Re: [mythtv-users] MythTV client node: xbox or mac mini?
-BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE- Hash: SHA1 On Dec 9, 2005, at 14.13, Owen Mehegan wrote: I used MythTV with great success a couple of years ago, using one system for the frontend and backend. I planned for this to just be a proof of concept for me, but it worked out well enough that I never bothered to upgrade it or anything. I then moved to an apartment where my roommate had, and was annoyingly devoted to, a TiVo, so I repurposed my MythTV box for other things. I've moved again, and I'm looking forward to rebuilding my Myth system with much newer code, hoping for some nice improvements. In addition, I'm considering making a separate backend and client system. There's a closet right next to where my TV is going to go, and I have an idea that I will run my cable in there, put the cable box, myth server, and network stuff all in there, and then just have my TV and a myth client node in the living room. Quieter, no big ugly PC case, etc. I was originally planning to buy a Mac Mini for this purpose, but I have since become the owner of an original Xbox. I know there are people using their Xboxes as Myth systems also, and I'm wondering how practical this really is. My box is modded, so I presume that I just need to install Linux and Myth, get it on the network, and I should be good to go. I have a soft-modded XBox. Assuming you have a replacement dashboard in place, it's not even that complex. Just search your favorite Torrent Tracker for XBox MythTV, and you'll have everything you need: A default.xbe, a hard disk image, and a swap partition image. Throw those wherever, and execute. I plan to use this for my set-up. But how do I manage playing games also? Well, it depends. If you are using the Xbox Linux xCromwell chip, and you *replace* all XBox software with Linux, then no. If you just use a replacement dashboard, then yes, but not with XBox Live. However, if you feel a great need to play games online, you can always try out XLink Kai (Takes System Link data, routes it over the internet. It's really quite nice... and free... free is nice). Oh, just a quick note, the XBox MythTV client can use a program called "blink" to change the LED color depending on whether the server is recording or not, etc. Certainly not a reason to choose XBox over Mini, but I thought it might be a nifty piece of trivia. Is it a simple process to just reboot into game-playing mode? Do I need to have two different BIOSes on my mod chip, one for Linux and one for loading games? Or can I use one of the hacked bootloaders to choose between booting Linux or playing games? Is partitioning my hard drive for the Linux setup as well as game availability going to be a giant hassle? What does one use as a remote control? To use games, reboot. If you use a replacement dashboard (which is what I recommend) then it really *is* as simple as rebooting. Using the F: Drive (all disk space above 8 GB) is no hassle at all. It's really very easy. To use a remote, just buy an XBox Remote control. It doesn't have a lot of buttons, but it is kinda nice. On a related note, if I decide to go with the Mac, is there enough bandwidth over 802.11G wireless to run video to the client node, or am I totally better off just running ethernet for it? I've heard 802.11g *can* pull enough throughput, but network reliability is important too. Just a quick note, though, I've heard that the OS X front-end is nice, but does anyone know about compatibility with the plug-ins? Thanks in advance for any suggestions :-) -BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE- Version: GnuPG v1.4.1 (Darwin) iD8DBQFDmmBowAwn3hu8KxcRAl4BAJ9/bJIuzFNPFMbdCUTnwmgHs8AiXgCfanU0 rRmZdv8gTihX4IThs/w0k28= =NwzP -END PGP SIGNATURE- ___ mythtv-users mailing list mythtv-users@mythtv.org http://mythtv.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users
Re: [mythtv-users] MythTV client node: xbox or mac mini?
I use a modded Xbox with a bigger harddrive as my mythfrontend. Haven't had any problems with that so far, easy to control from the Xbox DVD remote. Also quiet if you replace the stock fan with something suitable. If I want to play games, I just boot into standard MS dashboard and go. On Fri, 2005-12-09 at 12:13 -0800, Owen Mehegan wrote: > I used MythTV with great success a couple of years ago, using one > system for the frontend and backend. I planned for this to just be a > proof of concept for me, but it worked out well enough that I never > bothered to upgrade it or anything. I then moved to an apartment where > my roommate had, and was annoyingly devoted to, a TiVo, so I > repurposed my MythTV box for other things. > > > I've moved again, and I'm looking forward to rebuilding my Myth system > with much newer code, hoping for some nice improvements. In addition, > I'm considering making a separate backend and client system. There's a > closet right next to where my TV is going to go, and I have an idea > that I will run my cable in there, put the cable box, myth server, and > network stuff all in there, and then just have my TV and a myth client > node in the living room. Quieter, no big ugly PC case, etc. > > > I was originally planning to buy a Mac Mini for this purpose, but I > have since become the owner of an original Xbox. I know there are > people using their Xboxes as Myth systems also, and I'm wondering how > practical this really is. My box is modded, so I presume that I just > need to install Linux and Myth, get it on the network, and I should be > good to go. But how do I manage playing games also? Is it a simple > process to just reboot into game-playing mode? Do I need to have two > different BIOSes on my mod chip, one for Linux and one for loading > games? Or can I use one of the hacked bootloaders to choose between > booting Linux or playing games? Is partitioning my hard drive for the > Linux setup as well as game availability going to be a giant hassle? > What does one use as a remote control? > > > On a related note, if I decide to go with the Mac, is there enough > bandwidth over 802.11G wireless to run video to the client node, or am > I totally better off just running ethernet for it? > > > Thanks in advance for any suggestions :-) > > -- > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Owen B. Mehegan) > > 'But I have that within which passes show, > > These but the trappings and the suits of woe.' > > --William Shakespeare > > > > > ___ > mythtv-users mailing list > mythtv-users@mythtv.org > http://mythtv.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users ___ mythtv-users mailing list mythtv-users@mythtv.org http://mythtv.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users
Re: [mythtv-users] MythTV client node: xbox or mac mini?
On Friday 09 December 2005 12:13, Owen Mehegan wrote: > On a related note, if I decide to go with the Mac, is there enough > bandwidth over 802.11G wireless to run video to the client node, or > am I totally better off just running ethernet for it? I've had pretty good success watching standard-def programs on my PowerBook G4 over 802.11G, but you need a real clean signal, and even then, I do see an occasional stutter. For a dedicated setup, wired is definitely preferred. Were you planning on running OS X or Linux on said Mini? I'd have assume OS X, since the 802.11G card won't work under Linux, but there are now binary MythTV (0.18.1+) packages for Fedora Core 4 on PowerPC available. (Check the -dev list archive if you're interested in 'em :). -- Jarod Wilson [EMAIL PROTECTED] pgppn2m0vnOpv.pgp Description: PGP signature ___ mythtv-users mailing list mythtv-users@mythtv.org http://mythtv.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users
Re: [mythtv-users] MythTV client node: xbox or mac mini?
I was originally planning to buy a Mac Mini for this purpose, but I have since become the owner of an original Xbox. I know there are people using their Xboxes as Myth systems also, and I'm wondering how practical this really is. My box is modded, so I presume that I just need to install Linux and Myth, get it on the network, and I should be good to go. But how do I manage playing games also? Is it a simple process to just reboot into game-playing mode? Do I need to have two different BIOSes on my mod chip, one for Linux and one for loading games? Or can I use one of the hacked bootloaders to choose between booting Linux or playing games? Is partitioning my hard drive for the Linux setup as well as game availability going to be a giant hassle? What does one use as a remote control? I use an XBOX dvd remote.You can boot into linux using a bootloader from your moded dash.I use the additional 2 gigs above the 8 for linux and also mount some of the system via NFS. At one time I used a couple of files on the Fatx partition. Did not effect playing games. (I don't use xbox live)The Xbox does not use the partition table that linux uses. You can create a Dummy 8 gig partition with linux and just don't put anything in there. Then use the remaining space (if you have it) for anything else. ___ mythtv-users mailing list mythtv-users@mythtv.org http://mythtv.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users
