[mythtv-users] Performance issue

[Matt Vollmar]

William wrote:

>>I just realized that maybe I didn't state my question.  :-)  Is this 
>>performance normal?  I saw other people saying that there 
>>should be no 
>>problem recording and watching a recording at the same time with this 
>>type of system (or doing more).  Please help!  I bought this 
>>system so 
>>that I could record and watch at the same time.
>>
>>Thanks,
>>
>>Matt
>>
>>Matt Vollmar wrote:
>>
>>    
>>
>>>Hi Mythical World,
>>>
>>>First of all, I add my thanks to the long list that has already
>>>accumulated.  I'm sure we will soon have to start a mailing 
>>>      
>>>
>>list just 
>>    
>>
>>>for thanks soon.
>>>
>>>I just built a new box:
>>>- Shuttle SS51G V.2.0
>>>- Celeron 2.4 GHz
>>>- 512 MB PC2700 DDR RAM
>>>- Western Digital 120 GB HD (8MB Cache, 7200 RPM)
>>>- PNY NVidia MX440 64MB DDR AGP (6111 Drivers)
>>>- ATI TV Wonder PCI
>>>- External DVD Writer via USB (for boot) or IEEE1394
>>>- Mandrake 10.0 upgraded to Cooker (so basically 10.1)
>>>- MythTv with all plugins from the site - CVS version
>>>  -- Alsa AND OSS compiled in because I wasn't sure if that 
>>>      
>>>
>>was my prob
>>    
>>
>>>  -- XvMC compiled in because I have the MX440
>>>      
>>>
>
>Try recompiling without the xvmc support. Use the plain Xv drivers. Your
>system is probably right on the edge performance wise due to the fact that
>you use a software encoded ATI card. I had many problems with stuttering
>until I got rid of that compile option. 
>
>If that does not fix it, perhaps its time for an upgrade. Switch to a
>PVR-250 card or other hardware capture card and lighten the processor load.
>
>Bill 
>
>
>  
>
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>
Thanks for your input.  I tried with just XV before, but I will try it 
again.

The one thing that bugs me about that is that the HOWTO states this:

Here are a few data points:

    * A PIII/733MHz system can encode one video stream using the MPEG-4
      codec using 480x480 capture resolution. This does not allow for
      live TV watching, but does allow for encoding video and then
      watching it later.
    * A developer states that his AMD1800+ system can *almost* encode
      two MPEG-4 video streams and watch one program simultaneously.
    * A PIII/800MHz system with 512MB RAM can encode one video stream
      using the RTjpeg codec with 480x480 capture resolution and play it
      back simultaneously, thereby allowing live TV watching.
    * A dual Celeron/450MHz is able to view a 480x480 MPEG-4/3300kbps
      file created on a different system with 30% CPU usage.
    * A P4 2.4GHz machine can encode two 3300Kbps 480x480 MPEG-4 files
      and simultaneously serve content to a remote frontend.

That bottom one basically tells me that I should be able to encode one 
and watch one...additionally, the one with the AMD1800+ is well below my 
specs.  If it's just not going to be possible, then I won't worry about 
it, since I don't normally just watch TV, but I want to be able to watch 
a movie even if one is being recorded.

Any other ideas?