[mythtv-users] Special needs dad with MythTV hardware questions

[Jerry]

On Sat, Nov 23, 2013 at 3:47 PM, <mythtv-users.jim-j at mamber.net> wrote:

> [Which tuner(s) to buy]
> My only source of TV is an antenna in my attic for receiving digital
> OTA TV.  We receive about a dozen channels.  Are any tuners known to
> perform better at OTA reception?
>
> I only need two tuners, but would consider more if there’s no
> technical downside (splitting my coax connection is a big downside)
>
> Can you get a dual (or multi) tuner that only uses one coax input
> connection?  Every time I split my coax connection it degrades my
> signal.  I can probably afford to split my antenna to give my DVR box
> two coax connections, but a single coax connection to my DVR would be
> preferred.
>
>
I have a HDHR Prime with 3 tuners and it only has one cable connection.  I
think you'll be fine with a HDHR (non-prime).  I am fairly certain that the
two connections shown on the Hauppage card are for 1) cable connection and
2) antenna connection, so you'd be fine there as well without a splitter.


> Can any of the tuner cards do a pass through of the coax to my TV?
> That would save me from having to split my antenna to give my TV its
> own direct coax connection.
>

I don't think either of these options has a pass-through to the television.


> The last time I tried to research this (a year or more ago) these two
> tuners seemed popular:
> 1) SiliconDust HDHomeRun DUAL High Definition Digital TV Tuner HDHR3-US
> Since it’s network connected that could be a plus for me, being able
> to stream the stations directly to other devices.  I’ve got ethernet
> wired throughout my house, so bandwidth shouldn’t be a concern.
> It looks like this is a dual tuner solution (does it need two coax
> connections?)
>
> 2) Hauppauge WinTV-HVR-2250 (dual tuner, does this need two coax
> connections?)
>

I'd probably go with the HDHR if you can snake an ethernet connection to
your attic.  You could leave it up there, headless, connected to your
antenna.  The mythtv backend accesses the video stream over the network, so
you could put your machine downstairs.

NOTE:  I've never left a HDHR in the attic.  That may not be good advice
due to heat.  Others will have to clarify about that.  It seems like a
great solution to me but it might not be practical.  In any case, you could
put the HDHR anywhere you can connect to both your network and your antenna.


>
> [Which video card to buy?]
> -I have a (cheap) 720P TV that I would like to connect to via a HDMI
> connection.
> -It sounds like I want a VDPAU card?
> -I really don’t need a lot of graphics power for any non-myth things.
> For example any retro gaming I’d do with this PC would be basic 2d
> graphics
>

I'd recommend an nVidia (VDPAU) card.  You can get one that will perform
well for not a whole lot of money.  I have a GTX 260 that serves me pretty
well.  I'd recommend getting a more recent one than that and you should be
set as far as watching television goes.

HDTV does require a bit of horsepower.  Don't skimp too much on your video
card.  nVidia's number scheme goes xY0, where x is the generation and Y
tells you a little more about what horsepower it has.  I like the 60's but
YMMV.  Some say that's overkill.  You can probably get one for well less
than $100, which might be all you need to spend. But, like I say, I'm
running 720p on my 260 and I don't have any complaints.  Others might not
like it as much.  It depends on how particular you are about your picture
and how many filters you need to run.  And your budget, of course.


> [Which remote to buy?]
> I’d prefer an infrared one so I could program a universal remote to
> control it
> Some sort of wireless keyboard mouse recommendation would also be nice
>

I've had relatively painless results with a USB Windows Media Center
generic remote.  You can get one for probably $20 or so.  This is one that
someone posted just a few days ago that has a nice layout.

http://www.amazon.com/Edition-Infrared-Receiver-Windows7-Ultimate/dp/B008EQ6QI2/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1383108278&sr=8-4&keywords=media+center+remote


> [Which case to buy?]
> -I’m 99.9999% sure I’ll just go with a single computer install for
> simplicity’s sake.
> -I already have a “AMD Phenom II X4 905e Deneb 2.5GHz 4 x 512KB L2
> Cache 6MB L3 Cache Socket AM3 65W Quad-Core Processor” and a “GIGABYTE
> GA-790FXTA-UD5” motherboard laying around that I could use.  To use
> these I’d like a home theater type of case that can accept a normal
> sized motherboard.  I already have a quiet power supply as well, but
> if a good case required a special power supply type I’d be open to
> buying a new power supply.
>

I used an old case for mine and it's huge.  Can't recommend it for looks
and noise but it's great to work on. :)

Silverstone makes decent HTPC cases.  Lian Li?, I think, is another one.  I
don't know any models offhand, sorry about that.  I'm sure someone else
will chime in. :)

I'm running Fedora 19 right now and my only complaint is the fact that I'll
be forced to upgrade soon.  It's a pain but I've written myself a good
checklist/script to follow.  I start from scratch each time, not trusting
the automatic upgrade process, but that process seems to work for other
Fedora users just fine.  Of course,  I only have one combined FE/BE system,
so it's not as big an undertaking for me to upgrade as it is for others
with more complicated setups.  Regular backups are also key.  I use the
RPMFusion repo for MythTV and the nVidia drivers and my system runs very
smoothly.

Hope that helps,
Jerry
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