[mythtv-users] Output to h.264

[mike at grounded.net]

> You can install a full Myth and only use the backend or the frontend
> portion of it. I seem to recall that Mythdora had a frontend option only, at least it used
> to.

I didn't see this as an option but will take a closer look.
 
> I'd find out why you can't install anything but Knoppmyth, whatever is
> causing that is bound to rear it's head sooner or
> later and bite you.

I'd rather spend the time finding hardware that just works because trying to find the hardware problem will lead me down a path that will take much longer. I try to work on these things as a sideline to keep my head from exploding on other matters :).

> Just about any Linux distribution *should* install on commonplace hardware,

I took a closer look and other than the 850Mhz/512MB blades, everything else which is powerful enough doesn't have more than one expansion slot. I do have an X3655 IBM multi-core system but it's way overkill. I also have many dual-CPU servers, but all with only one expansion slot.
Finally, I realized I also have some quad 2.4Ghz/8GB and 8-way 3Ghz/32GB servers which have a lot of expansion slots but no AGP slots to handle the front end. I suppose that since I won't be outputting video directly from the backend, that one of these servers could also do the job quite well as a back end. These are all XEON based machines. The rest of the multi-core hardware I have I could not justify building an HTPC out of at the moment. 

So the question is, would I be better off building one backend, which I can even add more cards to down the road or two low power backend servers which I won't be able to add anything into later. Power wise, the low power machines cost much less to run than even one of the IBM servers. But expandability wise, the IBM seems like a better idea and I would still be setting up the intended plan of having backend and front end.