Hi,
I'm thinking of replacing my current Freevo media center build on a very noisy old PC. Before I go off into the deep realms of research, I decided to poke this board for some wisdom and knowledge with regards to the most readily available, LinuxMCE compatible hardware.
Below is a list of requirements and purpose for the system. If you have recently build a system (or set of components) that is close enough to the specs below, please, spare a couple of minutes if you can and send your configuration. Specific model for CPU/RAM/HD is not important - would pick them depending on what other components are.
Purpose:
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1) Hybrid LinuxMCE setup (everything runs on the single box
1.1) would be mostly used for playing back the video
1.2) TV capture would be nice add-on, but not the primary function
2) Host the Torrent client
3) NAS service provider (at least 3x3.5 HD, RAID is not required)
The major components I'm trying to decide on are:
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1) Case (or barebone system model)
2) Video card (if not integrated on the motherboard)
3) Motherboard
The system requirements:
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0) ideally, generic barebone based system, readily available in Canada or at least North America
1) low noise level (will be staying in the living room)
2) at least 2x3.5 slots for SATA HD drives, very desirable - x3-x4 slots
3) the smaller form factor, the better
4) s-video / RCA output (ideally, DVI as well)
5) dual core CPU (AMD or Intel - doesn't matter as long as it's well supported by Ubunutu)
5.1) any compatible audio chipset; though ideally - 5.1 surround
6) 'standard' PVR-150 (?)
7) RAM: at least 2Gb, ideally - 4Gb
1Gb NIC - highly desirable, but not mandatory
Any configurations or components that you have setup with LinuxMCE and that are close to the requirements above would be greatly appreciated! Thanks again.
Vlad
