[mythtv-users] alternative GPU - graphics cards with open sourcedrivers question

Todd Ignasiak ignasiak at gmail.com
Thu Dec 8 14:21:03 EST 2005


For more info on the S3 graphics, check out the OpenChrome project and
mailing lists.  They have a lot of info on the various chips and the subtle
differences in features/support.

I think the easiest (maybe only) way to go is to get a motherboard with
Unichrome video.

Also,  I think S3 Graphics is owned by VIA, aren't they?   Are they at risk
for going under?

On 12/8/05, Bob <spam at homeurl.co.uk> wrote:
>
> Todd Ignasiak wrote:
> > I looked into these a while back, and I was unable to find any
> > standalone video cards available for purchase.  With the video
> > processing capabilities they have, the S3 products would make ideal
> > HTPC video cards.
> >
> >   As you mentioned, the Unichrome is available integrated into many
> > motherboards.   S3 also announced a couple new models recently, the
> > S25 and S27.
>
> I belive these are PCI Express models
> http://www.s3graphics.com/en/products/index.jsp but I'm sure someone
> could put them on an AGP card with a converter like some of the Nvidia
> cards, I think it's the 6600s that are natively PCI-E but have AGP
> versions available through the magic of a little chip.
>
> > If you can find one, there are still a few questions..  Does the
> > driver from the unichrom project support these chips?   Do the
> > standalone cards have the same MPEG decoder capabilities as the
> > unichrome?
>
> Don't know but I'd have thought their'll be plenty of similarities
> though one big difference is going to be in memory handling, I'm pretty
> sure the on-board unichrome GPU uses some of the system RAM but an
> expansion card model won't.  As for the MPEG stuff, the specs claim
> acceleration and given the man hours involved in developing such a
> feature it's probably the same~ish but I'm speculating.
>
> > I currently use an Nvidia FX5200 (it's fanless, and supports XvMC
> > MPEG2 acceleration).   But, I would like to replace it with a card
> > that has open source drivers.. if something is out there.
>
> Me too, lets hope a the turnover provided by the VIA boards is enough to
> stop S3 going under (as everyone on /. seems to think it will) until a
> major card fab puts the chips on something we can buy and thus promote
> better support for open source software from hardware manufacturers.
>
> --
> tveeprom: Hauppauge: model = 34132, rev = J158,
> tveeprom: tuner = Philips FM1236 MK3 (idx = 58, type = 4)
> tveeprom: audio_processor = MSP3416 (type = 14)
> (new type Model 401)
> model name      : mobile AMD Athlon(tm) XP Processor
> cpu MHz         : 2277.214
> cache size      : 512 KB
> (Plenty o' grunt on an ECS k7s5a MB)
> Knoppmyth R5A16 (unmodified)
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> MythTV 0.18.1
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