[mythtv-users] HDTV Recommendations

[Anthony Vito]

On Wed, 22 Sep 2004 17:04:49 -0400, Roy Murphy <murphy at panix.com> wrote:
> OK, tell me I'm crazy. I want to record OTA HD content and play it back
> on my HD screen. 

 I have a mythTV box recording OTA HD and playing it back via VGA to
my 800x600 projector. Not true HD, more like EDTV, but conceptually
it's the same setup. The hardest part is always the output.

> I want to be able to burn DVDs. What should I be
> looking for?

 There isn't anything very automated for burning DVDs of recorded
shows. There are nice tools, but you still have to do all the setup
and what not by hand for each disc.

> I see the pchdtv is recommended. It appears the 2K is no longer
> available and pre-orders for the 3K were supposed to start up today.
> Anything else?

 The backend recording part of OTA HD with a PCHDTV are all very
functional with mythTV. You'll will have to spend some amount of time
patching up the drivers/kernel to get the card itself working before
using mythTV.

> 
> Output devices. I see Nvidia is recommended. I'm disappointed. I don't
> like their binary driver policy. How about the Ati All-in-Wonder 9600?
> Is there decent support for that? Anything else with component outputs?
> (No DVI on my HD monitor - component only)

<philosophical rant> 
  There is no reason to not like Nvidia for their "binary only"
policy. Their entire company is based on IP, and very slim competitive
margins. They do a first class job of releasing an installer that
works on nearly any linux distro, even compiling the modules against
the kernel source tree that's installed! It's the most complete video
card driver available for linux, ever.
</philosohical rant>

 As I stated above, output is the killer. It's all very new, and very
experimental. You have to have the machine to do it. That being either
a very very high end CPU, or a high end CPU and a video card that will
offload some of the mpeg2 decoding. Nvidia XvMC is really the only
option for HD content right now, ( Does the new XvMC_VLD for Via chips
do ok with HD frames? ) And even with all that, there are still plenty
of people with jitters here and there, OSD causing jitters. Mainboards
suspected for causing jitters. Also, with XvMC the OSD is in black and
white.... etc....  You also have to match the output type.... does
your HDTV have VGA input(s) DVI (research to see if it works with any
video cards)... component( VGA--> component adpaters)...

> Assume that my budget is substancial. What should I be looking at?

 I'll build you one for a substantial fee ;)


-- 
Anthony Vito
anthony.vito at gmail.com