[mythtv-users] Secrets for low powered front ends ?

Raymond Wagner raymond at wagnerrp.com
Wed Oct 12 17:53:10 UTC 2011


On 10/12/2011 13:02, Patrick Ouellette wrote:
> HDMI cable

Are you actually bickering over something you can pick up for $2?

> VDPAU (cheapest Nvidia card is GeForce8400GS 512MB $29.99)
> If you add the video card, you need a different case

VDPAU is nice, but not necessary, especially when you provide enough CPU 
power to do without it.  The more pressing reason to use nVidia is for 
reliable OpenGL support, and other driver configuration options to aide 
with TVs.

> VESA mountability

So get a mini-itx 1155 board, and a case that allows VESA mounting.

> SD/Media card reader

You're stuffing it behind your TV, in a place anything but conducive to 
easy access for a card reader, and then complaining that you have to buy 
a separate card reader?

> In other words, it will be difficult to beat the total cost
> for purchasing an integrated Atom/ION2 box with equivalent
> functionality and form factor using i3/i5/i7 processor compatible
> components from a single vendor.

You are absolutely correct.  You are not going to be able to build a 
"real computer" for the price you can build an ION based system.  Once 
you start talking about ION barebone systems, the tables turn.  The 
cheapest you're going to find one is around $200, on top of which you 
have to add a receiver, memory, and optionally a hard drive.  You're 
right up with that Celeron system in cost.

Don't make the mistake that it is an "equivalent" system though.  A 
single 2.4GHz SandyBridge core is going to be considerably more powerful 
than the fastest Atom chip on the market.  The point were trying to make 
is that should hardware decoding fail for whatever reason, you have 
nothing to fall back on.



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