[mythtvnz] Mythtv on Server hardware

[Duncan Kennington]

On 1 July 2010 15:29, toby at np.co.nz <toby at np.co.nz> wrote:

> I'm due for a backend upgrade and thinking of picking up a Dell 2650 or
> 2850.
> These have PCIx slots.
>
> Does anyone have any experience running a Skystar2 and or PVR150 card in
> these slots.
>
> I understand the PVR150 needs  modification, but am not sure what it is.
>
> Any suggestions would be useful.
>

I thought I'd give this a go myself, and I have not had a great deal of
success unfortunately.

PVR-150s are notched as universal (3.3 and 5v) cards[1] so they physically
fit, however they will not work in a PCI-X slot without having a couple of
surface mount capacitors or something replaced.  I have two PVR-150MCEs and
inquired with Hauppauge about what modifications were required.  After being
bounced around the world I got put in touch with a chap in Singapore who
said that they could modify the cards to work in PCI-X slots, and it would
cost USD$50 per card, plus shipping and handling.  I elected that that was
too much to spend so didn't get it done (a big factor was the 6 weeks or
whatever it would have taken which is a long time to have no Sky feed into
Myth = WAF--).

The Skystar2 I have is notched for 5v only[2] so it doesn't even go into the
PCI-X slots in my server (which are notched for 3.3v only)[3].

On the upside, the Nova-TD500 works perfectly, and even comes with a low
profile bracket, allowing me to use one of the three free low profile PCI-X
slots in my server, theoritically leaving the free full height ones for the
PVR150s or Skystar.  Hrm.

As a result my plan to do what you are planning resulted in the database,
master backend and Nova-TD500 being in the server and the Skystar2 and one
of the PVR150s being in a slave backend on an old P4 2.4 I had lying
around.  It's not terribly clean but it's working for now.

Sounds like a good idea, and probably would be pretty good with USB tuners,
but PCI-X slots are more trouble than they're worth for this sort of
application unfortunately.

My 2c anyway. :)

[1] http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51PcZW7qTDL._SL500_AA300_.jpg
[2] http://img261.imageshack.us/i/skystar2bx4.jpg/
[3] http://linuxtidbits.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/pci-pcix.jpg
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