[mythtv-users] VIA EPIA motherboards

[Warren]

For those using, or considering using VIA motherboards:

In section 3.1 of the HOWTO at the bottom of CPU Type and Speed it
currently says:
If you have a Via M10000 series or a Hauppauge PVR-350, MythTV can use
the hardware-based video decoder for playback, which further reduces CPU
requirements.

Any VIA EPIA-M 10000 or higher, as well as any EPIA-SP board will work,
and quite probably those below as well..  The SP boards need drivers
from the OpenChrome project (http://www.openchrome.org).  These drivers
will make the M-series work better as well.  MPEG-4 native acceleration
is due from this driver shortly on the SP series boards as well for
those using hardware MPEG-4 capture devices.

Here's the deal.  Any EPIA-M below 10000 has the old C3 Cyrix chip.  The
10000 and faster (do they make faster M boards?) will have the C3-2 (VIA
internally calls this the C5) chip.  The SP boards have a newer chipset
and a slightly different  C5 chip.  The newer chipset allows for the
MPEG4 video decoding.  Additionally, should you care, AES hardware
en/decryption is built in as well.

Any VIA EPIA motherboard made in the last year will likely work as well,
I know there are several more.  There is a linux distribution
specifically made for these motherboards called EpiOS at
http://www.epios.net which I have heard works quite well with mythtv.  I
have not tried it yet myself, although that is something I hope to
remedy this weekend when I load it up on an M10000-like system or 2 that
I have at home.

Disclaimer: I know all of this because I have worked closely with many
of the parties involved here.  I have done work with VIA on their video
drivers (they are -ahem- not the best choice) as well as some early
participation with the openchrome group and the group they joined then
forked from whose drivers are now in the kernel, and know the person who
heads up the EpiOS team as well.  Don't know if i need a disclaimer
since nothing is being sold here, but thought I would mention it just to
get it out in the open.