[mythtv-users] 350 Tv Out vs. Nvidia 5200

[mythtv-users at fastdruid.co.uk]

Jesse wrote:
> Jesse Guardiani wrote:
> > Dave wrote:
> >> On 8/23/05, Mark Gardner <markgard at gmail.com> wrote:
> >>> Can anyone comment on the quality comparison between the two 
> >>> abovementioned chipsets?

Well just to add my 2p, I've had a PVR-350 running for about a year with
TV/X out,
I've just swapped to a nvidia Geforce4 MX440/128Mb/AGP 8x

PVR-350: 
Advantages:
Picture quality - Supposedly better[0]
Hardware en/decoding - low processor usage, ideal for low spec 'silent'
frontends[1]

Disadvantages:
It's physically fscking huge - wont for example fit in a pundit-R without
case modifications
Not 100% stable - crashes under ff/rew sometimes (ivtv v0.3.8/mythtv 18.1
fwiw. May be better with later versions)
No games
No boot msg's - If you care (I don't and have a serial console if I want
boot msgs)
Problems with DVD's (much better with XV support)
Not pretty on bootup (pops and different colours->distorted image/last image
before shutdown->kde splash->kde->mythtv), can have driver loaded earlier)
No hauppauge driver support
some mythtv functions don't work (vol control etc)
No VGA/DVI
Cost


MX440 (5200 or similar should be better)
Advantages:
Cheap
Stable 
nvidia driver support
Games
DVD'S
DVI/VGA
Prettier on bootup (blank screen->nvidia splash(if turned on)->suse late
splash->(kde but for a split second and don't see it)->mythtv), depending on
card/setup can have entire bootup from bios splash into mythtv.
Easily replaceable/upgradeable hardware with _no_ config changes (new nvidia
card, just pop it in, single driver means 		config and driver
won't change)

Disadvantages:
Picture quality - supposedly worse[0]
Uses processing power[1]
Might be tricky to find a fanless one (I don't recommend it but if you're
not playing taxing games you _might_ be safe
to just unplug the fan, mine's died and the card works fine [and at
20-30quid for a 'upgrade' replacement I won't worry _too_ much if it dies])

FWIW IMHO unless you want a silent low powered machine or don't have an AGP
slot I'd say save the pennies 
(or cents) and just get a cheap nvidia card.

Anyone want to buy a PVR-350?

Druid

[0] TBH I can't see it but then again I've not got that nice a TV[2], on a
BFO projector you might.
[1] On a very unscientific test I got the following on playback:
SuSE 9.1/2.6.11-rc2-bk3-20050125153357-default
PVR-350
P4/3GHz/800Mhz (HT DISABLED)
0.0-0.7% cpu

SuSE 10.0/2.6.13-15-smp
MX440
P4/2.8GHz/533Mhz (HT ENABLED)
6.5-8.5%

[2] Currently shopping for one though :-)