[mythtv-users] A few newbie type questions

[Simon at the Threshold]

Look out below...

Nick Gilbert wrote:
> Hi all,

Hi Nick,

> 
> I'm considering setting up a MythTV box to play with, but as I'm not 
> very linux proficient and I don't have a spare box yet, it'll probably 
> take me a while. Before I waste my time and set up a system to realise 
> that it's not really for me, I'd like to know the answer to a few 
> questions:

IMHO its going to good bit of learning curve for you to install, its 
quite easy but you need to do some serious stuff to your box. Still if 
you've got the time I'd say it was worth it.

> 1. I'm in the UK and I have a cable feed from NTL. Therefore my 
> programmes are usually transmitted in 16:9 widescreen and my TV is also 
> 16:9 widescreen (PAL). HOWEVER, all the screen shots I've seen are all 
> in 4:3 format and probably NTSC. Does mythtv support PAL and 16:9 
> anamorphic transmissions properly? I can't really see how it can as I'm 
> pretty sure that there aren't any video cards that could output a proper 
> 16:9 format PAL signal.
Interesting point, I've been hacking my hackserver to display via PAL-I 
(Uk and hongkong) in 720x576 res using a nvidia MX440. Works very well 
until somebody moves a bit fast at which point it can gets blurred. 
Switching on XVMC seems to fix it completely although I can't help but 
think its a little "unreal" somehow.. Still "work in progress"..

> 2. I really care about the quality of the recordings I get. How does the 
> quality compare to say, the original digital feed? Presumably it'll only 
> be a bit worse than the original feed?

The Nova-T (DVB-T) cards produce very crisp prictures and oddly enough 
the recordings are pretty damm crisp as well. Only hasssles I've had is 
with playback (as above).  I've not noticed any degregation in quality 
from the orignal playback or recordings..BTW.

Oddly enough I've noticed quite a lot of mythtv users rating the PVR-350 
(Cable ready according to the blurb) so maybe you should look in that 
direction.

> 3. UK TVs are 576 lines (I think). But most applications like this only 
> work in 640x480. Does this mean that all cards with TV out, will have to 
> scale/resample the 640x480 signal up to 576 lines for display on the TV 
> and therefore may appear to be slightly soft all the time? Or can it put 
> the graphics card into 720x576 to get UK PAL resolution?
All correct, and certainly the nvidia card can be tweaked to stick out 
video in the correct resolution..  Improves the picture quality considably..

> 4. Does it work like a TIVO in the sense that you are always watching a 
> recompressed version of the signal rather than the original? Or does it 
> show you the raw output of the TV card if you're not currently watching 
> a recording?
Not sure..

> 
> Thanks,

No bother.. Let the list know how you get on.. Always interesting seeing 
people successess..


> 
> Nick...
> 
> PS: I really wish MythTV.org had a searchable forums system instead of a 
> mailing list. Mailing lists are very unstructured and a but clumsy to 
> subscribe to and unsubscribe from when you only want to ask one or two 
> questions. I think a lovely PHPBB would work much better for people like 
> me.

Probably..<Chuckle>

Regards
Simon


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