[mythtv-users] Help me size next cpu, Athlon 2800+ MP enoughforhigh quality/filters?

[D Banerjee]

From: "J. Donavan Stanley" <jdonavan at jdonavan.net>
>
> >From: "J. Donavan Stanley" <jdonavan at jdonavan.net>
> >
> >
> >
> >Going from 3500kbits to 750kbits is no joke as far as disk space is
> >concerned. While I understand that the dirty quality of cable/broadcast
tv
> >and the lack of dual-pass encoding means I need to allow for a good
amount
> >of extra bitrate, 3500 is nuts :) Recording pure MPEG2 even more so.
> >
> >
>
> If 3500 is nuts for MPEG2 you must have some REALLY low standards for
> your video.  If I capture at 740x480 at 1600 there would be compression
> artifacts all over the place.  It's entirely possible that I could
> reduce my mpeg4 bit rates but any noticeable artifacts are unacceptable.

No, for MPEG4. You are transcoding from MPEG2->MPEG2?? Yes there are
"artifacts" with MPEG4 as it stands right now, but it is not being
postprocessed. It should be classified as "in progress". Try playing around
with playback filters and postprocess. Right now everybody's just cranking
their bitrates as high as possible so they don't see any blocking, but
you're not supposed to be able to see blocking ever in MPEG4 :) Also
remember you lose a lot of quality when you transcode from MPEG2->MPEG4,
which is another reason I don't particularly want to spend the dough on a
pvr-250. If it's going to end up as MPEG4 anyway, might as well do it from a
clean source.

Recording the simpsons at 1600 isn't really bad, and lets me collect many
episodes without filling my disk. Live-action, yes. Theoretically, 1600
should be good quality.