Back to the Egg

...finally, back to work

Had to take some time away from the Vegan Myth project due to work related travel... back now, and making some progress.

Here is an updated shot of the "Vegan Myth" unit. You can see I now have MythDora installed. So, to bring you up to speed on the recent events, here is a list of what has transpired:

- > put DVD ROM drive from my Firewall server in
- > found extra sound cable to connect DVD drive to motherboard
- > purchased 3 pin splitter to attach second case fan to power

The missing parts

I got the parts that I needed from CompUSA today, but I certainly didn't buy my replacement DVD drive there. I was looking around at the store, and found the Liteon DL DVD burner with every possible format for $64.99 + tax ($4.53). The exact same drive (rated very highly in consumer reviews) is on at NewEgg for $34.99 (incl tax) + $6 shipping. I think I can wait the 2 days for it to arrive, and save the extra $30.

The install begins

After getting the final pieces in place, I began the install of the OS and other software. The MythDora install went smoothly, no issues with the hardware (vid card, capture card, optical disk, etc.), but there were some issues that were Fedora specific (no native NTFS support, also didn't work with WEP/WAP out of the box). I ran a cable across the living room, and got on the internet to get the missing packages to get the NTFS and wireless support I needed (my external drive with all of my music, pictures, videos, etc is NTFS).

Once the install was complete, I had some display issues (namely, it would push out a frequency not supported by my flat panel). I had to hook up my 19" LCD monitor to the box to alter the display properties, then was able to get it to work. Once I got the display on the plasma, I was off and running - and it also on next reboot was able to auto-configure to match the proper plasma model.

One annoying thing I found, the "myth" user that was created at install didn't have the proper access rights to some of the folders (storage), so I had to chown and chmod a bit, as well, some folders weren't created, so I had to add them. All good now.

I ran through a series of brief tests, and we did watch a DVD using it tonight. I have to say, the box is completely silent... I mean, if you rest your head on it, you will hear it, but it doesn't exceed our ambient noise levels in our place.

What's next?

So, I have to now get the satellite link working, the VFD drivers downloaded, the IR receiver and blaster working, and the channel changing perl script going (thanks to my co-conspirator for passing that on to me).

I'm away (again) for a week on business, but next week I may have a guest host coming to work on the finishing touches with me... stay tuned.

-VG

Hardware - Nearly Complete

I performed my cable management tasks tonight, and got all of the cables tied up neatly, and made all connections to the motherboard. I have a bad DVD ROM Drive, so I will need to replace that, perhaps run to the store in the near future for one, as I scavange a black one from my Firewall Server (I tried using an old one I had laying around... no luck). I will also need an adapter to plug in one of the case fans, the motherboard only had pins for one.

It felt good to get back on the case, haven't had time to touch it for a few days. I'll be out of town for two weeks starting on Monday, so I likely won't get past the OS install before I go.

Update - pricing request

I had a request (comment after post #2) asking about the cost of this project. Aside from my time, here is the breakdown of the costs for the hardware components:



Seagate 500GB SATA
2
$129.99
$259.98


Wireless PCI Card
1
$19.99
$19.99


AMD 64 X2 3600+ AM2
1
$59.00
$59.00


Silverstone Case
1
$269.99
$269.99


GIGABYTE Motherboard
1
$84.99
$84.99


Hauppauge PVR150 Card
1
$71.99
$71.99


Corsair Power Supply
1
$124.99
$124.99


G.SKILL 2GB RAM
1
$84.99
$84.99


Zalman CPU Cooler
1
$48.99
$48.99


TOTAL: $1029.91

Of course, I could have built this for a lot less money, but there are opposing forces of nature at work here: 1>must be (nearly) dead quiet 2>must be (nearly) flawless 3>must be aesthetically pleasing.

All of these things come at a cost. There are 'fanless' solutions available, that would have ensured a dead quiet system, AND they were very pleasing to the eye (small form factor, HTPC cases), but they lacked performance (low grade CPU to reduce heat), and would likely run very hot and be somewhat flaky. To get the next best thing, I had to employ fans, but the quietest components (that actually perform well) cost quite a bit more money. You will also note the case cost me 'top dollar', I could have purchased a cheap tower case for $15, but in an early picture on the blog, you can see that it fits in very nicely with my other entertainment components, so the extra cost is justified in looks. Achieving these three goals (set out by my wife) meant a higher cost overall.

One way that I could have minimized costs (to a degree) was to split this into two units (Myth actually has two components - server, and client front end). I could have built a server that would reside in my server room (where noise and aesthetics are not an issue). This would have allowed me to put together a smaller front end unit, perhaps even using a Mac Mini. It is debatable, however, that this would have saved money in the long run, and it would have increased my maintenance.

The 'Goods' Arrive

The Goods

The remaining components arrived today from NewEgg, Here they are laid out on the floor, ready for assembly. Included in this shot, of course, is the case that arrived yesterday.

I have to say, I knew the Zalman CPU Cooler was big, but WOW, this thing is massive... a virtual planetoid... it is like an orange on a toothpick.

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The Mobo

Anyway, I quickly got to work putting the pieces together, here you can see the motherboard with the CPU and Cooler installed, as well as the 2 GB of RAM. The CPU cooler has an external device that can be used to set the speed of the fan, or it can be set to 'silent' mode... the cable for that is shown in the background of the picture.

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The install begins

The first component to go in the case is the power supply. You can see in this photo the supply being unpacked and installed. You also may notice my supervisor (the primary cat Pepper). Also, the motherboard gets installed.

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Harware complete

Now, we have the box with all of the parts installed (including the PCI cards, and hard disk). I have a second HDD (also 500GB SATA 3.0Gb/s), but it currently is being used in an external enclosure to suck the media content from my other computers. I will be putting a previously purchased black DVD ROM in as well (it currently is installed in my firewall server, but I have a couple of spares I can replace it with).

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Next Steps

I need to now spend some time performing some cable management (plugging in the various power cables, and the connections from fans, etc. to the motherboard. I will then need to use some small tie wraps to keep the cables tidy... a note of caution here, you should NEVER crimp a SATA cable, it can lead to data issues.

Once cables are taken care of, and the DVD drive is in, I can begin the software installation process, beginning with Mythdora 4.

The Case Arrives

Well, the Silverstone Case arrived today, and I must say, it looks very nice among the other components on our entertainment stand. I unpacked the case, and set it on the stand, so I can see what it will look like as a finished product. Here is a shot:

Silverstone LC16M

It looks pretty roomy on the inside too. The remaining components should arrive tomorrow (also arriving today was the adapter for the USB connection to the satellite receiver). Here are some parting shots of the inside of the case.

Interior Back View

Interior Overhead View

The Myth Components

Ok, I placed my order last week (Wednesday night), but I'll get to that in a moment.

Components

The essential needs that I had for this project are as follows:

• Computer case
• Motherboard
• Hard Disk space
• RAM
• CPU
• Graphics support (TV capture, and video output)
• Sound
• Cooling

Research

I spent a lot of time researching each item, based on several criteria (aesthetics, price, functionality, performance) where performance was a measure of the decibels of sound generated, speed of the component, heat generated (which can drive up sound in terms of cooling), and reliability. Also, a major factor is the support of devices both from a Linux OS perspective, as well as support from MythTV.

The following sites provided me the bulk of my research:

• MythTV
• Silent PC Review
• Linux forums
• Vendor documentation
• My previously mentioned friend who has an extensive MythTV setup in his home

What I selected

All of the parts listed below were purchased from NewEgg. I did comparative price shopping, and found NewEgg to be the best, with Tiger Direct placing second. I put links to some of the components below (the ones I think that matter, as for RAM, processor and HDD, I think those are pretty easy to search for).

• Case: Silverstone LC16B HTPC case. This case was aesthetically pleasing, as well as having good reviews for noise levels (comes with two 80mm maglev case fans, each rated at 21dBA for noise). The case also has a VFD panel in front that can display what you are watching/listening to, etc.
• Mother Board: GIGABYTE GA-M61P-S3. This motherboard met my needs for a number of reasons. It is a full size ATX motherboard, with 7 expansion slots (4 PCI, 2 PCI Express x1, 1 PCI Express x16), support for AM2 socket AMD processor, support up to 16GB RAM, built in GeForce 6100 video, and Realtek audio.
• CPU: AMD Athlon 64 X2 3600+ Brisbane Socket AM2: I selected this processor due to the low power consumption, and low(er) heat that it generates, as well as the fact that it is a 64 bit, dual core processor. It will have the horsepower needed to run my Myth setup both now, and in the future when I add HDTV support. An added bonus: this was on sale for $59.
• HDD: 2 x Seagate Barracuda 500GB SATA 3.0Gb/s: These hard drives are quiet, don't generate too much heat, and have the size and speed to process video streams. This will give me 1 Terabyte of storage. I may actually put an older 40GB EIDE drive in the system for the OS, but haven't decided yet.
• RAM: 2 x 1GB 240 pin DDR2 800 with heat spreader: I chose RAM that matched the Motherboard slot specifications, going with only 2GB for now, leaving 2 open slots for future expansion. I wanted to make sure that I got RAM that had the heat spreaders for better heat dissipation.
• Power Supply: Corsair CMPSU-520HX 520 Watt: The power supply is a very important consideration, since the majority of the noise will be generated from the cooling fan from this component (if you get a cheap one). Also, you want to ensure that you have enough horse power to supply juice to everything in your box, but not max out the limits of what the supply can achieve. I will have sufficient room for expansion with this power supply, and it is rated the absolute quietest power supply by Silent PC Review. NOTE The link above will take you to the generic Corsair HX Power Supply web site, showing the 620 watt unit.
• CPU Cooling: Zalman CNPS9500 AM2: I wanted a quiet, and efficient cooling mechanism for my CPU (by the way, I ordered the CPU as an OEM so I didn't pay extra for a fan that I wasn't going to use). This fan is highly rated for efficiency, and low noise.
• TV Capture Card: Hauppauge PVR150: This card comes with an IR remote control, and is extensively supported by the MythTV project. It is only a single receiver, but my plan is to add a separate HD capture card later. I already have an external KWorld ATSC (Over The AIR HD) device that I will play around with for now, but will probably add the pcHDTV 3000 card when we upgrade our incoming signal to HD (currently unavailable in our area).
• PCI Wireless B/G adapter card: I threw this in so I can have my MythTV box connect to my home wireless network, as well as having a wired network card.

Other Hardware

We have DirecTV satellite service, without the DVR and only with SDTV reception. The satellite receiver has a port on the back (USB) that I will connect into for channel control. This will require a special adapter from ShowMeCables in order to connect the USB to my computer. The adapter is the USB-AM-BF.

This may not work, but for the price, it is worth a try. The alternative is a USB to serial connection (which is commonly used for MythTV setup). My friend tells me that getting the communication to the receiver is likely one of the most difficult parts of building the myth set.

Software/OS

I was debating for some time what OS to use (Linux based). Should I use Ubuntu - reputed for ease of use, or should I use CentOS - an open source RHEL alternative? I landed on the recently bundled MythDora 4 package... which is Fedora Core 6 bundled with MythTV already. Another choice would have been the Knoppix bundle that comes with Myth called KnoppMyth.

The Order

Okay, so back to the order. As I stated, I placed the order with NewEgg last Wednesday night. They shipped in two parts, the case will arrive on Monday, and the rest on Tuesday - all coming via UPS.

What's next?

Starting next week, I will be adding pictures of the components as they arrive, and pictures of the build in progress, as well as chronicle the entire building/installation of the system.

Getting Started - The Myth Project

So, this is it. I decided to build a MythTV box, with some support from a friend who already has one. A few things spurred me on to do this.

1. We can't get a DVR with our DirecTV unit - they require two separate cable feeds into our unit, we have only one
2. You have to pay money to use commercial DVR/PVR
3. MythTV is more than just a DVR, it is a 'home entertainment center' - stores and plays movies, music, pictures, games.
4. MythTV is opensource, and a great project.

So, this blog will chronicle the building of this from start to end, and continued trials and tribulations that I encounter as the unit is up and running.

Any fixes and tricks I find will be posted here, as well as links to relevant information, in case you, the reader, would like to follow along.

My next post will detail the parts I chose to build this, and how I decided on them. I placed the order at NewEgg yesterday, hope they arrive next week so I can start building the system. The goal is to have it up and running (fully) in time for the Tour de France.