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Hardware

I've used a lot of different hardware for different pieces of our system, from backends to frontends, to bits in between. I'll break them down based on function.

Old Backend

Ahh, the little box that could. Originally a budget PC from Fry's with the dubious brand of 'Great Quality', this little box served me well.

Specs:

  • Via C3 Samuel processor at 1ghz
  • 256 mb RAM
  • Original 30gb ATA HD for / filesystem
  • Additional 160gb ATA HD for /myth filesystem
  • PCI Radeon 9800 video card (unused, see history for an explanation)
  • Hauppauge PVR-250

New Backend

This machine used to be the slave backend, but now it serves well as the only backend in our setup. It's housed in an old case from Quantex, and has been modded with a large 6" fan in the side of the case.

Specs:

  • Intel mobo
  • P4 2.4ghz Celeron with HT
  • 1gb RAM
  • 20gb ATA HD for root filesystem
  • 160gb ATA HD from old backend, LVM'd into /myth volume
  • 250gb ATA HD, also LVM'd into the /myth volume, making a 409gb partition for storing recordings
  • VSCom PCI Serial Port card. Provides two extra serial ports
  • Serial port IR blaster from irblaster.info
  • 2x Hauppauge PVR-250 capture cards
  • Serial port connection to my Comcast digital cable box
  • Serial port connection to my 27" LED sign

Living Room Frontend

This is the first frontend based on the mini-itx platform that I built. It was quite a pain in the backside, see the history page for more details.

Specs:

  • CheckerCube 2215 Case from CaseOutlet.com
  • VIA mini-itx M10000 motherboard
  • 1ghz C3 Nehemiah processor
  • 1gb RAM
  • 80gb ATA HD for storage of music, videos, and images
  • 20x4 LCD mounted in two full size drive bays from CrystalFontz.com
  • IRMan for receiving IR signals, also from iCrystalFontz.com

Bedroom Frontend

I made this frontend for valentine's day for my wife. It's almost a clone of the living room frontend, but with a DVD-rom drive and without an LCD.

  • VIA mini-itx M10000 motherboard
  • 1ghz C3 Nehemiah processor
  • 1gb RAM
  • 120gb ATA HD
  • Pioneer slot loading DVD-rom
  • IRMan for receiving IR signals, also from iCrystalFontz.com

My Office Frontend -- now retired

This frontend is my test bed for new software, and as such is quite unstable.

Specs:

  • FIC AMD mobo
  • AMD 2500+ CPU
  • 1gb RAM
  • 40gb ATA HD
  • IRMan for receiving IR signals, also from CrystalFontz.com
  • Memorex 8x DVD-rom
  • Via chipset based firewire card

XBOX Frontends - now retired

The first xbox I got I was able to softmod via the mechassault hack. Coupled with the DVD playback kit, it hakes a nice little frontend. The second one was a bit more difficult to mod, but a raw disc copy from the other one did the trick. The second xbox is connected to the network via a linksys G 'game adapter'.

Lisa's Office Frontend

This frontend started out in my office, now it's in Lisa's office.

Specs:

My New Frontend

When I moved my frontend to Lisa's office because of her failing Xbox, I decided to build a frontend that looks like a stereo component.

Specs:

  • Antec Fusion case
  • Intel mobo
  • 3.2ghz core 2 duo processor
  • 2gb RAM
  • 1tb SATA drive - this drive serves as movie and music storage via NFS
  • PNY geforce clone w/ s-video out
  • Generic DVD-ROM drive