[mythtv-users] Backend/Frontend hardware (new system)

[Michael Watson]

On 18/09/2012 10:58 AM, Nick Rout wrote:
> On Tue, Sep 18, 2012 at 12:45 PM, Michael Watson
> <michael at thewatsonfamily.id.au> wrote:
>> On 18/09/2012 9:39 AM, Nick Rout wrote:
>>> On Tue, Sep 18, 2012 at 9:36 AM, Michael Watson
>>> <michael at thewatsonfamily.id.au> wrote:
>>>> On 18/09/2012 7:27 AM, Tyler T wrote:
>>>>> Do you still intend to record TV for later viewing? I don't see a
>>>>> tuner in your hardware list.
>>>>>
>>>>> FYI a DVR doesn't require expensive hardware if you're willing to give
>>>>> up commflagging* and transcoding**. Pretty much any PC new enough to
>>>>> have SATA will work as a backend-only, so you could get some random
>>>>> used desktop PC for cheap off Craigslist and run it headless in a
>>>>> closet. Then you can use whatever you like for a separate frontend
>>>>> such as a WD Live or similar media player***.
>>>>>
>>>>> * I prefer manual 30-second skip anyway
>>>>> ** Just get a bigger hard drive, not worth the trouble IMHO
>>>>> *** Note that using something other than an actual Myth FE will
>>>>> require you to schedule recordings via MythWeb, but most probably
>>>>> won't find this a dealbreaker
>>>>>
>>>> Nor do you really need a big beefy machine for frontend work.
>>>> I have several P4 3.0 Ghz Machines with GeForce 8400GS Cards that work
>>>> excellent as frontends.  (There are plenty of SFF HP/Compaq/Dell machines
>>>> that will work perfectly as a frontend)
>>> And most of them power hogs! There is certainly a tradeoff between
>>> cost and power saving and speed and quietness.
>> I don't believe so.  Last time I did the figures, the TCO over expected life
>> span of each machines, it worked out roughly the same cost (new low power
>> machine vs low cost second hand equipment), if you then include cost to the
>> environment, then the s/hand equipment wins hands down.
>> (Recycle/Reuse/Reduce)
> Or are you better to go with the lower power machine if you want to
> look after the environment? We burn coal for electricity after all. I
> simply don't know the right answer here! I doubt that any one answer
> is "right".

Coal is not the only material used to generate power.  There are many 
others including Nuclear, Wind, Solar, and Water

But, back to the original statement.  You do not need a new high priced 
machine to run Myth Frontend or Backend seperate or combined.  You can 
do it quite happily on equipment that is 5+ Years old, for very little 
out lay.

>
> I used a compaq SFF machine as a frontend with an nvidia 8400 (blew
> up) and a GT220 fanless (and earlier as a combined BE/FE) and it was
> pretty quiet. However I love my revo machines, and given that I have
> bought all of them second hand, it is also a "recycle".
>
>
>
>> Given that the P4 3.0 HT (82W), with Ge Force 8400GS 512Mb runs at 10% CPU
>> Usage whilst playing HD content, its not hard to keep it quiet, if you are
>> only using it to play content.
>>
>>
>>>> You can still run commflagging on old machines.  All my frontends assist
>>>> in
>>>> commflagging jobs whilst powered on.
>>>>
>>>