[11070]

Hi everyone, I'm new here. I've done a lot of searching this particular forum and the one thing I haven't found yet is a good list of recommended hardware for a linux ((Kubuntu) based system. I'm leaning towards a Intel dual core processor. What hardware is the majority here using? I should add that I'd like this to be an HD setup.


Thanks in advance for any help you all can provide me with!

 

[newlinux]



Quote:
Originally Posted by 11070 /forum/post/0


Hi everyone, I'm new here. I've done a lot of searching this particular forum and the one thing I haven't found yet is a good list of recommended hardware for a linux ((Kubuntu) based system. I'm leaning towards a Intel dual core processor. What hardware is the majority here using? I should add that I'd like this to be an HD setup.


Thanks in advance for any help you all can provide me with!

What do you plan on doing with this machine (media center, regular desktop, gaming, etc.)? That will help us know better what recommend for you. People here use a wide range of hardware (e.g. I have intel, AMD, and powerpcs -- some dual core, some not -- all running Ubuntu/Kubuntu - but each with their own purpose) it just depends on what the computer needs to be able to do.

 

[11070]

Honestly, as far as I'm concerned this thing is going to replace my tivo. Maybe a little web surfing and some torrent stuff. That's about it.

 

[newlinux]

Will it be displaying HDTV? Or just standard definition? You need a bit more power for HDTV.

 

[11070]

HD. I just got a new LCD and the quality of the SD here drives me nuts!

 

[wnewell]



Quote:
Originally Posted by 11070 /forum/post/0


Hi everyone, I'm new here. I've done a lot of searching this particular forum and the one thing I haven't found yet is a good list of recommended hardware for a linux ((Kubuntu) based system. I'm leaning towards a Intel dual core processor. What hardware is the majority here using? I should add that I'd like this to be an HD setup.

Any AMD X2 will be more than enough. If you go Intel, I'd go Core 2 Duo, but that's twice the cost of AMD X2 3800+ ssytem that will perform just as well for what you want. Fry's has had X2 3800+ CPU with geforce 6100 MB's on sale several times now for $89. You can't beat that with a stick.

 

[11070]

Great thanks! How much ram would you recommend?

 

[djb61230]



Quote:
Originally Posted by 11070 /forum/post/0


Great thanks! How much ram would you recommend?

At least one gigabyte. I have two frontend-only boxes and initially tried 512M in one of them and it's not enough memory. Since they are diskless, they have no swap space. This was very bad for trying to watch a 1080i recording!


I never took the time to try to reduce memory use on the box, it was just easier to slap in another 512M stick and have the problem go away.


If your box is both a frontend and backend you probably want more. I don't run such a setup so I can't say for sure. Of course a box like that would have swap and it would probably need it. I also have found that 1 gig in my backend leaves the system without needing to use swap either. It can easily record 2 HD and 2 SD streams at the same time plus have the clients watching recordings without a hiccup. I think if the system was swapping stuff in and out then it might have problems writing that much data.


There are a lot of factors other than memory of course, but really I think it's worth is to have too much than too little. I'd say start with a gig and go from there.

 

[wnewell]



Quote:
Originally Posted by 11070 /forum/post/0


Great thanks! How much ram would you recommend?

My first mythtv box (AMD 64 3000+) had 4 HDTV tuners and 512M of ram. I could be recording 4 HDTv shows and watching one without a problem. I upgraded that to an X2 3800+ (now 2 cores running the same as the old 3000+) and put 1GB of ram in it. I can also now commflag as I record and watch, though I usually watch TV from one of my other slave machines. Each of them has 1 hdtv tuner and 512m ram in it. So I can record up to 6 shows at once. Overkill, but at $20 a tuner.. The slowest PC I used was a frontend only Duron 1600. Worked fine for playback with an Nvidia FX5200, but by todays stndards and the price of X2 cpu's as low as $59, why buy anything less.

 

[11070]

Which HD tuner card does the majority here run? HDHomeRun? I'm looking to record at least 2 shows at once and be able to watch another while that is happening.

 

[newlinux]

I don't have an HD Homerun, but many like them. For QAM/ATSC I use mostly Kworld 110s, and I have an Avermedia A180 and a DVico Fusion 5 RT Lite (which I also use for NTSC). I also have a a PVR-150 which is dedicated to NTSC recordings, and I use firewire from a motorola cable box. For QAM/ATSC there really wasn't any difference for me between any of the cards. The Dvico was the easiest to setup in linux, but they were all pretty easy. I prefer the kworlds cause I could get them the cheapest. Others use the Airstar HD-5000, pchdtv 3000 and 5500 (which was a bit fickle for me, but worked), Air2PC (ATSC only), and others that I'm sure I'm forgetting, but those are the ones I have experience with...

 

[11070]

So, I take it that the cards mentioned above are just single tuners, correct? So, in that case, I'd need two. Ahh, decisions, decisions. I'm just looking for a HD solution to my dual tuner tivo.


Thanks everyone for the responses so far. Keep them coming! I think this would be a good thread to reference for anyone in the future that is in my position currently.


thanks again

 

[newlinux]

The HD Homerun is two tuners, just to clarify. Nice that it leaves PCI slots open...

 

[11070]

You know, I think that's (HDHomeRun)what I am going to go with. It's a little spendy. But, it appears that it'll give me the least amount of hassle. I'll post my complete slated build here a little later for opinions.


Thanks!

 

[wnewell]



Quote:
Originally Posted by 11070 /forum/post/0


Which HD tuner card does the majority here run? HDHomeRun? I'm looking to record at least 2 shows at once and be able to watch another while that is happening.

If all you want is ATSC, then the old air2pc cards work well for me. If they didn't, I wouldn't have 6 of them.

 

[11070]

Well, that's the thing. Yes, I want HD. But, theres still some programs that aren't broadcast in HD. I had comcast digital cable last year (On crummy Millenium now til July). I rented one of those motorolla boxes with the DVR inside. I had (at the time) a select few HD channels (local and some HD specific channels INHD I believe was one). Would I need an NTSC card as well in this scenerio or would the ATSC cards pick those programs up since I'd have to use a digital cable box anyways.

 

[11070]

Ok, here's my list so far:


Thermaltake VB8000BNS Bach Home Theater Case

GIGABYTE GA-M61P-S3 Socket AM2 NVIDIA GeForce 6100 ATX

AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core Processor 3800+


Oh, and for sound CHAINTECH AV-710 I want a optical/digital connection after 10 months of analog.


What do you think so far? All that's left I think is the tuner('s) and memory. But, I'll probably start out with a gig..

 

[wnewell]

Hardware looks fine. You don't need NTSC for OTA. Every NSTC station that's going to stay on the air after March 2009 should have their ATSC transmitters broadcasting by now or shortly. They 've all been running for years here. Cable is a whole nother story. I've never had it or any pay service. From what I've read, different cable co. provide different services and you'll need to find out what yours does specifically, to determine what if anything you can do to record it. As a general rule, I tell people that have digtal cable to just use the cable co dvr because services vary so much. Some may encrypt everything while others may encrypt nothing. With QAM tuners, you can record everything they send in the clear (unencrypted) and nothing they send encrypted unless they provide a certain firewire out of their cable box. I've read from one person that says they broadcast everything to him in the clear, but I think that is very rare. So with digital cable, you may be very limited as to what you can record, if any of the cable channels. With regular analog non-HD cable, you can probably get everything. Either with a direct hookup to the cable or via an NTSC output of the cable box for the encryted stuff. With cable/sat/fios you are at the mercy of the companies. They could change things any time they want. I just won't put myself in that position, not to mention the cost, especially for HD from them. That's about all I have to say about that.

 

[11070]

Wow. That's a bummer. I guess I'll get the cable box then.. Thanks everyone for your input though!

 

[11070]

Ok, I stand corrected. I found a thread in the main HTPC forum that was based on the HDHR unit. I asked some questions there and it looks like it IS possible.

http://russblack.net/qamwiki/en/Seattle


I just may need an analog card in order to receive the other channels (Comedy Central etc). If I remember correctly, some of the cards that were listed here did both ATSC and NTSC. Am I correct?