I'm not sure how much this info is going to answer your final question, but hopefully you (or someone else) will find it helpful.
I use an ASUS Pundit as my single front/backend computer and think the Pundit may work as good remote frontends for you. They are relatively inexpensive at about $130 (case, mainboard, CPU) and you just add Hard Drive, Memory, and Intel CPU. The Pundit has very decent S-Video out via a SIS chipset. It is compact, has a quiet fan, and looks good. Main disadvantage is that it only has 2 PCI slots and no AGP. I use a IR remote keyboard/mouse with my box and instead of configuring LIRC to use a remote and seperate IR receiver, I got a learning remote and programmed it using my wireless keyboard. I used the following Radio Shack remote: http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLG&product%5Fid=15-2116. I was able to program all the keystrokes I use into buttons on the remote and also use that remote to control my TV, DVD player, and VCR. Hope this helps, Jason > Hi, > > For sometime now, I've been running MythTV in the living room and the > experience has been great. Now, I'd like to add more frontends in the > house but I'm stuck with hardware decisions. > > Currently, my backend is also my main file server running on a used > PowerEdge 1400 server with p3/800 cpu witch is enough for my DVB card. > The (current) frontend is a clone p3/866 with an Nvidia MX440 and a > 9gig HD. > > The only problem with this setup is the lack of remote control. I have > to use my wireless keyboard. While I never lost it like a regular > remote control, it's cumbersome. :) > > The backends holds my archived mp3, dvd and recordings as well as my > dvd writer when the HD capacity reaches a critical point. :) > > After much googling(tm), I found myself with more questions then > answers so I thought I'd ask this mailing list. > > I'm looking for something cheap with a as-small-as-possible footprint > (for example an openbrick or one of mini-itx.com's projects) while > getting enough CPU for mpeg4 processing. > > Living in an apartment, I'd rather not add more cabling to the place > so a Wi-Fi setup would be ideal _and_ portable. My Wi-Fi router is a > 802.11g, I believe it's enough bandwidth even for LiveTV but I rarely > use this feature; I record everything and watch what I want when it's > TV time. Else, MythVideo is my friend. > > Just the thought of only plugging power and A/V cables is soothing. :) > > Eliminating the need for a hard drive would also be great. Booting > from LAN or from a CF (tho, expensive solution) would be great. > Optionally, for a frontend, KnoppMyth could boot on CD but cdroms can > be noisy. > > Speaking of KnoppMyth, I realise that this frontend box would also > need to be widely supported by the community, I've read that Epia 6000 > boxes suffer a Unichrome driver issue (I have read as much as I'd like > on this issue.) > > So, in short, does a small, cheap, wi-fi (fanless?) box with enough cpu > exist? > > Optionally, a pre-assembled box would be great. I've been building PCs > for years now and frankly, I'm tired of it. But if price is an issue, > I'm prepared for it. :) > > Thanks! > cythraul > _______________________________________________ > mythtv-users mailing list > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > http://mythtv.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users > _______________________________________________ mythtv-users mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://mythtv.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users
