[mythtv-users] Opinion on plan for expanding system

[Robert Denier]

I've got one generic bt878 video card that works right now for mythtv.

What I'm tentatively planning is to is...

1) Wait a bit till the hauppage pvr 150 gets supported well and get that 
for the main tuner.  I think this will make the system run smoother than 
using mpeg4 compression on the cpu. 

2) I don't see a long term need for a 350 series since it seems to be a 
poor idea to keep investing money in things to display to regular tv's. 
(I have tv out cards.)  I'm hoping a better investment will be a hdtv 
later with a dvi port.  I just noticed that rear projection tv's have 
them now, so hopefully in six months or so, those will be more 
widespread and allow me to get a true hdtv (preferably not a rear 
projection) rather than just the JVC that does 480i component video I 
have now.

3) Use the old card in a machine as a backup capture source and to have 
something to run my ps2 through.  By using tvtime I should be able to 
see it on any of the 3 monitors connected to the one entertainment pc I 
have.  (Ok I'll need a long controller cable, but seeing the ps2 on the 
others isn't too important.)  (Myth can't be used with games because of 
the delays.)  Furthermore that machine can be controlled from any of the 
three rooms by having a separate keyboard and mouse in each room.  One 
set will run through the following while another set runs through a 
similar setup.

lite - on multimedia keyboard with mouse ps2 connections (17.25)
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=23-107-114&depa=0

usb -> ps2 adapter (7.49)
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=12-149-113&depa=0

I haven't tried adding a third keyboard and mouse to a system yet, as I 
don't have another usb->ps2 adapter here right now.  It should work 
though (hopefully).  You need to set X to use /dev/input/mice for the 
pointer to get all the pointing devices working simultaneously.

I realise I could just use 3 pc's, but its easier and cheapter to 
maintain a single one, when its just a matter of what room I'm in right now.

4) Buy an additional pvr 150 to get an additional capture source later.  
This can go in the same machine.

5) Get the one hdtv tuner card before june or whenever the deadline is 
on that law which will make future cards inconvienient.  Does anyone 
know if I can realistically expect hdtv service if I'm about 30 miles 
from St. Louis missouri?  From what little I can tell I probably will, 
but it doesn't seem a certain thing.

At any rate these are my current ideas.  The next thing I'll probably 
get is a card that does mpeg2 encoding, and it can wait awhile.

Comments?


-Robert