[mythtv-users] Cost of MythTV Machines

[Mark Hetherington]

On Mon, 23 Jan 2006 03:26 pm, Brian Wood wrote:
> With some recent discussion here about CPUs and costs I wonder what
> the "average" cost of a MythTV machine might be.
> I think if one was constructing a computer specifically for MythTV a
> minimal F/B configuration might cost $600, using refurbed components
> perhaps, and with 1 MPEG-encoding capture card. $1500 would buy a
> very nice machine with maybe 1TB of storage and 3 capture cards.
> These guesses include a "computer" monitor but not an entertainment-
> quality display.
>

US$600? I guess it depends on what you want from your mythbox, but I think you 
could get it done for less than $AUD500 (Maybe $US400 with the exchange rate 
now). Then again, maybe I'm just thinking that way because my mythbox is part 
time, I run it on a machine I already had. But I can run standard definition 
digital on my celeron 1.7 no problems. HD is a bit jerky of course. But if 
you only wanted either analogue or standard def, I reckon you could head over 
to www.cheapestpc.com.au and get a machine for about $380, and whack in a 
tuner for about $110. That machine would be a lot faster than the one I'm 
using, and so would probably do a magnificent job. I imagine if you were 
given $US600 to spend on a box, you'd probably get HDTV in there. 
In any case, it's one of those things where you can probably spend as much or 
as little as you want (depending on how many spare parts or PCs you have).

I think anyone who isn't trying it out due to cost should get their existing 
PC, perhaps put a tuner in it and try one of the live CD distros that 
includes myth, thats a pretty good way to try before you buy.