[mythtv-users] Generic newbie questions

[Asciimonster]

Gary MacKay wrote:

> Questions:
> 1. Does the MythTV box need a monitor?
>   a. If yes, does the monitor have to sit next to the TV?
>   b. What is on the monitor, the menus?

Erm. The answer to Q1 is YES and NO, but mostly yes.
You can route the menus and myth playback to your TV (So Q1b is No, not 
necessarily) . You will need a monitor when you install (and sometimes 
when you upgrade&repair). In the other cases you could do without a 
monitor (so Q1a is a no, BUT...), but only when you are confident your 
system works flawlessly.

There are three ways to connect your PC to the TV.
- Use the TV-Out of your graphics card
- Use the TV-Out of your TV-card (usually the Hauppauge PVR 350 series)
- Buy a monitor-to-TV converter
All options have their own difficulties and drawbacks, the latter being 
the easiest to install.