Keyboard with trackball or remote for MythTv?

[anigodin]

Hello people,

Taking advice an recommendation from a friend I built a media center with Mythbuntu.
untiil now I've been using a standard mouse and keyboard with the machine but the more I watch movies on it, I find it that I really need a remote control for it.

I have Three questions:

1. I dont have the backhabd set up yet. I dont have a DVR card on the machine and I'm trying to figure out what is more recommanded - a keyborad with a trackball (and not installing a DVR at all, I dont watch TV that much and I'm not sure I really need it) or intalling a DVR with a remote that will control the machine. my friend have both, the remote in his bedroom and the keyboard in the living room and he said he like the keyboard more.

2. I've been looking around for a keyboard with trackball and found a keyboard of TEAC model SMX-20. does anybody knows if this thing is any good? it said the keyboard has a 10 m range (it's a laser keyboard), but I never heard about TEAC keyboards.. I use a Logitec on my other computer.

3. If i decide to install a DVR card, which one do you recommand? I dont want to spend to much money on this. I need it mainly for the remote control.

I'll be happy to any advise or tip.
Many thanks in advance.

[volkswagner]

Go for the remote. MCE USB remote is the most recommended with great support. Myth tv is designed to work with a remote. To recommend a tv card, for analog it is hard to beat the PVR150. For ATSC, QAM, the K-world 110 is well supported.

[anigodin]

Thank you for the quick answer.

I saw the DVR card you recommended - the PVR-150 MCE, but I wasnt sure it'll work properly on Mythbuntu. my friend said he have this card but he told me to verify that the remote, which is windows media center compatible might not work ok with mythbuntu. is that true? he said this card comes with another remote.
I also read somewhere that installing this card is a nightmare on Vista. the question is, is it a nightmare only on Vista because it's vista or because it's a nightmare on every system? :-)

[volkswagner]

The PVR150 works out of the box on Mythbuntu. I would recommend getting it without the remote. Get the mceUSB2 remote.

[ed3120]

I had an IR keyboard. I didn't like it. I replaced it with an RF keyboard because I found the line of sight to be very annoying. (dropped key when typing, etc)