[mythtv-users] Dual processors -- better than single fast processor?

[Gregory J. McGee]

Avermedia M179s are now $39 at Frys.. Closing them out.

Get 2, and your single proc 1GHz machine will be fine.

> Message: 9
> Date: Fri, 16 Jul 2004 13:08:43 -0400 (EDT)
> From: Cory Papenfuss <papenfuss at juneau.me.vt.edu>
> Subject: Re: [mythtv-users] Dual processors -- better than single fast
>         processor?
> To: Discussion about mythtv <mythtv-users at mythtv.org>
> Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.4.60.0407161302170.5708 at juneau.me.vt.edu>
> Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed
> 
>         I have used mythtv on both a dual celeron 300->450, and a
> duall PIII 
> 750->1GHz (see a pattern here?... :)  No single process of mythtv can
> utilize 
> more than one cpu at present, but the nature of what mythtv does lends
> itself 
> to multiple processes to some degree.  A 1GHz PIII is pushing it for
> both 
> encoding (MPEG4) and playing at the same time.  The dual worked will
> in that 
> situation (mythbackend took 90% cpu, mythfrontend + X approx 60-80% of
> the 
> other).  If you were trying to do something fancy with the encode or
> really 
> high resolution, you'd be bumping up against a single 1GHz PIII
> encoding.  I 
> did on mine, and ended up with a 480x480 IIRC.  If you wanted
> full-tilt 720x480 
> with deinterlacers, denoisers, etc, the 1GHz won't do.
> 
>         Even with the dual, it tends to boil down to how fast the rest
> of the 
> system is as well.  There's lots of data flying around (raw YUV over
> PCI bus 
> being a huge one), so if you don't have things tweaked and good vid
> card, it's 
> pushing it.  I've since gotten rid of the bttv card from my system
> (crappy 
> hardware), so I only use the pvr-250.  I highly recommend the MPEG2
> card, as it 
> gave me better quality in addition to the reduced CPU load.
> 
> YMMV
> -Cory
>