[mythtv-users] Will this do for a frontend?

[Yan Seiner]

Johnny wrote:
>> A shop is having a sale for a mini pc (complete, case, PSU, connectors,
>> etc.) which has these specs:
>> Intel Atom230 1.6GHz
>> 1GB RAM
>> SIS Mirage 3+ GPU w/ DVI-I
>> (And Vesa mount, DVI-VGA plug, USB WiFi, 160GB HDD, etc.)
>>     
>
> SIS? Wow, I didn't know there were people I have never even heard of
> making graphics chips. With an Atom230 and no hardware acceleration
> (nvidia is the only one doing this in Linux right now) you are going
> to be limited to SD resolutions. With so many ION systems available
> for <$200 I don't see why you would look at anything else. This won't
> come close to the same performance as an ION system will for mythtv
> use.
>   
Well, I just set up an Atom 330 box, with GMA945 graphics, which 
*almost* does HD.  I can get flawless HD in mplayer but myth is just a 
few % CPU less efficient so I get a pause every few seconds.

I expect that once ffmpeg-mt comes into its own, boxes like mine will do 
HD with no problem.  I wish myth had settings like mplayer; framedrop 
would be nice for these marginal cases.

BTW, the latest xorg+intel drives seem to make a big difference.  I'm 
running

X.Org X Server 1.7.99.1
Release Date: (unreleased)
X Protocol Version 11, Revision 0
Build Operating System: Linux 2.6.31.1 i686

and it's a marked improvement over the current shipping versions. (Not 
that I recommend bleeding edge; I'm trying to solve a hardware issue 
with the semi-broken hardware on my mobo and the faster performance is a 
bonus.)

The big reason ION was a non-player for me is the lack of 
SVIDEO/Composite out.  I wish someone made a mini-ITX ION board with 
TV-out.  As much as the industry would like to make it go away, analog 
is going to be with us for a while.

--Yan

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