[mythtv-users] Front end choice: Mac Mini versus VIA EPIA. Mac OS X remote control?

Andrew Morley Andrew at teabreak.fsnet.co.uk
Wed Aug 31 07:04:46 UTC 2005


I'm at an awkward stage with Myth.

My back end is pretty much complete and works a treat.  I bought the 
slowest second-hand P4 machine that the local second-hand computer 
shop (<http://www.computer-resale.co.uk/> - it's a great place) could 
sell me, installed Gentoo, two Hauppauge Nova-T cards and Myth and 
everything worked pretty easily.  Kudos to the developers, the Gentoo 
ebuild maintainers and the many HOWTO authors.  It records stuff 
reliably and dishes out the video to either a front end running on 
the same machine (in the study) or to my PowerBook plugged in via 
100-baseT.  It doesn't work too well wirelessly, but that's no 
surprise.

So, now the difficult bit.  The back end will be hidden away (in the 
attic, probably).  It is time to buy a front end system.  I want 
something quiet, above all, so was considering either a Mac mini or a 
VIA EPIA system.  It would be controlled only via a remote control - 
I've no plans to provide it with a pointing device or to use it for 
general computing.

While most people have the idea that Macs are expensive, it seems to 
me that a Mac mini actually costs less than an EPIA system with a 
comparably nice looking case.  However I'm not so confident that I 
can turn a Mac mini into a completely remote-controllable system. 
With no serial ports, I can't see how I can use it with LIRC.  There 
are USB-based remote control receivers for Mac use, but they come 
with remote controls with only very few buttons and I don't expect 
they can be used with any other remote.

So: Has anyone successfully built a complete Mac OS X front end 
system, playing Myth, DVDs, ripped CDs, ripping CDs and DVDs etc, all 
controlled from the remote.  Or.... should I go for the EPIA?  Or... 
have I overlooked any other machine?

Finally how quiet is the Mac Mini?  It has a fan, which I couldn't 
hear in the shop, but then shops are noisy.  EPIA 8000s are truly 
silent.

Andrew
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Andrew Morley   | Cambridge,     | Email: ABMorley
                 | England.       |        @iee.org
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