[mythtvnz] Hardware Recommendations

[David Kirk]

On Tue, Mar 23, 2010 at 12:59 PM,  <criggie at criggie.dyndns.org> wrote:

> Consider a separate frontend / backend.  I've got a box running 24/7 out
> in the garage, with the tuner cards etc connected.
> The inside box is a little one that gets turned off, and the garage one
> is a dual core with 4 disks etc.
> Your combo machine has to be on all the time to do recordings, so noise
> might be a factor in your place.

If I put a separate backend in the garage, would 802.11g wireless to
the frontend be sufficient or will it require a wired network
connection?

> LiveTV is not as useful as it sounds.  I only use it for testing.
> LiveTV is just a stream off the current transponder, so if you had one
> tuner and its recording, you can only watch LiveTV off one of the
> channels on that transponder.
>
> Just get two tuners.

I'll go for 2 tuners.  I'm hoping to change the way we watch TV from
watching it when it is on to recording it and watching it when I want
to watch it.  I'd still like the option though.

>> I guess I'll need a video card that has component outputs to the TV.
> Another box of worms.... you currently have an analogue CRT TV which
> will probably have RF (old aerial) and composite (yellow) video in.  It
> might have any of component (3 rca connectors in red/green/blue) , scart
> (whacky oblong thing), etc etc.

The TV has SCART and component connectors.  It might even have
composite.  Are there any video cards with component outputs?  If not,
I guess I can go with composite.  You mentioned VDPAU.  What does that
give me, and is it really necessary for a system with SD content going
through composite or component video?

> How big is the current CRT?  You could use a VGA LCD short term.... a
> 22" is about $300 or a 32" LCD with HDMI doing 720p is about $700
> retail.   No point buying a 1080p capable screen if you're only using
> DVB-S (other than DVDs/blueray etc)

I may look to upgrade the TV later on, but right now I just need to
get some way of recording stuff.

> Speakers?  A stereo with line-in works well, or use the speakers in the TV.

The TV came with a home theatre system.  It does 5.1 from the DVD
player, but I don't recall seeing any inputs for more than stereo.  I
guess I just take a cable from the sound card to the 2 RCA connectors
for left and right.


Thanks

David Kirk