[mythtv-users] Interesting potential lightweight frontend

[Jules Bean]

Michael T. Dean wrote:

> I've seen a "review" saying that it is possible with the dual 2.0GHz+ 
> PowerMac G5's (although the review simply took Apple's word for it), but 
> impossible with available x86-based CPU's ( 
> http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=25057 ).  So, when Apple releases 
> their new MacIntel's (in January?), you'll be getting a nice feature 
> loss (especially since the Intel chip is lacking some must-have AMD 
> features).

Thanks for the link. Interesting.


> Let me know if you seen anything more current (i.e. testing the 4800+ or 
> the 5000+ or ...  I haven't yet put Myth on my 4800+, but when I do, 
> I'll do some tests.  (Still working on getting an HDTV antenna installed 
> in my attic in between the trusses...  What a pain.  Stupid homeowner's 
> association...)


No, I don't have anything more current. I was only going on my own gut 
feeling about powerpc/AMD comparisons, which is, roughly, that a G4 
performs better than an Athlon XP with the same 'number' but not all 
that much.

That article didn't say what software they were using. Could it be that 
the commonly available x86 codecs just aren't as well optimized as the 
one Apple has written for the powerpc? And maybe when Apple make the 
switch they will make some effort to port some 'fast' H.264 code to the 
new procs. It would be really, really ironic if after all this time when 
AltiVec failed to deliver performance that people cared about, HDTV 
turned out to be the killerapp for AltiVec and Apple was switching away 
from powerpcs...

It's all pretty academic to me since I'm in the UK and HDTV isn't going 
to get to me any time soon on free-to-air. To be honest, I'm not fussed; 
  whilst I can certainly see the difference between HDTV and plain PAL 
DVD-quality, it's nothing something that I care about when watching TV.

Jules