Yet another 'Mythfrontend hardware' for HD thread...

[digitalamish]

I have a couple of questions about a Myth Frontend machine I want to set up. I already have a good start at a backend machine running a Sempron 2300+ with 800GB of disk, 1 GB of RAM, and a PVR 250 card. I want to take the next step to get Hi Def into this system. I want to keep the backend in place, and I am starting to look at building an HTPC frontend. What I am looking for is any experiences people have had. I've heard some stories about people watching HD streams that are OK with an AMD XP 2400+ for the front end, and others saying to to go up to a AMD64.

I'm not trying to go cheap here, but I also don't want to sink a ton of money into a machine that will basically only be doing MythTV, Firefox, and streaming audio. I was toying around with using an XBox, but I know that doesn't have the horsepower to decode an HD stream. So, what would be a fairly minimal frontend hardware config?

Also, most of the config's I've seen have people have the frontend and backend on the same machine. Besides any potential network bandwidth problems, does anyone have an HD backend machine, feeding a frontend connected to the TV? Any problems/limitations?

BTW: for the networking issue I was thinking about running a crossover cable directly between the frontend and backend (to a second NIC), and then using the backend to route the IP traffic to go out to the network for updates/music/browsing. That way the pipe is just for those machines.

[Mr_Myaghi]

Don't know much about the HD thing.
About the network, if you have a switch it directs the traffic to the computer it's communicating with and doesn't put load on the other connections (like a network hub would). How fast is your network. A couple of gigabit ethernet cards aren't too expensive these days, although a gigabit switch might cost a couple of dollars.
Just a thought...

Good luck!
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