I'm planning on building my first MythTV box, and I'm looking for a few recommendations for hardware. Since I already have sattelite TV with a DirectTivo, I don't plan to use the DVR functionality. I plan to use it mostly for the media library features, along with CD and DVD playback. The video display is standard def, and I may occassionally transfer video from the tivo to the mythtv media library.

I'm interested in keeping the box as cool as possible, and I believe that for what I am doing, the CPU requirements should not be too high. So I am looking for recommendations on what to get.

I plan to NFS mount a server for music (using WiFi), and keep all video local to the mythtv box. I would also like to minimize the number of needed fans to cut down on noise. I will probably go with a fanless nVidia 5200 card.

Any recommendations for CPU/Motherboard, graphics card, wifi card, power supplies, cases and IR receiver (I already have a Harmony remote) would be welcome.

Thanks.

Check out the tier 1 postings. But for what you want (SD video playback), anything more than a small form factor PC with a PIII 866 (what I have) will do the job fine. Just be aware you may change your mind on not using the pvr stuff though. And if you ever want to go HD your hardware requirements will jump much higher.

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HP VL400 (PIII 866), Skystar2 2.6D, PVR350, Nvidia FX5200, 384MB, 200GB, KnoppMyth R5.5

See the old reliable "PickingComponents" page on the wiki for lots of good advice: http://www.knoppmythwiki.org/index.php?page=PickingComponents