[mythtv-users] Mythtv playback quality poll

Kevin Barsby Kevin.Barsby at Sun.COM
Mon Jun 21 19:29:02 EDT 2004


> I have not found "the HW decoder for EPIA boards in setup" that you
> mention below. Maybe I've missed something?

You're in luck I'm working from home today :-)

>From main myth menu (Note you must be running 0.14 or later):
Setup -> TV Settings -> Playback

Skip though the screens until you get the page with "Use VIA HW MPEG
Decoding" at the bottom. Check this option. 

> Have you added cards (such as a PVR-350) to your system?

I have but I have a single machine for backend and frontend, at the
moment I'm using the 350 simply as a TV in card (Like a 250), and I'm
using the TV-out on the EPIA.

> I'm trying to run an EPIA-M 10K with no other cards added.

It /should/ be possible, the only frontend function I'm using my 350 for
is the Infrared receiver.

> I'm using CVS 0.15.20040528-1

Ok, then the EPIA mpeg decoder option should be present, it's been there
since 0.14.

> My ultimate intention is to run it as a diskless frontend. It's
> currently running with a small (6Gig) disk until I figure out the
> problems.

This is my next phase, to separate the back and front end, I'm happy
with the config at the moment though.

> Doing all of this helps a bit as the cpu usage is showing around 90%.

Watching TV on my EPIA I get about 40% CPU. You need to use the onboard
mpeg2 decoder.

> I thought the EPIA card was okay since others have used it.
> I didn't realize that most had tossed in an additional PVR-350 to the
> system.

The reason I brought a 350 was that for 20 quid extra (over a 250) it
gave me another option with tv-out. I aactually switched to the Epia
TV-out to get accelerated X drivers and a better config for audio (I'm
using SPDIF out to digital surround speakers).

Cheers
Kev



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