[mythtv-users] Building a system from scratch

Jeff Clowser jclowser at unitedmessaging.com
Tue Nov 18 13:20:19 EST 2003


I'm a complete newbie wrt MythTV, and I'm trying to figure out what I 
need to buy to put a system together and try it out.  I'm a bit confused 
about the Hauppauge and vid cards, and I'm a bit too much of a noob to 
know the right places to look for some of the info :)

Looks like the PVR-250 card just has inputs and an mpeg-2 encoder, so 
would use software to decode, and a separate video card with TV out to 
connect this to a TV.

Looking at the PVR-350, it looks like it adds a hardware decoder and 
tv-out onboard.  Looks like as of .12, MythTV supports the hardware 
decoder and TV out, presumably using less CPU for playback.  If I use 
that, do I need another video card?

I was also looking at the WinTV-HD card.  I figure down the road, as 
HDTV catches on, it would be ideal to have this (though I'm also far 
from an hdtv expert).  FWIW, I have an HDTV ready tv, so think I'm good 
there.  Looks like HDTV is already broadcast as mpeg2, so hdtv doesn't 
need an encoder?  Looks like this card has an mpeg-2 decoder, but not an 
mpeg-2 encoder(?)...  Also, looks like it has the tv out (obviously) to 
connect to the hdtv itself.  For non-HDTV signals, I'm guessing with 
this card it needs to encode in software?  Is this card (well) supported 
in MythTV (is this the pcHDTV card noted on the MythTV homepage as being 
better supported in .12)?

Hauppauges site says that the system requirements include an AGP 
graphics card - is that only if used to view this on a PC also being 
used for other purposes?  i.e. if I connect this to a regular TV (with 
the PVR-350) or an HDTV monitor (for the WinTV-HD), will it output 
everything to the tv, so I don't need a monitor or video card, or is 
that needed to use other stuff like DVD playback, MythWeather, etc?

I'm thinking some of my options here are:

1.  Use a PVR-350 to encode one input, plus to decode output and display 
to a tv (i.e. no video card needed).  If I want additional inputs (i.e. 
a second sat/cable box), I can add PVR-250 cards that will encode and 
store programs, which I can then play back using the PVR-350.  Is there 
any value to having multple PVR-350 cards (I'm assuming you can only 
decode and watch one thing at a time...)

2.  If I want to use the WinTV-HD card, I think I'd use that card to 
decode and output programs.  For encoding programs, if they are HDTV, 
this card would just accept the input and record it to the hard disk.  
If it was a non-hdtv signal, it would have to use software 
encoding(?).   If this card does actually have an mpeg2 encoder, it 
would seem to be an ideal replacement for the PVR-350 and 250 cards in 
option 1 above for an "ultimate" system.

Is there a card from anyone else that is supported by MythTV, does 
hardware encoding, decoding, AND HDTV (if WinTV-HD doesn't have a build 
in encoder)?

My end goal would be to put a large box with multiple encoders in a 
central location, connected to the hdtv, later creating smaller mythtv 
frontend boxes for around the house.

Does this sound reasonable, or am I completely missing the picture?


Thanks for your patience if you got this far :)
 - Jeff






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