[mythtv-users] Sigma Designs X-Card

[Dale Weber]

On Tuesday 16 December 2003 11:31 am, James L. Paul wrote:

> I don't think you understand the hardware. It doesn't require any more
> "horsepower" to do both simultaneously. It doesn't use any CPU, and as has
> been pointed out here the functions are independent.

	It's not that I don't understand hardware, but I obviously don't yet have a 
solid grasp of how things with with Linux.  I just have not been as involved 
with Linux as I have been with 'another OS' until recently.  :)  I am not 
spending most of my time booted into Linux, rather than that 'other OS' and 
am liking it soooooooooooo much better.  :D  I've been bumping around the 
Linux community since before kernel 0.98, but am just actually starting to 
tinker more seriously with it now. :D

> Well, there's a HUGE reason to do both at the same time! Like recording TV
> while you are watching it! ;)

	Yes, I understand.  My preferences are currently still to use separate 
devices for each function, but I am happy to hear the PVR/350 can handle both 
simultaneously and do them well under Linux. :)  It means I should be able to 
do quite well with just a single PVR/350 to start with, and can just add a 
HDTV card later, when support is better and I have better access to HD 
content.

> Huh? What in the world does any of the have to do with qquality? The
> quality is what it is, it has NOTHING to do with this. The encoder encodes,
> the decoder decodes. One doesn't affect the quality of the other depending
> on whether or not they are operating at the same time.

	I mean that in many cases, having separate devices to do each function can 
indeed affect the output quality you get.  Combination devices frequently do 
not perform as well as separate devices for individual functions.  I realize 
this is not always the case, and as with all things, there are always 
exceptions. :)  It looks like the PVR/350 is indeed an exception. :D

	Right now, I will be happy if I can get my current old model 880 WinTV/PVR 
card to do something useful with Myth and Linux. :)  I can get a picture when 
I use XawTV, for starters, but it isn't a great image.  I obviously have to 
get ivtv and install it and tweak things to have everything work right.

	8-Dale
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