[mythtv-users] Whatever happened to HTPC mobos with tv-out?!

glen martin lists at locutory.org
Sun Jan 21 18:40:19 UTC 2007


I'm getting the sense the TV world has passed me by ...

I built a HD-capable frontend a while back on a Asus mobo with a TV-out
connector on the board. Sweet little box, no cards so lots of airflow
with little fan.

Lately however that packed it in so I get looking at replacements and
there isn't much out there. Lots of boards with DVI connectors, but not
much with an s-video either on the back or even as a header.

The replacement board from Asus A8N-VM CSM/NBP is an update of the board
I was using before - and update, that is, that removed the TV-out
header.   I thought newegg used to have a "TV-out" selector in its power
search. It certainly doesn't now. Going through all the boards there has
been tedious in the extreme. I also went to most of the major
manufacturer's sites and went through all their boards, in case there
was one Newegg doesn't carry.

I only found a couple, each with some glaring fault for me. For example,
only one PATA connector. My HTPC case mounts my drives in different
places so I need to use 2 cables. One claimed to be mATX but wasn't - it
was 9.6" by 10.6". Asus actually builds another board that has a TV-out
header, N2NPV-VM, but they made a very strange decision to mount the
second IDE header sideways, requiring the plug to come in through the
wall of my case. they must figure folks install mATX HTPC boards in
cases with lots of extra room.

So I'm puzzled.  Anyone have a suggestion for a modern (that is,
available in retail) mobo with:
 - *real* mATX (no sideways connectors, or 9.6x10.6")
 - 2 PATA connectos
 - onboard nvidia graphics
 - TV-out header or backpanel
 - sound
 - network
 - that works :)

Sure, I could buy an add-on video card, if I wanted to reduce airflow
and spend as much or more for video as for the whole mobo.  And sure I
could use an external VGA-svideo converter, same comment about expense. 
I might even go the external route if that will produce a much better
quality picture, but I haven't read much comment on that here.




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