I am in the need of either a mobo or video card that has HD component outputs. My current TV does not have DVI, VGA, or HDMI. It only has Svideo, standard component, HD component and a proprietary Mitsubishi HDI.

Any suggestions are much appreciated.

TIA

A number of video cards (with Nvidia or ATI chipsets, from a large number of manufacturers) have component output capability (using an adapter cable, normally included). When they do, it will be stated in their brochures and manuals (but not always in their spec sheets). That capability has no relation to price either (component output capability is available in almost all price ranges).

Does your Mits TV accept 720p or only 1080i over component?

Here is a low cost choice-
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121240

with a MIR and includes HDTV component cable.

I have never tried component out on Linux- I use VGA (RGB) and DVI/HDMI. Most current HDTV's on the market (panels and RP's) include VGA and at least one DVi and/or HDMI input. HDMI and DVi are interchangeable in most cases, requiring only a gender changer adapter for a few dollars.

Someone might want to chime in if they've used analog 720p or 1080i component out in Linux.

Rgb,

How ironic that your suggestion is the same video card I have in my desktop machine.

Now on to other suggestions for my Myth backend/frontend system.

I would like to buy a mobo that has as many PCI expansion slots as possible. I eventually want to have RAID 1 or 5 ?? (redundancy for backup). How is Linux for supporting onboard Raid controllers?

I just ordered (2) Kworld 115 cards yesterday, so they will fill 2 PCI slots. If the mobo does not have onboard raid then I will need an adapter card.

This system will also be serving as my home file server for music, pictures and video (home movies and ripped DVD's). I am not a big movie collector so I will not be storing a lot of ripped DVD's or recorded stuff. Comcast does not offer many HD channels in the package I am paying for now and I do not plan on adding more HD (I'm trying to reduce my cable bill). I know once I get my Myth system working that I can get rid of Comcast's DVR box. Will I still need a converter box from them? They do have a non-DVR digital box.

TIA for any suggestions.

You can replace a Comcast DVR with a Myth box only for channels sent in the clear on QAM. That will mean all of your local channels and very little else (in HD). You can still get all your old analog channels too, but I'm not sure how good the Kworld support is for them in Myth. I only use the Kworld for the clear QAM HD channels.

You might want to look into getting a Comcast HD-only box (i.e., no DVR) so you can record the encrypted channels on your Myth box via Firewire. They charge $6.99 a month for one here. I was doing that for a while but it was a little flaky so I bought a Tivo HD to go with my dual-tuner Myth box. It has it's own quirks, but mostly works, is way better than the Comcast DVR, and gets all the channels I pay for.

Here is a low cost choice-
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121240

with a MIR and includes HDTV component cable.

I have never tried component out on Linux- I use VGA (RGB) and DVI/HDMI. Most current HDTV's on the market (panels and RP's) include VGA and at least one DVi and/or HDMI input. HDMI and DVi are interchangeable in most cases, requiring only a gender canger adapter for a few dollars.

Someone might want to chime in if they've used analog 720p or 1080i component out in Linux.
That component out adapter looks as if it is plugged into a S-Video port. Correct me if I'm wrong (and I know you will :) ), but S-Video is incapable of carrying HD. I have used a DVI to component adapter like this one:
http://www.mwave.com/mwave/viewspec.hmx?scriteria=AA34760&RSKU=AA34760
It has switches on it for different output resolutions. I am not currently using it, so not sure of the functionality of it.

I know, component is analog too.

As for HDTV's having a DVI input. I recently purchased a 19" HDTV for the kitchen. I wanted one with a DVI input, for my MythTV built with an ASUS Pundit. There was not even one set with a DVI input, so I settled for VGA. Larger HDTV's may have more input options.


I would like to buy a mobo that has as many PCI expansion slots as possible. I eventually want to have RAID 1 or 5 ?? (redundancy for backup). How is Linux for supporting onboard Raid controllers?
I was using one of these in a Fedora Linux installation
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16816124001&Tpk=SIL%2b0680
I removed it when I put a better graphics card in, and it was right next to it. I didn't want it blocking the cooling of my fanless AGP card. I didn't really need it, so I didn't bother moving it to another slot.

The connector looks like a svideo port but it's a mini-din port that outputs component, composite and svideo with the dongle plugged into it. I had zero issues using component out with an nvidia card in the past...Really easy to get going at 1080i or 720p. Never got 1080p over component to work though.

-Trouble

I was under the impression that 1080p would only work with a digital signal (DVI or HDMI).

I was under the impression that 1080p would only work with a digital signal (DVI or HDMI).

...or analog VGA/RGB.

While analog component (YPbPr) generally was limited to 720p and 1080i on CE devices, I believe component can technically handle 1080p, at least the cabling. PC's can obviously output 1080p over analog component, the problem is, many CE display devices won't take 1080p over component, while most will take 1080p over VGA and DVI/HDMI.

Yeah I kind of figured over time that 1080p over component just couldn't be done. Didn't matter....That HTPC was retired and now I'm using a G35 based setup via hdmi....which absolutely blows due to to driver problems. Makes me want those nvidia drivers back ;)
-Trouble

To all,

Thanks for your suggestions and knowledge with this subject. I will be out of town till Thursday and would really like a few suggestions on a motherboard. I will go with Rgb"s recommendation on the video card. This should work for now with my current TV until I get a better one.

Am I dreaming to big on what I am wanting from this system according to my previous post?

To all,

I'd really like some recommendations, please.

Thanks

Don't know how many slots you need, but here are some choices:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813138111

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130176

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128333

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813138109

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128014

http://www.ewiz.com/detail.php?p=MB-GF7025&c=fr&pid=f1845b5bbcf7f8c3c25dcaf0ac1cb0a474f79555ad322d2c392edeac a2c2a9d1

http://www.ewiz.com/detail.php?name=MB-MCP6PM2

The moral of the story for media PC mobo's- don't buy one with a fan on the board (nortbridge/etc). Stick with passive cooling out of the box.

Rgb,

Much thanks for all the useful links, I really appreciate everyone's advise and recommendations on this forum. I believe I will go with the last NewEgg link you provided for my mobo and pair it with a Athlon 64 X2 4800+ 2.4ghz cpu.

Upon further investigation on the Kworld HD PCI-115 tuner cards I purchased, this card does not do any onboard decoding/encoding and any decoding/encoding is done with software and the CPU. Is this good or bad? Would I be better off with cards that did onboard decoding/encoding?

If software decoding/encoding is acceptable, will 1gb of ram be adequate?

TIA

Rgb,

Much thanks for all the useful links, I really appreciate everyone's advise and recommendations on this forum. I believe I will go with the last NewEgg link you provided for my mobo and pair it with a Athlon 64 X2 4800+ 2.4ghz cpu.

Upon further investigation on the Kworld HD PCI-115 tuner cards I purchased, this card does not do any onboard decoding/encoding and any decoding/encoding is done with software and the CPU. Is this good or bad? Would I be better off with cards that did onboard decoding/encoding?

If software decoding/encoding is acceptable, will 1gb of ram be adequate?

TIA

For digital stations no encoding of the stream is necessary, the card simply captures the mpeg-2 stream. I don't know any cards that work with Linux that do digital decoding, and you'd probably want your video card and CPU to handle that anyway.

For analog recordings, yes you will be doing software decoding with that card, but that really isn't processor intensive by today's processor standards. A 700Mhz PIII can do it. 1GB is more than adequate for capturing digital streams and encoding analog streams and decoding both.

Rgb,

How ironic that your suggestion is the same video card I have in my desktop machine.

.

I just remembered- 8000 series Nvidia cards don't support XvMC, IIRC,
http://www.nvnews.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=102221

so if that's important to you, you might want a 7000 series like

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121256

newegg has a great return/exchange policy if needed.

I just remembered- 8000 series Nvidia cards don't support XvMC, IIRC,
http://www.nvnews.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=102221

so if that's important to you, you might want a 7000 series like

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121256

newegg has a great return/exchange policy if needed.

Thanks for the "heads-up". I think I will be safe and go with your second recommendation.

One thing that I found to be important, when choosing a motherboard, is the number of internal USB headers. There are a number of things that can be attached this way, such as:

Remote Control Receiver (internal)
Front USB Port(s)
Front Memory Card Readers

I'm sure that I'm forgetting some, but that would be three, and most mobo's only have two. Some only have one.

The reason this stood out for me, was because I have a case where the MCE remote receiver is mounted internally. I had to route the connection out the back, and plug it into an external USB slot. I know that the MCE receiver has a USB plug on the end, but I'm sure that I could have modified it.

Here is the case that I ran into that situation with. See all of the front ports that need a connection, and let's not forget the MCE receiver.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811128022

If you're planning to use a 4800+, I would rather use a 7000 series board than an 8000 series. That way you could experiment with XvMC if you run into CPU load problems when viewing Live TV. I run a 5000+ Black Edition, overclocked to 3.2 GHz. It has similar performance to a 6000+, and still has problems with stuttering Live TV when using CPU intensive deinterlacers such as Yadif and GreedyHighMotion.

The 4800+ should do fine if you dial X and Myth in correctly, but If you can afford it, I'd consider a faster processor.

What keyboard/mouse combo should I purchase? I guess I never really gave it much thought. Is a keyboard & mouse necessary after Myth is up and running? Is this something that is used on a regular basis or can I just use a spare set when needed?

I bought the X-Gene 2.4GHz wireless keyboard / mouse combo (http://www.directron.com/01027.html). It's $50, and convenient when sitting 15' away from the display. But, I'm finding that once Myth is dialed in, I use the remote as much as possible. You could get by with a USB keyboard and mouse if you've got some lying around. It would certainly save a few bucks.

One thing that I found to be important, when choosing a motherboard, is the number of internal USB headers. There are a number of things that can be attached this way, such as:

Remote Control Receiver (internal)
Front USB Port(s)
Front Memory Card Readers

The Kworld HD PCI-115 card comes with a remote. Is this enough for the system or do I need something else?

Maybe one of the many forum members that has one of these can answer that. It says that it is fully MCE compatible. If that means the remote control too, then that is all you would need.

The Kworld HD PCI-115 card comes with a remote. Is this enough for the system or do I need something else?

I have a pair of Kworld 115's. There is a kernel patch (http://www.mythtv.org/wiki/index.php/Terminator_Remote_Kernel_Patch_Fedora_HOWTO) based on 2.6.22 that should get the Kworld IR receiver working, but I've never tried it. I use a USB IR receiver from a MS MCE Remote kit. You can get a MCE Remote kit (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16880121001)from Newegg for $25 shipped.

I'm going to be building a Myth box for my parents, and they want a low buck system. I will probably try to get the KWorld IR Receiver working. If I do, I will post more info.

If it has a serial port, you can get these for $5.99 shipped. They work fine for me.

http://tekgems.com/Products/tg-pbr.htm

If it has a serial port, you can get these for $5.99 shipped. They work fine for me.

http://tekgems.com/Products/tg-pbr.htm

Also plenty on ebay- search for "fast media remote"

I have bought 20+ of these from partsparadiseinc on ebay.

Less than $4 each to most locations in the US if you buy in lots of 10.

The included serial port IR receiver is a good general purpose Lirc receiver, accepting IR signals from most common remotes and universal remotes. Worth it for the IR receiver alone, IMO. I only buy motherboards with at least one COM port for the flexibility- still not too hard to find, but getting scarcer every few months as motherboards are revved moving forward. In late model mobos, many don't have a COM port on the backplane any longer, but will include at least one COM port header on the motherboard, but I think it's days are numbered. Having built PCs for so long (since mid-late 80's), I have enough leftover serial port header connectors to last for some time on builds going forward, so look in your junk drawers/old PC cases/old motherboard boxes for unused COM port ribbon/header assemblies.

Ya see- keeping all those old 286/386 boxes was good for somethin' (at least that's what you tell the wife) :D

To All,

Once again, thanks for the very useful info. I've attached an Excel file of my system specs and I am ready to start ordering. Please review this and let me know what you think. I have already ordered and received the tuner cards.

Thanks,

kwisher

Looks like you're on the right track as far as general specs go. You may be able to save some $$$ and get a better build to boot.

1) Video is good given your Component Out requirement. If you could get away with VGA or DVI instead, you could save a few $$.

2) Motherboard is a good choice if you need optical SPDIF out. If you can get by with coax SPDIF out, you can get a lower cost board based on the nVidia 6100 chipset for $50 or less from Newegg. Most if not all of these boards have a SPDIF header, and you can use one of these (http://www.frontx.com/pro/p1062_030.html) and an expansion slot cover to make a SPDIF out jack.

Better yet, if you've got a Fry's Electronics within driving distance, you can get AMD Athlon X2 5600+ and ECS 7050M mobo for $99, or Phenom 8450 X3 and ECS 7050M for $129 right now. The CPUs are OEM, but a decent low profile CPU cooler will run you $15-20. ECS boards are some of the cheapest around, but their early failure rate is higher than the bigger names. I use some, and they're okay, but I wouldn't buy one online. I want brick and mortar to RMA ECS stuff to.

3) You can do better on RAM. It shouldn't be too hard to find 2 GB DDR2 800 for the same or less than your Kingston 1 GB. This G-Skill 2 GB set (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231098) is the same price, while this OCZ 2 GB set (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227139) is $26 shipped after $25 rebate.

4) I thought the Apevia (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811144231) version of the Athenatech case you picked was slightly better. It has the same case frame, but better PSU, and a more HTPC like front panel. It's gloss piano black rather than flat black, and looks fairly sharp. I reviewed it with pictures in my HTPC build thread. It's $10 more, but the PSU upgrade alone is worth it IMO.

Good luck... you're getting close.

I reviewed it with pictures in my HTPC build thread. It's $10 more, but the PSU upgrade alone is worth it IMO.

jimsiff,

Thanks for your suggestions. I thinks I will take your recommendation on the 2GB ram and the better case. Could you please provide a link to your HTPC build thread?

jimsiff,

Thanks for your suggestions. I thinks I will take your recommendation on the 2GB ram and the better case. Could you please provide a link to your HTPC build thread?

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1036042

I'm going to be building a Myth box for my parents, and they want a low buck system. I will probably try to get the KWorld IR Receiver working. If I do, I will post more info.

Jim,

Have you pursued the Kworld IR receiver yet? I will be installing Myth tonight and would like some direction for this is the only remote receiver option I have at the moment.

Thanks,

Kevin

I haven't tried the KWorld IR yet. I'm still waiting for a few parts from Newegg to start the build. I'm not convinced the KWorld IR receiver is a great solution. I read in a few places that it's inconsistent and misses IR codes intermittently. That's not the type of solution I want to give my parents who aren't exactly tech savvy.

I haven't tried the KWorld IR yet. I'm still waiting for a few parts from Newegg to start the build. I'm not convinced the KWorld IR receiver is a great solution. I read in a few places that it's inconsistent and misses IR codes intermittently. That's not the type of solution I want to give my parents who aren't exactly tech savvy.

During my MythTV setup, I did not see the Kworld-115 remote listed in the IR options. I think I will go ahead and order a MCE remote and a MCE friendly keyboard and mouse.

I am real close to getting Myth running on my new box. I will start a new thread for that topic.

Thanks to all who have helped me with choosing the hardware for this system.