[mythtv-users] PVR-350 Deciding

[Michael T. Dean]

On 08/30/06 09:54, Daniel A. Segel wrote:

>Trey Thompson wrote:
>  
>
>>I've been comparing the video performance between the two, and there is
>>a HUGE difference between the two.  The 350's out is perfect, just like
>>live TV (using the hardware decoder), but going out the video card is
>>choppy and is obviously not 29.97 fps.
>>
>>How can I troubleshoot this?
>>
>Why do you want to use the video card? The 350's output is better,
>
Yes, it's better than an improperly configured video card's TV out.

> and 
>with proper setup there's very little you can do with a video card that 
>you can't do with the 350.
>
Like, for example:

    - creating a GUI size that's not 720x480 (i.e. that uses an aspect 
ratio that's identical to the display device's aspect ratio, allowing 
you to specify 100x100 DPI so your fonts and graphics align properly; 
something that's impossible to do with a 720x480 GUI, which is the only 
supported size on a PVR-350)
    - playing back video at some size other than 720x480 (i.e. such as 
HDTV-sized playback to an HDTV)
    - using the OpenGL effects in the UI (which will be part of 0.20)
    - using OpenGL vsync for smooth frame delivery
    - and, most importantly, getting a working MythTV ( 
http://svn.mythtv.org/trac/ticket/745 , 
http://www.gossamer-threads.com/lists/mythtv/commits/214931#214931 , and 
...), which will be harder and harder to do in the future as none of the 
main devs use PVR-350 output, anymore, and no one who does has stepped 
up to maintain the PVR-350 output portion of Myth.

In other words, the "very little you can do with a video card that you 
can't do with the 350" are just the things that are important for Myth 
to work like it should. ;)

I highly recommend using the video card instead of the PVR-350.  How 
much so?  I have a PVR-350 that I'm using like a PVR-250--the hardware 
decoder/TV out is /never/ used on my system, anymore.

Just my opinion, though, so feel free to ignore if you prefer PVR-350 
output.

Mike