Hi, I'm looking to build my first PVR with the following hardware:

Hardware I have:
P4 1.4ghz (spec sheet http://www.cpu-world.com/CPUs/Pentium_4/Intel-Pentium%204%201.4%20GHz%20-%2080528PC017G0K%20(BX80528JK140G).html )
Asus P4T-1: onboard audio, AGP 4x, 3xPCI
384mb of RDRAM
10/100 LAN card

Hardware I need to buy:
DVD-R/W
Radeon 9000, 128mb DDR, AGP 4x
320gb EIDE hdd
A case (probably Silverstone L-13)
Hauppage PVR 350
Hauppage PVR 500

The reason I'm leaning towards two tv-tuners is because I want a remote (bundled with the 350) and the ability to record up to three shows at once.

So a large question looms: Will this hardware configuration work well with Knoppmyth, and do I have enough resources to record up to three shows at once?

Thanks in advance!

Memory might be a little low, especially if you need to bump your ivtv buffers up due to latency issues.

For the case, also consider the Antec NSK2400 which has similar looks and better cooling.

You might also want to consider an nVidia video card since they've got better driver support for Xv and XvMC out of the box.

Finally I always recommend getting the biggest HD you can lay your hands on. The WD drives with the fluid dynamic bearings may be the best low noise choice at moment. The $/Gb sweet spot has been moving to the 500Gb drives, and if you watch the sales you can get the price down near $0.25/Gb.

I've pulled an old mìro graphics card out of a salvaged Power Mac 9600/200mp. Spec sheet is here: http://hjem.get2net.dk/casper_larsen/dc30.html#tec

Would I be able to use it as a video card, in the interest of saving money?



P.S. Thanks for your input tjc, the more help I can get, the better.

Probably not. That spec sheet doesn't say what chipset is on it as far as I could tell. A cheap FX5200 AGP card should only run you about $30-40 new and should substantially reduce the amount of hassle.

So much for saving 40 bucks, .

Ok, so I'm thinking that my final hardware lay-out would be the following

CPU = P4 @ 1.4ghz

Mobo = Asus P4T-1 (ATX, sadly... so no Antec nsk2400 for me)

RAM = 384mb of RDRAM (2x128, 2x64)

Graphics card = Geforce FX5200 (good call tjc, found one cheaper than the Radeon 9000)

Hard drive = 1xWD 320gb, with plans to add another drive in the future.

TV Tuner = Hauppage PVR 500

DVD-R/W = LiteOn 18x

Case = Old IBM Intellistation (original housing for the ram/cpu/mobo)

Total cost, including shipping and tax: 421.37$CAD

The reason I'm cutting corners with hardware is because I'm on a shoestring budget, so I've been looking for the cheapest parts to complete this build.

Not too shabby, any thoughts? Additionally, how hard would it be to build an IR receiver and program LIRC to recognize a remote?

(Thanks again for your help to this point, tjc.)

To avoid disappointments look for one with a DVI output. These tend to provide a better picture on S-Video than the ones without. I've heard some opine that it was because DVI is stricter about voltage levels and once you've done the work to get them right for that it's already done for the other.


If you have a choice SATA is better supported than it iused to be, but PATA is still a tad easier and may even be cheaper.

Just looked at the card I've settled on, and thankfully it has DVI out. Phew!

Well, I think it's been settled. I must say, this was a lot easier than I thought it would be. Thanks for all your advice and input tjc, you've made this whole process a lot less painful for me!

And now, to begin ordering .