[mythtv-users] need help with decision: replace bad parts or buy appleTV

[Josh White]

Hello all,

One of my frontends is no longer working as I wish, and I've decided to
repair/replace it.  My current setup is all SD, analog Cable based, but I
plan to upgrade to HD soon (I was planning to upgrade my frontend at that
time, but my hardware didn't last as long as I wanted it to).

Right now, I've narrowed my choices either to replace the parts I need to
replace in my current frontend to make it work (new motherboard, hard drive,
cpu...I have memory, case, powersupply, etc) or buy an apple TV, which will
cost me about $20 more.

If I build a new frontend the old fashioned way, I will buy the following:

CPU (Dual Core Celeron E1200; 1.6ghz) - I plan to use this as long as I can,
and if I need to, I can always upgrade later to a Core 2 Duo

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16819116064

Hard drive (80gb Segate Baracuda) - it's the smallest/cheapest decent SATA
hard drive I could find on Newegg

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16822148231

Motherboard (micro ATX from EVGA) - has Nvidia 7050 onboard video that I'd
like to use, not sure if the RCA jack on the back can be used for video out,
or if it's only for digital audio...anyone know something about this?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813188023

The motherboard has a combo deal with a remote (which is something I
currently don't have) which also claims to come with an IR blaster and
control to handle up to two.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16880125001

So anyway, it's either buy all that, for about $196.00 (w/shipping & tax
from Newegg) or buy a refurbished Apple TV for $199, and deal with the
hassle of hacking it.  I know the parts I listed above will do the job, and
be much more expandable/upgradable, but the Apple TV seems to be all I need
(except for the lack of a DVD player...not that I ever use the one I have)
and comes in a much smaller package.  I know the Apple TV will have much
better resale value should I decide I don't like it.

I plan to run Mythbuntu on the home built machine, and if I go with the
Apple TV, I'd like to set it up such that I can use it along with the apple
tv features as seemlessly as possible (I seem to recall seeing that someone
had Mythtv show up as a menu item on an older version of the ATV, I'm not
sure if that's still possible).  If not, I'd like to dual boot the ATV to
run mythbuntu if possible, or debian.

Please, I'd just like to get another set of eyes to look at the options I've
put fourth, and I'd like to hear if anyone has been happy/unhappy with any
similar parts, etc.

Thanks,

 Josh
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