[zemosabe]

Arrgh!

I thought I had it all figured out.

I just built a server and loaded it with Unraid, precleared a new drive and started moving files over. I was planning on using Unraid for storage and downloads and W7 + XBMC for dvr and media playback. Then I looked at the updated MythTV add on and it looks like a workable solution for Live TV and DVR within XBMC (my ultimate goal). Now I am thinking of loading Ubuntu and MythTV on the new server w/ flexraid and using XBMC Live on the HTPC. Wondering if this is a sound plan or if I should just continue on my previous path and build a separate MythTV backend.

The new server consists of:

Motherboard -ASUS P7H55-M LE

Processor - I3 530

Memory - 4 GB Patriot Sector 5 1333

PSU - Corsair 500CX

Parity Drive - 2TB WD Black

Case - Coolermaster CM690

My HTPC build can be seen in my signature. The motherboard I am using for my server came free with an I3 550 that I swapped into the HTPC but could swap back out. Was thinking about doing this anyway as it runs a bit hotter and the HTPC case is small.

Possibly useful parts from my graveyard are:

graphics cards: A Gt210 and a HD 5450

TV cards: AHauppauge WinTV-HVR-1600 a Hauppauge WinTV-PVR 150 a DVico fusionhdtv5 lite and I am currently using a dual tuner HDHomerun.

PCs: I have an older (2008?) cheap intel dual core laptop with a power connector that shorts but could be soldered, an early eeepc and my first HTPC I bought from a friend (2007?) that has an unknown AMD processor a lanparty MB and 2 gigs of DDR ram. Wondering if any of these will work as a backend if I decide to continue on the Unraid route.

Sadly, I just gave my old Revo 1600 to my mom for christmas as that may have worked well as a backend.

Is MythTV worth pursuing? The only live TV that I am concerned with is OTA and whatever comes unencrypted over cable.

Should I try and cram MythTV into my server along with Sabnzb, CP &SB? I understand that this could create more heat but drive temps have been 23 degrees C at Idle and I can add 4 more fans. I would like to only have 1 "always on" box. Has anybody done this successfully?

[soulnothing]

There are two thoughts each box does one task and does it well. Or one box to rule them all. I've always gone the route of one box to rule them all, more for economic reasons. Anyway is myth worth pursuing that is up to you really. I found myth to be my favorite dvr software out there, due in part to mythweb. I haven't tried integration with xbmc. But mythbox I think only works with 0.23 and the git branch works with 0.24. Then pvr branches of xbmc are in testing, but available right now.

Backend usage is fine with ~2GBs due to mysql. If you run a mysql server you can also centralize xbmc. CPU usage is dependent on the tuner. I've only used hauppage 150s with myth and they don't peg the cpu at all, the cards have an on board mpeg encoder. The 1600 is HD and I dont think it has an onboard encoder, so will use more cpu.

That cpu looks like it has vt-x. So you could also do a KVM instance of unraid and have myth run on the host. Just pass the hard drives through and give kvm complete control. The only reason not to is you are okay with quality from sabnzb etc.

[zemosabe]

Thanks

I think the quality from sabnzb is great. The programming I really want from DVR is local news, Jeopardy, local sports and PBS. Beyond that I also (surprisingly!?) miss channel surfing. I haven't done much of that since getting serious about XBMC.

I figure I can use the Hauppauge 150 and 1600 for SD and HD content respectively over cable (I pay Comcast for internet and local TV still comes through) and use the HDHomerun with an Antenna.

This video linked from the mythtv google code site is what got me really excited about this. Does this video over sell it? I (as well as many others) would just like to have a unified interface for all content.

Also, I will likely only be running content to one TV for the foreseeable future. I'm a bachelor and have no desire to have a TV in the bedroom.

[poofyhairguy]

I solve this by running MythTV on my HTPC, which is much weaker than your HTPC. HDHomerun is the tuner, everything saved via NFS to my Unraid server. Not working perfectly yet because Mythbox is still a work in progress (as is the PVR branch) but I hope to have a working high WAF solution within six months.

[zemosabe]

Thanks Poofy.

Are you using windows or linux for your XBMC/Mythbox?

I decided to go ahead with the unraid server. I figure I will just be patient and see were the PVR branch goes. W7 works for the time being and I can play around with MythTV on my HTPC and see if I want to go that route. I may eventually build another machine to use as a backend for Myth or TVheadend. The current setup does have a low W(GF)AF. It works beautifully for me but others seem to get a bit lost. Someday I will have a unified frontend.

I am excited to get the Unraid box setup! Can't wait to try Subsonic for streaming to my Android phone!