[mythtv-users] frontend hardware - any reason not to use ion?

Fred Squires fsquires at gmail.com
Mon Jan 11 12:32:55 UTC 2010


On Sun, Jan 10, 2010 at 6:47 PM, Kirk Bocek <t004 at kbocek.com> wrote:
>
>
> matt lutz wrote:
>>
>> All,
>>
>> Up until now I was able to use a combination frontend/backend because
>> I was able to keep my server in the basement and run audio & video
>> cables to my receiver.  Very soon I won't be able to do that though,
>> and I'm in the process of evaluating frontend hardware.  I need HD
>> capabilities, and from what I gather, VDPAU has made a small silent HD
>> capable frontend relatively cheap.  The question I have is whether
>> there are any downsides to the ion platform.  Is the atom fast enough
>> to do all of the newer MythUI features?  I saw somewhere that it can't
>> support some of the deinterlaces (advanced 2x or something like
>> that?).  Is that a big deal?  Are there further advancements coming
>> down that would make the ion obselete, and I'd be better off getting a
>> microATX board with a newer nvidia graphics card?
>>
>> This would seem like the ideal frontend assuming the ion is a good choice:
>>
>>
>> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16856173001&cm_re=zotac_ion-_-56-173-001-_-Product
>>
>
> I recently installed an Acer Aspire Revo R1600-U910H as an FE-only host.
> It's an Ion based system. Works like a charm. Plays 1080p content just fine
> with VDPAU and only about 10% CPU usage. Almost completely silent. Certainly
> more quiet than any box with a standard CPU fan. HDMI audio works with the
> proprietary Nvidia drivers. I have no experience with the open source Nvidia
> driver.

I'm also using the single core Revo:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883103228&Tpk=aspire%20revo

I got it a few weeks ago but just finally put it in the living room on
Friday. So far it works great, though I don't use PIP and I can turn
overscan off so I don't have the problems one of the other users in
this thread has.

A few tips:
You'll need to go into the bios to increase the memory for the video
card. With 1 GB you can only move it up to 256, I added an extra gig
so I could go up to 512. I didn't notice any problems with 256, but I
only tested a few videos.
You should also follow the suggestions on this wiki page:
http://www.mythtv.org/wiki/Vdpau#Troubleshooting (I had to enable
OpenGL VSync to play back Smallville, probably anything on CW, but I
disable it for everything else because it causes stuttering sometimes)


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