I knew that M2NPV-VM wasn't exactly a new board, but I was having a chat with a guy at my local shop (he sells lots of stuff and generally knows what he's talking about) and he mentioned that M2NPV-VM was discontinued. Basically it will be available while supplies last. I suppose the fact that Newegg is offering a special bundle deal on it is also telling (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131014).

So I am seriously considering Abit AN-M2HD (http://www.abit.com.tw/page/en/motherboard/motherboard_detail.php?pMODEL_NAME=AN-M2HD&fMTYPE=Socket+AM2). I understand there still may be some issues with it (see http://forum.linuxmce.org/index.php?topic=2036.0), but at least it's a newer chipset and the support for it will probably only get better over time.

Does anyone have a better idea for a mATX Core/Hybrid?

Thanks,
Alex

Well I've gone through the process of changing to 1680x1050 as described in the original post. It seems to have worked (no problem with the Media screen as mentioned by dopey).

One thing I noticed is that arrow indicators that come up when you scroll media lists are not fully showing. I don't remember this being the case before the change. Not sure whether it could be related to the ScaleX and ScaleY values. Part of my problem is that I am very new to LinuxMCE so I am not 100% sure what to expect and what the proper look and behaviour is  . For example, I've noticed that even after regenerating screens the overall proportions of menus to the screen remain the same. I am guessing that this is correct and is probably the whole point of regenerating?? It's just that it's different to say changing the resolution of the standard desktop where you get more screen real estate (GUI elements taking up less space proportionate to the screen) as you increase the resolution.

I've also noticed that menu labels that wrap over two lines tend to run over the boundaries of those menu items (buttons). Not sure if this is to do with my setup or a system limitation?

I am running a hybrid setup with a Viewsonic panel attached to it via DVI. It would be really nice if we had a definitive guide how to setup custom resolutions.

What experience do you have with saving power on the core (standby or shutting down during nighttime or such).

I am interested in this as well. I understand that the core is meant to be up at all times, however I am going to use it mainly as a media centre for now. No need to keep it running at full blast while I am sleeping .  Based on my experience with various distros, I know that power management can be a little tricky...

Thanks for the info. Looks like Technisat Airstar 2 is the way to go. From the MythTV Wiki:

"Stock 2.6 Kernels seem to support it beatifully (atleast in Fedora Core 4 & 5). No additional drivers needed. Specification from vendor seem to suggest that a 700Mhz processor is needed (in Windows).
Includes remote control and LIRC compatible serial dongle.
Card has antenna in and out connectors."

Thanks,
Alex

Let us know how you go with this config!

Hi,

I am based in Australia where I am currently receiving free-to-air digital TV via a set-top converter connected to my wide screen Sony CRT TV. I am thinking about setting up a LinuxMCE box and would like to get clarification on the following:

1. If I decide to go with something like Hauppauge WinTV-PVR-150 which, based on what I have read so far, is pretty much guaranteed to work, will I be able to "feed" it analog signals out of my DVB-T set top converter? What I am trying to avoid is having to use a separate remote for the converter and LinuxMCE. Does anyone have any experience with this?

2. I suppose replacing my set top converter with a DVB-T receiver as part of the LinuxMCE setup would be better, however I haven't seen any reports of LinuxMCE compatible configurations. What's the recommended hardware for this kind of setup (HD DVB-T receiver with PVR functionality)? My current TV only supports SD but I would like to make my system HD 1080i capable so that everything is ready to go once I upgrade the TV.

Thanks for your input!