[mythtv-users] Barebone myth tv nodes?

Donavan Stanley geckofiend at gmail.com
Sat Aug 20 12:01:01 UTC 2005


On 8/20/05, Robert Denier <denier at umr.edu> wrote:
> I'm familiar with the EPIA motherboards, well the MII one anyway.  It
> runs around $167, yet one obviously doesn't really need a pc card slot.
> Personally if I'm going to get to those expenses one almost might as
> well go Pundit or Shuttle cube variation I guess.  Actually I should
> look at the variations on the shuttle cubes that are out now...

Sure, except the pundit and shuttles are bigger and louder than a
mini-itx based system would be.


 
> Basically I was looking for a solution in a microATX motherboard that
> had everything quite cheap.  I just bought a refurbished microATX with
> sempron 2200 and heat sink for $68.80 from newegg.  It hasn't arrive
> yet, but if it's integrated video had s-video it would be perfect.

That's the key.  Having video capabable of playing back media to a TV
under Linux.  Lots of cards (drivers) don't manage that simple task.

 
> If anyone does't know about them, they might take a look at
> logicsupply.com .  They have ide flash memory modules that plug directly
> into an IDE connector starting at $51 dollars for a 256MB version.  Of
> course if you don't know how to build a Linux system so it never mounts
> a partition rw, other than during development, then I can't really
> recommend it.  (Flash memory devices have a finite number of read write
> cycles.)

There's also the microdrive line of CF cards that don't have that limitation.


> I'm trying to think of the advantage of such a system over nfs and the
> only obvious reason would be for portable devices that use wireless or
> in cases where NFS booting is impossible.  Hard drives are far easier
> and can be very quiet...  (I'm assuming the original reason for avoiding
> a hard drive was for reasons of noise.)

NFS and compact flash also offer savings in size and heat as well as noise.


More information about the mythtv-users mailing list