[mythtv-users] Low End MythTV

[Andrew Lynch]

--- Brad Templeton <brad+myth at templetons.com> wrote:

> On Sun, Mar 06, 2005 at 09:00:14PM -0800, Andrew
> Lynch wrote:
> > 
> > I think it would be great if old PCs could be
> > converted into PVRs rather than tossing them in
> > landfills or third world toxic waste dumps.  That
> is
> > such a waste.  I regularly see cheap TV tuners for
> $20
> > or less.  Add one to an old PC + free/open source
> > software and presto cheap PVR!
> > 
> > Thanks!
> 
> Indeed.  But there are limits.  I mean at some point
> it doesn't
> make sense to put a $130 pvr-250 in a computer which
> is worth
> $50, if that, on the open market.   You are happy
> with 320x240 but
> now that I am watching a lot of HDTV, I find 720x480
> to be blurry.
> 

Yeah.  I agree with the logic that if you are going to
spend $200 on a PVR-250 and an Nvidia card are going
to stuff them into a old clunker PC.  I think a $20
bttv frame grabber tuner is more like it.  Old color
TVs barely do 320x240 and VHS tapes have only about
that resolution so its not unheard of quality.

I think many of the folks who are seriously looking
into low end MythTV PVRs are either just trying out a
machine they have laying about just to see if it can
work before taking the plunge to a bigger and better
HTPC.  

There are probably people who would like a PVR who
have an old PC and a $20 tuner but don't have access
to anything else for whatever reason.  I can see
getting an old PC basically for free (I have gotten
several PCs as throw aways which I salvage for parts).

If there were a "low end MythTV" community to form
maybe there would be more emphasis on developing
MythTV for low end hardware.  It seems to me that
MythTV is drifting towards higher and higher standards
of hardware, HDTV, etc.

I am not criticizing MythTV please don't get me wrong.
 I love everything about the project but were MythTV
focused to more towards low end "bare metal"
implementations like embedded linux I think the design
decisions would be somewhat different.  I think there
would be less dependence on QT, X, other large
libraries, etc and more focus on really lightweight
solutions like SVGAlib or direct frame buffer etc. 
Maybe that will happen some day and I hope it does. 
Again, its my personal opinion and not a reflection on
MythTV or a criticism in any way.

In the meantime, I'd like to make the best of what is
here and push the envelope to see how low is possible
and practical.  I suspect that with an Nvidia card
using XvMC and PVR-250 I could make a working PVR
using a less than 200 MHz CPU PC.  Literally, those
machines are now 8 years old or older and are becoming
hard to locate they are so obsolete.

Thanks!

Andrew Lynch

> When you see them selling a Sempron 2200 lindows
> system in Fry's
> for $180, you really have to ask what your time is
> worth trying to
> make it all work on a really ancient PC.  Ancient
> PCs of course also
> tend to not have USB, or AGP.
> 
> Generally, you really want to record either 240 or
> 480 lines, though
> I guess you can go below 240 because once you
> convert to 240 you no
> longer have interlacing issues the same way.  240
> lines is considered
> the resolution of VHS tapes, but good broadcast has
> the full 480
> (interlaced) and a DVD has the full 480 progressive
> if you have
> the right setup.
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