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- bettermentflux, on 10/12/2007, -0/+22$550! I'm not in the market at the moment, but that does look sweet. The one thing I'd check with before ordering is the case noise. In my personal opinion, HTPCs should ALL be fanless.
- bgeek, on 10/12/2007, -0/+21Found this on the FAQ:
http://tvease.net/support/e107_plugins/faq/faq.php?0.cat.3.13
Frequently Asked Questions
Question
What are the Hannibal specs?
Answer
This is where I think the Hannibal shines against its competitors. With windows media center and a windows based computer you need to have pretty high hardware specs to run it smoothly. This is where linux shines. You can use lower hardware specs and run smoother. This is where you save money. Because we dont need bleeding edge technology to run linux well, we tailored the hardware to do exactly what you want it to do.
Here are the specs which are also links to their manufacturer's websites:
Intel Celeron D 310 Processor @ 2.16 Ghz
PNY Geforce 6200 128Mb 8X Video Card
Sabrant 7.1 Digital Surround Sound Card with Optical output
PC Chips M963GV (V5.0) Motherboard
Linksys WMP54GÂ 802.11B/G Wireless Ethernet Card
Western Digital Caviar 7200 RPM 80 Gig Hard Drive
LG 16X Super Multi DVD burner GSAH10N
Sony RM-V310 Universal Remote
And the best for last. The case:
nMediaPC HTPC 100 SA
Now truth be told that is probably a little overkill for what you need for a media center PC also. But a little excess is never bad. We just want to make sure that it runs smoothly. These parts were picked because they run well together, and run your linux and MythTvease smoothly. - heresy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+18Haha...
"Built in Bit Torrent downloads
- Unlimited Downloads with the click of your remote
- Unlimited Free Movie and Music downloads
- We dont endorse pirating of movies or music"
Also, I liked their about page: http://tvease.net/about_us.php - brundlefly76, on 10/12/2007, -1/+17Its funny the stuff it *doesnt* list.
Does it have an auto-updating program guide?
Can it record over HD cable or HD Sat, or just OTA HD (the latter only I assume).
Can it record HD it all? (it says it can display HD but says nothing about being able to record it). - drizek, on 10/12/2007, -0/+16Supposedly, it is 100% silent and you can only hear it if you put your face up to it. download episode 21 of linuxactionshow.com and skip to about minute 42ish to hear hte interview with the people making these.
- retral, on 10/12/2007, -1/+15*AHEM* Sounds so nice, but where's the tv tuning/recording feature (it's not really a DVR after all, or at least not what people tend to think of when someone says "DVR")... also, the hardware specifics? Sounds too good to be true.
- sleepwalkers, on 10/12/2007, -1/+13Says someone who can't seem to use the comma correctly.
- magaman, on 10/12/2007, -0/+12yeah I to would liek a full list of specs, I mean how big is the hard drive, and what tuners if any are in it, since it says "1080i ect." does it record HD if so it sounds liek it could be a great deal
- bentheo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+9yeah, i agree. i can't see anywhere that is says it actually captures video. it should at least mention how many tuners it has, and what kind of drive capacity it has for recording. the reason it is so cheap is probably because the hardware required to just be able to play any kind of video is a lot cheaper then the hardware needed to be able to capture and play live tv.
- flameboy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+8@felchdonkey:
See the article on the page? Its titled Hannibal. Theres even a nice little picture of the system to the right.
Continue looking at that picture. Now look DIRECTLY TO THE LEFT. You should see a nice big image that says "Linux MythTV". Hopefully you are not using a text based browser. - zenerdiode, on 10/12/2007, -0/+8fwiw,
newegg prices: $90 for case, $60 for m/b with 1080i capabilities, $60 for cpu (though you can go even lower...don't need all that power for pvr)...they don't specify the hard drive...but you can get drives for pretty cheap. Basically, I think you can get everything for under $300...maybe less, if you scour the deals forums.
I guess what you're paying for is the set-up...BUT Myth is pretty darn easy to do. And I HIGHLY doubt, you can just plug it into a tv and expect it to work at 1080i. I think most people that have dabbled with HTPC would agree. - DyDx, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7@Protoss: Not without no capture card it ain't! And it makes no mention of a capture card.
MythTV is still a useful product without a capture card, it's just not nearly _as_ useful. - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -1/+81. Bad spelling
2. Incomplete site
3. SSL??
4. No specs listed, they should at least put a link "detailed specifications" for the advanced computer user. (just noticed you can go to the faq, thats still too hard to find it)
And lastly..Xbox Media Center is for me. I don't have an HDTV, but my Xbox runs at 480P and it looks great for an SDTV/EDTV, complete with a Monster Xbox svideo cable. - coheedcollapse, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6You'd think if they were going to make a Silence of the Lambs allusion, they'd spell Chianti correctly.
Other than that - cool tool. I'd really like to turn one of my old computers into a DVR, but I'm just too damn lazy. - ij00mini, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5It looks like a hardcore easybake oven from the year 2050.
- mindless2, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5No wonder it is so cheap- These EXACT SAME parts on Newegg come to $351.93.
Check it out for yourself:
http://secure.newegg.com/NewVersion/wishlist/PublicWishDetail.asp?WishListNumber=4534127 - RyeBrye, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5Prebuilt MythTV boxes can be a very bad thing for the MythTV community... here's why:
Zap2It - the service that currently provides the guide listings for MythTV users - for free - specifically forbids anyone who sells stuff to use their free data. There was some discussion on #mythtv-users the other day that Zap2It is already considering cutting the guide data for myth down to 3 days because of people like this (and others)... and they may come back and offer a paid subscription for myth users.
MythTV is sweet - but seriously, build it yourself. It's not that hard, and you will know how to fix it and upgrade it when the time comes. - bgeek, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6http://tvease.net/support/e107_plugins/faq/faq.php?0.cat.3.12
- seuaniu, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4So, it doesn't have a capture card? Sad excuse for a htpc if you ask me. If you buy that box, you'll also have to get a tivo or whatever just to be able to time-shift your tv.
Seriously, many people are able and willing to fork out a little extra to get a pre-configured toy that can do *everything*. This product boasts of being able to play any format, but doesn't record any, except for what you can rip out of your dvd collection. I know lots of people, myself include, that'd fork out $700 for that box if it could replace the tivo.
As it turns out, a hauppage 150 I.P. with a fm tuner costs $99
http://www.hauppauge.com/pages/products/data_pvr150mcelp.html - MMNManiac, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5click on the "About us" page:
==================================
About us
Put here your About us information.
==================================
Like mindless said above, the hardware can easily be bought for cheap. The actual setup and configuration of an HTPC is what makes one worth owning. You can get a similar configuration on a media center PC on sale, just slap a TV-out card on it.
I've actually bought the nMedia case (which is what they use). It's absolute garbage. The plastic is thin and cheap, easily bendable. Wasted my money, since the return cost was just as much as my refund. Stay away from the nMedia plastic cases.
Don't be fooled and get a cheap POS like this. You get what you pay for.
BTW folks, no, you cannot record HD. You can't do it until cableCARD comes out, and no, you can't build your own CableCARD boxes either - they're available to Tier-1 OEMs and systems builders only.
Diggers here are funny. Just because it's cheap doesn't mean it's good! If you're paying $500-600 just to record a few shows (not sure that it even can - i dont think there's a TV tuner!), why not just stick with a regular VCR and save your money? - dgh1973, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5Just heard about this on the Action show today.
Sounds like good stuff, dugg. - jcaino, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4what about storage space offered on this thing?
- pencilneck, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4OK, so say one gets the New Egg wish list:
http://tinyurl.com/ut64b
And on top of that one purchases a Hauppauge tuner card (duel tuner.. single tuner.. pick whatever Hauppauge you like best).
Now then, aside from the 80gig HD, would this be a good solid set up for MythTV? Would one be able to make it work with Dish Network tuners? Like the Dish 311?
If it would work with the Dish 311 recievers out of the box from TVease and do time shifting, then I would just rather let them do the dirty work for me and just purchase a unit outright for the $550. I'm not into HD TV yet and don't have to watch one show while recording another. But watching a recording while recording another show would be a must.
Your thoughs/input please.
Thank you. - LtSiver, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Ok Everyone....
I emailed asking the same question about the capture card.
Here's the email:
> Good evening.
>
> I'm very interested in the hannibal, but you do not specify which tv
> tuner card is in it.
>
> I have a PCHDTV HD-5500 card here, but since I am new to linux, I
> cannot get the card to work with any mythtv distro (knoppmyth) as they
> are running older versions of the kernel than this card has support
> for. (support is in 2.6.18 on up)
>
> I'm very interested in your box, especially since it says i can run my
> stereo through it. How many inputs does the box have? (i'm currently
> using a receiver with built in switching between inputs, and thinking
> about replacing it, but if your product does that , i would not need
> to get a new one...
The hannibal doesnt ship with a TV tuner card. You should be able to
just drop your card in though. The myth backend and mysql server are
already setup on it. It should be as simple as dropping it in and
populating the mysql database with your tv channels. The kernel is
2.6.17 but let me do some research on your card. It should be
supported. If not, we will write a how to for you to make it work.
Its setup so that you can use the optical or stereo outputs to send the
sound through your home stereo or hook 7.1 speakers to it and replace
your stereo. The Hannibal doesnt have inputs for a stereo to be played
through it. Should be no need, has FM radio and all your cd's on it. - greensky, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Fanless would be great, but a bigger small fan isn't a problem if it's quiet and easily replaceable. I would be more concerned about the sound level.
- Al3x, on 10/12/2007, -3/+6Looks good, site didn't work first couple times I clicked it so just in case:
http://duggmirror.com - tophfisher, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Agreed! The case they use was rated by a couple review sites (forget the link, its in TVease forums) as one of the quietest cases they reviewed.
They talk about it in the last linux action show. - cmdrNacho, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I heard on the podcast its 80 gigs, but supports external storage as well. Its built on ubuntu, so hopefully you can also mount drives, but not sure.
- Gerz1219, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I put together a decent system (using that very case!) for my dad, came in around $550 shipped on NewEgg. If I recall correctly, the specs were A64 3200+, 1 gig of cheap memory, bottom of the line NVIDIA PCI Express card, 320 gig hard drive, and a Hauppauge PVR-150. I'm assuming that would be more or less in line with what these guys are offering (I guess they make their profit by buying the components in bulk). I just don't understand why people are buying/building $1500 dual-core monsters for an HTPC, when a next-gen console is a much cheaper option for gaming, and there's very little HD content available for the PC. The pricetag for this alone is worth avoiding the hassle of setting up MythTV.
- LiquidPenguin, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I'm kicking around design specs for a full blown house server with an HTPC component and KAT5 video feeds. Everytime I mention central music and video storage and downloads, my GF squeals and tries to jump me. I might look at this and see about integrating it into my design.
The box is... pretty good. But reading parts of the site such as the FAQ is a bit of a let down. I can understand spelling errors. Doesn't look good, but I can understand them. But does a site trying to sell me a $550 piece of hardware really need to say, "LOL," in his FAQ? - worxman02, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4Because not all movies or music available through bit torrent is copyrighted and under the control of the RIAA. There are many independent artists that use bit torrent to distribute their music. Also don't forget about "Steal This Film" which is a movie put out by The Pirate Bay guys about piracy.
- vvaduva, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3It looks very nice but how will it record High Def output from my satellite receiver? That's all I am concerned with. If I can't watch Lost, Heroes, 24 and Battlestar Galactica in HD I have better ways to burn $550. They need to do a better job at spec-ing out the box for those of us who need more details
- evilbob333, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3It looks spiffy, but does it support Cable Cards. And is it easy to add an extra USB hard drive? Cause lets face it 80 GB just won't cut it. You add those two and I wouldn't even consider a Tivo
- mike503, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2anyone know if it has a wired connection? didn't see those type of specs.
i don't trust using wireless for anything entertainment-y. - wunch, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Heh, the guy admits that he is a bad speller on their support page:
http://tvease.net/support/news.php?item.30.1 - TomMcBaum, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2That's a cheap plastic case designed to look like shiny aluminum. My local store sells them for $100. Small fans, too. I was going to buy one UNTIL I saw the case in person. Go for an Antec Fusion case if you want a decent HTPC enclosure.
And no TV tuner. Yeah, that's a really feature complete DVR. - SavannahLion, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I thought that was a typo myself, but a quick Google turns up http://www.kat5.tv/ Looks like it's a central video distribution system based on Cat5 cabling.
Unless I'm jumping an assumption and that really is a typo. :- - Wolfie351, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2After pricing and building my own HTPC earlier this year, I know that case alone would cost a couple hundred. Without any other hardware specs, I'm very skeptical.
- Omicron, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2@wolfie
that case alone costs 89.99 at newegg.com
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16811204001
not hundreds.
in fact, i priced the entire package on a newegg wish list and it came to $399.92. i had to upgrade the vid card to 256MB cause newegg doesn't sell the 128 one they are using. also keep in mind, that their $550 does not include a tuner card... and if you want to be able to record one thing and watch another, you'll have to buy two tuner cards. then there is configuring those tuner cards for Linux. If you are someone who can do that with ease, you might as well save yourself 150 bucks and buy the parts and do the installation yourself.
this site is very deceiving. they lead you to believe that this thing is ready to go out of the box. in fact, on the page this digg links to they say:
"All with zero setup. You take it out of the box, plug it in, answer 3 questions about how you will hook it up. Watch movies and enjoy. Its that simple. Dont you wish everything in life could be this simple."
that's a blatent lie. - smoothdig, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2link to "Linux Action Show"
http://www.linuxactionshow.com/?p=55 - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3Awesome..
bet they get sued in days of released. The dmca says all devices sold must have the dvd regional lock out.. since this is a completed device and is sold i suspect they will go after them - drizek, on 10/12/2007, -0/+21. They say they have mythtv ready for drop-in addition of cable cards
2. Im fairly sure you can put two HDDs in there, if not, its runninng ubuntu so just plug in an external drive and youre all set. - NeoTechni, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Holy crap, I'd rather get a PS3 for that cost
- TheXeno, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Dear Santa...
- Moemar26, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I do wish everything in live could be that simple.
Seriously though, a decent product that I could build cheaper for myself.
And the website needs major work. I wouldnt be hocking my product with a front page looking like that. - hansamurai, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2XBMC looks great at 720p too! (1080i on the other hand isn't that great for text menus and such though)
- RyeBrye, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2http://tvease.net/support/e107_plugins/faq/faq.php?0.cat.3.13 lists the full specs
It has no tuner, and it only has an 80 gig HD - so even if you added a Tuner, you would fill that HD too fast... ESPECIALLY if you are doing any HD - 80 gigs is not long enough to record a video of someone saying "Why the hell is this hard drive only 80 gigs" in an HD format...
I built a computer with better specs (but not as nice a case, I admit) for $350... and 1/3 of that was a dual tuner Hauppauge PVR-500. - aspectratio314, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2They didn't get "fava beans" right either...
- felchdonkey, on 10/12/2007, -3/+5The site was down when I tried, and that's after just 100 diggs - so I'm very glad someone did a duggmirror.
Why make a comment like "no need for dugmirror?"
If Al3x hadn't done it, we wouldn't have been able to see the site. You don't wait until it's raining to fix a leaky roof - and you can't wait until a site has gone down to put up a mirror. - shuffle2, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I was looking into the case that they use when I built my HTPC about a year ago, however i decided to go with a thermaltake model instead (much better-looking, to me at least) :)
I'm not in the market, but I'll definitely show this to some friends that are.
Oh, and to people that are asking about CC and the multiple HD-formats....do your homework first! -
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