[mythtvnz] Help spending my brothers $5K on MythTV
Michael Stevens
mythtvnz@lists.linuxnut.co.nz
Thu, 23 Feb 2006 16:25:12 +1300
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On 2/23/06, Steve Hodge <stevehodge@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> On 2/23/06, Nick Rout <nick@rout.co.nz> wrote:
> > Steve Hodge wrote:
> > > If you're only recording from Sky Digital you don't need the tuner so
> > > why not get a dumb video capture card instead of a PVR150 (e.g.
> > > http://www.dse.co.nz/cgi-bin/dse.storefront/en/product/XH6594)?
> > > Certainly 1GHz Athlon should have no problem recording and playing
> > > back at the same time.
> >
> > I don't fully concur. The hardware conversion to mpeg2 would be a
> > definite advantage on that system IMHO.
>
> You mean in terms of CPU usage? I haven't actually tried recording
> with a dumb capture card on anything that low-end, but my 2GHz Sempron
> happily records from two dumb tuner cards and plays back at the same
> time.
My first box was a 1Ghz Duron. It was able to record and playback (ala
liveTV) with a dumb capture card, albeit only at SVCDish resolution
(480x576), and only with the RTJPEG codec. I also could not use MP3
encoding, as that would use too much CPU. Obviously my capture files were
quite large but it suited at the time. There wasn't any headroom for CPU
spikes, and occasionally I'd have problems in this area.
I now use a Athlon 2100XP which can record two mpeg4 streams (at the above
SVCD resolution) and playback at the same time with enough headroom for the
occasional spike in CPU usage.
As an aside, I probably could have used the MP3 encoding this time, but I
found the quality to be too bad to use. Too many MP3 artifacts, even on th=
e
most high quality recording setting. What's the general consensus around
here about the quality of the MP3 encoding?
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On 2/23/06, <b class=3D"gmail_sendername">Steve Hodge</b> <<a href=3D"ma=
ilto:stevehodge@gmail.com">stevehodge@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<div><span cl=
ass=3D"gmail_quote"></span><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"borde=
r-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-le=
ft: 1ex;">
On 2/23/06, Nick Rout <<a href=3D"mailto:nick@rout.co.nz">nick@rout.co.n=
z</a>> wrote:<br>> Steve Hodge wrote:<br>> > If you're only rec=
ording from Sky Digital you don't need the tuner so<br>> > why not ge=
t a dumb video capture card instead of a PVR150 (
e.g.<br>> > <a href=3D"http://www.dse.co.nz/cgi-bin/dse.storefront/en=
/product/XH6594">http://www.dse.co.nz/cgi-bin/dse.storefront/en/product/XH6=
594</a>)?<br>> > Certainly 1GHz Athlon should have no problem recordi=
ng and playing
<br>> > back at the same time.<br>><br>> I don't fully concur. =
The hardware conversion to mpeg2 would be a<br>> definite advantage on t=
hat system IMHO.<br><br>You mean in terms of CPU usage? I haven't actually =
tried recording
<br>with a dumb capture card on anything that low-end, but my 2GHz Sempron<=
br>happily records from two dumb tuner cards and plays back at the same<br>=
time.</blockquote><div><br>My first box was a 1Ghz Duron. It was able=
to record and playback (ala liveTV) with a dumb capture card, albeit only =
at SVCDish resolution (480x576), and only with the RTJPEG codec. I al=
so could not use MP3 encoding, as that would use too much CPU. Obviou=
sly my capture files were quite large but it suited at the time. Ther=
e wasn't any headroom for CPU spikes, and occasionally I'd have problems in=
this area.
<br><br>I now use a Athlon 2100XP which can record two mpeg4 streams (at th=
e above SVCD resolution) and playback at the same time with enough headroom=
for the occasional spike in CPU usage. <br><br>As an aside, I probab=
ly could have used the MP3 encoding this time, but I found the quality to b=
e too bad to use. Too many MP3 artifacts, even on the most high quali=
ty recording setting. What's the general consensus around here about =
the quality of the MP3 encoding?=20
<br></div><br></div><br>
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