[mythtv] openbrick / frontend

[Larry Matter]

>> The top CPU consumer when I play mythtv is X, not mythfrontend.  I
>> don't know, but maybe their X driver is not very efficient.  I have
>> played around with reslutions/bitrates/formats a lot and this was the
>> best choice; rtjpeg is *really* jerky.  X is set to 800x600.
>
> Heard this before, so it's probably the driver. But could also be the
> X-server itself, if it uses much floating point stuff (shouldn't be I
> guess).

If I reduce the vertical resolution to 240, then the X cpu usage goes to
"nuthin" but this does not make a very good picture.

>> No, not sure, but I followed their instructions.  You can't recompile
>> the kernel if you want to use Via drivers (unless you want to manuall
>> edit the symbols), so I can't optimize for C3.  I also don't know how
>> much playing over the network affects performance - soon I'll be able
>> to try an AMD 1200Mhz
>
> Do they supply their own kernel then? Not the normal modules?

No, they support only a few of the popular (albeit older) ones.  Redhat
7.2, Mandrake 8.2 basically.  And then you cross your fingers and load
their modules.  I read in the Via forums about people using vim to edit
the symbols in the Via modules to match the ones in their non-supported
kernels, and I ran away screaming...I don't have that kind of time.

>> I have written to Via about both their binary drivers and the mpeg
>> decoder support; they promissed to get back to me...
>
> Good luck!

Thanks.  Nothing so far...