to the TV.

Thank you very much for answering my questions. I appreciate you time
and help!!

	Thanx

-- 
Mitko Haralanov
voidtrance at comcast dot net
http://voidtrance.home.comcast.net
==========================================
Martin was probably ripping them off.  That's some family, isn't it?
Incest, prostitution, fanaticism, software.
		-- Charles Willeford, "Miami Blues"
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