[mythtv-users] Cheap and quiet hardware for SD MythTV - possible?

[Andrew Herron]

Any of the current ATOM/Ion boards paired with a USB Tuner (Kworld KW-399U
dual tuner is a good choice) will work fine as a combined frontend/backend.
We have tested this type of config with the current Zotac Ion boards and the
Revo. Any of these gave a very usable hybrid Myth capability for under £200
(UKP)

Andrew

On Fri, Jul 31, 2009 at 9:39 PM, Stroller <stroller at stellar.eclipse.co.uk>wrote:

>
> On 31 Jul 2009, at 20:23, Eric Sharkey wrote:
>
>> ...
>> If you just want a simple-to-use no-maintenance appliance for a
>> non-technical user, I really couldn't recommend  MythTV at this time
>> on any hardware.
>>
>
>
> I had already asked this question on IRC when I posted yesterday, but I
> must have done so when no-one was reading as I got no responses. Later,
> after I posted here the channel came alive with cries of "that idiot wanting
> to build a Mythbox so cheap!".
>
> For the benefit of others in a similar position to me, the consensus was
> that £200 is probably still a *minimum* cost for a Mythbox. This
> approximately fits with Gordon's suggestion of the Revo (now £160 when I
> search for it) plus a tuner (cheapest USB DVB-T stick at my local computer
> warehouse is £28.50, and I haven't even checked Linux compatibility of that,
> yet).
>
> I had been of the impression that - since 400mhz Pentium IIs played DVDs
> just fine back in the day - that a 1ghz Pentium III or so would be fine for
> MythTV. Such an old desktop would obviously be too loud, but surely an Atom
> would do just fine? Not at all!
>
> The IRC channel informed me that the playback requirements of DVB-T signals
> may be higher than that of ye olde MPEG-2 and pointed out that one has no
> control over this factor because one can only accept the video stream that's
> being broadcast. Tough luck if it's too demanding for your CPU to decode in
> real time! STBs may have dedicated decoding chips. Not only that, but there
> are concerns with the demands of the MySQL backend running on a measly Atom.
>
> The big concern appears to be that, sure, low-end machines may be "capable"
> of running MythTV, but the issues described may result in sluggishness, an
> unresponsive UI and generally dissatisfactory performance. Examples were
> cited.
>
> I'm sorry that I can't remember any of the names of the folks who advised
> me of this, and apologies if I've got any details wrong - my IRC client
> isn't configured to log in-channel conversations.
>
> I get the impression that this is a slightly contentious issue and that for
> every person who says "can't be done", someone else will say "works for me".
> However this should be particularly taken in the context that the PVR is to
> be located at my ma's. The only reasons I considered Myth for her is that I
> fancy using Myth here at my place just as soon as I can be bothered to bolt
> a dish to the wall, and because of the appealing notion to be able to
> remotely schedule recordings to take place on her box in the meantime.
> However £160 for an Atom base unit is twice the price of an off-the-shelf
> PVR and - especially considering maintenance, tinkering and WAF (or MAF, as
> the case may be) - there's no way that can be justified.
>
> Many thanks to all who commented, both here & on IRC.
>
> Stroller.
>
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