[mythtv] Trading CPU for disk (capture using low cpu codec?)

[kevin thayer]

Has anyone experimented with the trade-offs between
CPU usage and disk size?

I have a dual celeron setup, at 500mhz each, they
aren't terribly powerful, but I have heard tales of
people using inefficient codecs and getting decent
performance out of their slow pcs using a "really
light weight encoder" (RAW?) and then compresing it
during off hours.

I'd be interested in seeing a ranking of software
codecs by how much cpu they use. Anyone knowlegable in
that area?

Can anyone comment on the feasability of using a
really space-inefficient but cpu friendly codec to do
time-shifting tv watching (pause/ff/etc live tv)?
(would disk throughput become *the* factor?)

What would rock is a table of codecs and max seamless
record/watch resolution for various cpu's.. That's a
TALL order though :)

This may be a dumb question, but using software, can
you specify an arbitrary resolution and thereby
squeeze the maximum SOFTWARE performance out of your
cpu? (ie. increase the size till it chokes) I know
there is a size setting, but not sure how configurable
it is.

Can you use other (untested?) codecs for
record/playback by changing that line of the config
file to other libavcodec supported codecs?

Thanks!
-Kevin

__________________________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now.
http://mailplus.yahoo.com