[mythtv-users] Build for dual HD recordings - also is PSU enough/too much

[Neil Cooper]

> > Looking to build a MythTV combined frontend/backend to
> ditch the cable and go with OTA HDTV. Want to be able to
> duplicate our current cable PVR which enables recording two
> HD programs while watching another recorded one.
> >
> > How's this line up? Realize it's not an HTPC case, but
> it's a small tower and a good price.
> > Still need to find a good IR remote that works well
> with MythTV. Looking
> >  to buy in the next week or so.
> >
> >
> > I'm not 100% sure about whether the PSU is strong
> enough (or too much) so really need
> > input there. (one day it'd be great if sales sites had
> enough info
> > about components in their database to make PSU
> suggestions. :) )
> >
> >
> > Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-M68M-S2P mATX AM2+
> >
> > CPU: AMD Athlon II X2 250 Dual Core Processor Socket
> AM3 3.0GHZ 2MB L2 Cache 65W Retail Box
> >
> > Memory: G.SKILL F2-8500CL5D-4GBPK PC2-8500 4GB 2X2GB
> DDR2-1066 CL5-5-5-15 240PIN Dual Channel
> >
> > HD: Western Digital WD Caviar Blue 1TB SATA 6GB/S
> 7200RPM 32MB Cache 3.5IN Hard Drive OEM
> >
> > Case: Coolermaster Elite 342 Black M-ATX Mid Tower
> Case 2X5.25 5X3.5INT 1X3.5EXT No PSU
> >
> > PSU: Corsair Builder Series CMPSU-430CX 430W ATX Power
> Supply Active PFC 120MM Fan
> >
> > DVD: Liteon IHAS124 24X DVD Writer SATA Black OEM
> >
> > Video: ASUS GeForce GT 430 700MHZ 1GB 1.6GHZ GDDR3
> PCI-E DVI VGA HDMI Low Profile Video Card
> >
> > TV Tuner: HD HOMERUN Dual Tuner
> >
> >
> > Thanks and have a great weekend.
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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> > mythtv-users at mythtv.org
> > http://www.mythtv.org/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users
> >
> 
> That 430W will be plenty, a 300W would be enough even, but
> you can't
> really have too big of a PSU. The PSU will only use the
> wattage the
> motherboard/components are pulling. The only things I worry
> about with
> a PSU is the efficiency and noise. HDHR Dual is the way to
> go for OTA,
> my single tuner (just starting out with OTA myself) is in
> the mail.
> The Dual tuner was well over twice as much from Newegg
> Canada, so just
> to see what I can get a single is good enough for now.

You need to consider the worst case situation of recording 2 HD shows concurrently, during playback of another HD show while maybe also doing advert detection/transcoding in the background and remaining responsive to other activity such as input from a remote and/or slave frontends. 
One harddrive isn't going to cut it. It will definately be the bottleneck.

My Mythbox has 3 HDs (not raided):
The system and mythtv apps on an old/fairly slow 100GB HD. A fast 1TB HD for TV recordings only, and a 3TB v.large but slow (green) HD for static media like ripped DVDs/Blu-rays and music.

Several people have said here that you need a fast drive for your OS drive. I totally disagree as other than at bootup, its really not doing much if your recordings are going to another drive.

If you buy just one more drive, make sure its fast and use it for the TV recordings only. thats the drive that has to deal with high-bandwidth I/O over a long duration especially if you're recording multiple HD streams while potentially playing back another.