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Starting from scratch/Dream System
http://forum.linhes.org/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=10872		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  klkitts [ Mon Jul 17, 2006 3:36 pm ]
Post subject:  Starting from scratch/Dream System
Hi All,
I'd like to start from scratch and put together a high performance Myth/Linux box. A friend told me that Knoppmyth was the way to go. I've really enjoyed putting together several SFF Shuttle computers recently and I thought that I'd use one of their barebones SFF computers as the basis of a Knoppmyth box. I'm thinking about something along the lines of this:

- Shuttle SN25P/Athlon64X2 4800+
- CORSAIR System Select memory 2GB
- WD Caviar SE16 320GB SATA 3.0G
- eVGA Geforce 7900GT CO

One downside to Shuttle systems is that many models are getting away from PCI bus. They have PCI Express.

I would like to have very good video/audio quality in the Myth programs that I record. I may play them back over a Home Theatre system.

Will it be possible to have excellant video quality using a Haughpague USB video input adapter?

Do the remote controls that come with these Haupague adapters work well under Linux?

I might use Myth both for "time-shiting/PVR" and also for "place-shifting" - in other words - can I use Knoppmyth for view a previously recorded show on my laptop? Typical use would be over a 100 Mbit wired/switched ethernet network that I have in my house.

One final thought. Not a big deal - but it seems easy to record the "analog" channels using myth. However, certain channels are "digital" and encrypted. However, I can record those by programming the comcast set top box to go to that channel - and then running a line out of the set top box into a line in on a VCR - that is was I do now. However, I migth need 2 USB inputs to do that, right? Hm... sounds complicated - may be more trouble than it is worth since most channels I'd likely record are analog.

Any advice, hints, tips most apprec.!

Thanks,

Kevin
Author:  tjc [ Mon Jul 17, 2006 8:11 pm ]
Post subject: 
That's a bit over the top. Half that RAM would be plenty even for HDTV. The CPU could be scaled back to a single core +3800 which would the cost in half and still be more than than enough (The Dragon reference platform uses a +3200 for HDTV support) Using a PATA drive will make your life easier, and the Video card is also utter overkill. With a set top/side box the goal is cool and quiet, and using lower spec. components wherever possible helps with that. The external USB tuner is also an iffy proposition, the quality will be the same as any PVR but the setup is not as well understood.
http://www.knoppmythwiki.org/index.php?page=HardwareConfigs

BTW - I started out with a SFF case for the smaller footprint and ended up upgrading to a mid-tower case for expansion room. The SFF boxes are cute, but I've been burned by them twice now, first the lack of expanision space in the KM (Shuttle) box, and second the nonstandard parts in my WS (Biostar) box.
Author:  klkitts [ Tue Jul 18, 2006 8:34 am ]
Post subject:  Shuttle/PVR
I hear ya. I have another shuttle box that is dual boot XP/SUSE and it is working just great. I love it. But you're right - expansion options are pretty limited. I'm probably a bit odd though - I buy a computer and use it for several years. I find that by the time I might upgrade, the whole system is obsolete - a new motherboard would require a new type of memory, video cards have greatly improved, etc. - to point where you might as well just buy a new system.

I've toyed with the idea of making the Shuttle/PVR dual boot. It would run Knoppmyth 99% of the time - but could be booted into XP to play PC games on the TV - hence the slight overkill on CPU/Video card. This PC will go into a basement/den that is on the cool side year round - so I'm not worried about heat - but I do like things on the quiet side. Shuttles seem to be pretty quiet - but some of these new high end video cards that have their own fans can generate some noise!

I think I've found a shuttle that will support regular PCI, though, so I may go with that. Is there a "short list" of PCI video capture cards that are generally recognized as having the very high quality and being absolutely the easiest to setup from within Knoppmyth?

Thanks again,

Kevin
Author:  tjc [ Tue Jul 18, 2006 7:17 pm ]
Post subject: 
The expansion problem has far more to do with people underestimating what they want the box to do. Multiple tuners, more disk space, a better sound cards, ...

For SDTV cards the really short list is - Hauppauge. See the wiki for more - http://www.knoppmythwiki.org/index.php?page=TVCards.

BTW - Here we are already up against the expansion limits. You need a different card if you want to do HDTV and there's not a card that will let you do both readily. Xsecrets can tell you more details about why this doesn't work even for cards with both types of tuners.
Author:  klkitts [ Wed Jul 19, 2006 9:48 am ]
Post subject:  Cards/etc.
Yea - I've considered the HDTV question - that is a bit of a bummer that 2 cards are needed. Also, there is a bit of complexity getting the HDTV and/or Digital stuff to work since you are going to have to take the signal out of the back of the set top box (comcast) and make sure that you program the set top box to go to the specified channel at the correct time - and then also program your PVR/Myth to record that line in at that time. Too bad we can't just count on the TV Tuner on the card to tune in to the right channel and record - all this "digital"/HDTV and encryption stuff getting in the way... ;-)

BTW, I've solved the storage problem... I have 100 mbit switched/wired ethernet - and a server that sits in a "wiring closet" in my house. ;-) If that proves not to be sufficient -at some point in the future I might swap out the switch for gigabit - I think I can do that for relatively short runs of cat 5.
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