[mythtv-users] Happauge PVR-500 Linux Support Feedback

[Zach.Burlingame]

   I am reading up on creating my own MythTV setup in our apartment and one
of the things I am currently debating is using 2 Hauppauge PVR-150s or 1
Hauppauge PVR-500 because of its dual tuners/encoders. I noticed that in the
case of the PVR-150 there is both a "vanilla" version and an "MCE" (for
Windows XP Media Center Edition). However, I can only find the PVR-500 in
the MCE flavor. I will be receiving one signal from digital cable using an
IR blaster to control the cable box and the other signal from the basic
cable. I do PLAN on moving both to digital cable, so if the PVR-500 does not
support dual IR blasters, that would break its contention in my decision. My
questions are as follows:

 

Is the Hauppauge PVR-500 only offered as the "PVR-500MCE"?

 

How is the support in Linux for the PVR-500 (e.g. is it any more difficult
running two tuners/encoders on the PVR-500 versus 2 separate PVR-150s)?

 

What is your general experience / recommendation on the single PVR-500
versus dual PVR-150 decision?

 

Thanks for any and all help/feedback.

 

- Zach

 

Here is some background on what type of hardware/software environment I am
currently looking at:

-------------------------------------

Backend:

-------------------------------------

Linux Distro:     Gentoo Linux

Processor:        AMD Athlon64 3000+ (Winchester Core)

Mobo:              Asus A8N-E (w/ Nforce4 Ultra chipset, PCI-E, and SATAII)

RAM:                2x 512MB DDR 400 PC-3200 CAS 2.5

Storage:           2x 40GB 7200 RPM 2MB cache ATA133 in RAID 1 (system)

                        3x 250GB 7200 RPM 16MB cache SATA in software RAID 5
(data, video)

Network:           100Mbit switched LAN

Tuners:             2 x Hauppauge PVR-150 or 1 x Hauppauge PVR-500

Signal:              For starters, 1 digital cable + 1 basic cable signal.
Moving to dual digital cable signal.

 

-------------------------------------

Frontend(s):

-------------------------------------

TBD      

 

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