[mythtv-users] help needed speccing out small silent frontend.

[Tyler T]

All my comments assume a standalone FE with a BE somewhere else on the network.

> My worry here is that on-board graphics would probably only come from using the right sort of Intel CPU, and I think I've read that they're not
> good enough for hardware accelerated video. Is this true?

As long as the CPU supports SSE (AFAIK all modern ones do) you can use
VDPAU with an appropriate VDPAU-capable video card or chipset, and at
that point the CPU hardly matters. Anything from a Via C7 or
Coppermine/P3 or Morgan-core Duron on up should work. If you can find
a HTPC case that accepts a micro-ATX board, you could even recycle an
old desktop PC mobo (which would be a stellar win in the cost
department). A small caveat, though, is using a VDPAU card will draw
more power and produce more heat than an ION or other new board with
integrated video.

If you will NOT be using VDPAU, and wish to view HD content, then cram
the fastest dual- or quad-core machine you can into your case. Won't
be silent though.

> What about silent and efficient PSUs?

I like using a solid-state laptop-style external 12V brick with a
12V->ATX DC-DC converter inside the case. The brick keeps some heat
out of the case and eliminates a fan (also, a couple years from now
you may find it impossible to find a replacement for a proprietary
internal mini-ITX PS). Some mini-ITX boards even have a 12V port on
the back so you don't need the extra converter.

> Budget not really a consideration, but I'd like it to be cheap but fast enough. As I'd only use it for tv, plus a bit of web browsing I guess an SSD
> might be unnecessary.

I use PXE+NFSroot to avoid having any storage on the FE box at all.
However this is a tad more difficult to set up; using an SSD will save
many hours of frustrating setup time unless you are a Linux+NFS
expert. Using an actual SSD can be a little expensive though; instead,
a large USB flash drive or SDHC card will likely be cheaper (if you
can squeeze your install into 8GB [which you should]). Going diskless
also cuts on noise and heat (and cost!) so I would consider it a high
priority.

> I'd need a case too. For silent operation, I suppose the case might be important so that the PC is well cooled.

Going truly fanless is really tough unless you get a system pre-built
that way. I got one of those "fanless" Via Epia motherboards but the
thing got really hot inside my Mini-ITX case which was not designed
for fanless operation, so I ended up putting a fan on it anyway.
Fortunately, I was able to under-volt the fan to be silent more than a
couple feet away. IMHO case design is absolutely critical for going
totally fanless (as in, it needs to be almost entirely covered in vent
holes), and underclocking/undervolting your CPU and GPU may be
required too. You may have to settle for using resistors and other
tricks for slowing down fans to the point they still cool adequately
but are almost silent.