[mythtv-users] 350 for video playback

[Joseph A. Caputo]

On Saturday 21 February 2004 16:43, Dan Boger wrote:
> I currently have our 350 set up on a P3-450MHz, and watching live TV, or
> playing back recordings is very simple.  However, when I try to use
> MythVideo, the playback is too slow to be viewable.  I understand that's
> because the ivtv driver isn't using the full hardware capabilities (as
> far as rgb->yuv), but I was wondering if anyone has any experience using
> a 350 on a faster machine (2GHz+), and if MythVideo was usable at that
> point?  Or do I just need to keep waiting until the ivtv driver develops
> more?
> 
> If so, I can try to convince my wife we need a better myth server.
> 
> Any suggestions welcome!


Unfortunately, the problem is not CPU-bound, except in the sense that you need 
enough CPU to do the decoding... a P3-450 is on the low end of the scale for 
full-screen DVD decoding.  However, a faster machine will not be much better, 
because the real limiting factor is the ability of the 350's framebuffer to 
display (non-MPEG) video.  The hardware is capable; the ivtv driver isn't 
(yet).  I believe there's an mplayer patch to use the 350's decoder, which 
should help for DVDs, but as yet there's nothing for non-MPEG-1/2 streams 
(i.e., divx/xvid).  Though some folks with fast enough machines have reported 
being able to transcode divx->MPEG1/2 in real time & using the patched 
mplayer...

Bottom line: your 2 likeliest options are (1) wait for the ivtv driver to 
support raw YUV video, or (2) use a different video-out card

-JAC