Creating a MP Server (1 Viewer)

[Cpajoe2001]

I've recently been getting excited about building a HTPC and was going to start trying to learn linux to build a Myth box but then I found this site while reading through there forum and this is 1000 times better then Myth I think. I love this idea behind having a MediaPortal Server and then having clients. I just have a few questions I am hoping this community can answer for me. How beefy of a box does this server need to be? I know the first response is "Well what will you be doing with it?" I am going to have 4 dvb-s2 reciever cards in it for TV . I'll have plenty of storage for hold DVD ISO's. and will be connecting 3 client boxs. Each client box has a giga network connection and the host has a teamed 4gb backbone. My real question is lets say I am recording 4 shows in HD streaming 4 shows in HD to the clients how much CPU and Ram do I need to do this and not be running 100% pegged out and laggy. My next question is on the streaming of the HD content to the clients who is doing the decoding is the server just sending it raw and all the HD processing is done at the client box or is it processed at the server and just displayed on the client. Last is if I am storing my DVD iso's on a central server has anyone had issues mounting and playing a DVD in MP from a network location. Any insite to how this all comes together I would appreciate.