[mythtv-users] Re: How slow can we go, cpu wise? P2-333?

[Mark J. Small]

On February 27, 2005 12:35 am, Justin Gombos wrote:
> I appreciate all the responses.
>
> The approach I'm taking is that I have a solution (P2s looking for a
> home) and I'm looking for the problem.  The goal was to get encoders
> and decoders doing all the work, so these systems can be recycled as
> PVRs.
>
> Without giving it much thought, I figured high definition would be
> feasible since the encoders and decoders are doing all the work
> anyway.. but apparently a couple GHz is needed just to move the data
> along.
>
> So it was starting to look like a P2-333 could be used as just a
> server box that captures standard definition TV.  But Mark Small
> killed that idea when his p2-333 couldn't even capture standard
> definition realtime TV with it.
>
> Anyway, I'm glad I posted here before trying it.  You folks saved me
> from some frustration.  These boards will probably have to be tossed
> into the landfill or I'll have to find another job for them.

My problem was that I didn't have a good capture card.  I was using a Matrox 
Marvel which hardware encodes to mjpeg, a codec which seems to take a TON of 
CPU to decode.  The hardware decode never worked for me with mythtv.

With a pvr 350 you should have no problems at all.

Mark