[GRLUG] NOT Linux

[Tim Schmidt]

I'm immensely happy with my MythTV box.

I'm running Mythbuntu, using a Plextor PX-TV402U on a 1.3Ghz
PIII-based Celeron with 512Mb ram, integrated Intel 815-based
graphics, an 80Gb hard drive, and a cheap DVD-RW.  I get better than 1
hour / Gb at 640x480, and I simply have the machine hooked up to a
monitor instead of a TV (nowadays TVs _are_ large monitors - complete
with VGA and DVI / HDMI).  I simply use an RF keyboard as the remote.

It took all of an hour to install Mythbuntu, 5 minutes to set up the
tuner, and a minute or two to install libdecess for DVD playing.

The tuner does MPEG4 (the Divx variety, not h.264) encoding in
hardware, and the 815 seems to have some XvMC support, so the only
thing left for the Celeron to handle is commercial flagging and basic
maintenance duties like frobbing the database and drawing the GUI.

I literally found the computer outside my apartment one day (it had
clearly sat through a light rain - I had to replace the battery,
probably why it was abandoned) - $5
I ebayed the tuner for $80 + $9.50 s&h
I bought the 17" CRT at a garage sale for $30
The keyboard set me back $44 at newegg
DVDRW was a hand-me-down from an upgraded box

Total cost: $168.50