[mythtv-users] whats the best graphics card for HD playback?

[Todd Ignasiak]

On 1/22/06, sean darcy <seandarcy2 at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> On 1/21/06, Michael T. Dean <mtdean at thirdcontact.com> wrote:
> > Frank Lynch wrote:
> >
> > >On 1/21/06, Chris Ribe <chrisribe at gmail.com> wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > >>I'm in a similar situation to you, Frank, and I am looking for an
> answer to
> > >>the same question.
> > >>
> > >>From what I've gathered so far, the NVidia 5200 series seem to work
> the
> > >>best.  I'd like to hear more confirmation on that before I go drop $40
> on
> > >>one, though.
> > >>
> > >>
> > >Does the amount of video ram play a factor?
> > >The 5200 seems to come with either 128 or 256mb of ram.
> > >I'd like to have my graphics card do as much work as possible, I want
> > >ot keep my cpu for tasks like commercial flagging (and occasional
> > >transcoding).
> > >
> > >
> > RAM is not a problem.  It's primarily important for 3D rendering with
> > many textures, so the 128MB will work well (be way more memory than you
> > need) for HD MPEG-2 decoding.
> >
> > As far as best card goes, the best card is one whose drivers support the
> > functionality you need.  Right now, this means NVIDIA.  Don't get ATI.
> >
> > The 6xxx series (at least some of them--there may be one or two
> > "holdovers" in the group) of NVIDIA cards use pixel shaders for Xv
> > (instead of the video overlay used by previous generations).  Myth has
> > been designed to work well with the video-overlay-based Xv (including
> > providing an ability to adjust hue/saturation/brightness), and still has
> > work to be done for providing better support for the PS-based video.
> > Therefore, you're probably better off going with a 5200 than a
> > 6800+--unless, of course, you want to do some GLSL programming for
> > Myth...  ;)
> >
> > Also, you won't get better MPEG-2 performance (including display of
> > software-decoded MPEG-2 /and/ hardware-assisted MPEG-2 decoding with
> > XvMC) from a "faster" or newer card.  And, on the bright side, the 5200
> > is dirt-cheap compared to the newer-generations of cards, so save your
> > money and go for a 5200.
> >
>
> I had a 6600 because I'm trying to drive an HDTV at  1080i, and it
> came with component out.
>
> I had intermittent success.  myth and the nvidia drivers are like the
> Bickersons. They only get along enough to stay together. And new
> nvidia drivers seem to cause more problems than they solve.
>
> So now that I'm looking for a new mb for a myth frontend, I'm looking
> for a non-nvidia card that
>
> plays well with myth ( which means that open source is *really* important
> );
> does hw MPEG-2 decoding;
> and has component out at 1080i.
>
> I'd also like MPEG-4 decoding and 1080p - if possible.
>
> AND, I'd like it to have drivers that are in Xorg-7.0.0.
>
> So, if I'm off nvidia I certainly don't want ATI since they have
> proprietary drivers and even more problem reports than nvidia. I have
> an old 8500dv, which I really like and is fully supported by xorg, but
> doesn't do hw decoding or 1080i tv out.
>
> First up was intel 945g integrated video. Supports hdtv, 1080p and
> mpeg-2 hw decoding. No mention if it supports mpeg-4 decoding, so I
> assume it doesn't.  Also supports hdtv component out through a "Media
> Expansion Card".  Sounds good, but it turns out there are NO Media
> Expansion Cards" available. AverMedia announced one for 3q2005 ( even
> won an Intel rpize for it!), but it's not been released ( or died
> somewhere ) and the MSRP is $199!!!
>
> Next I looked at via unchrome pro: mpeg-2, mpeg-4, 1080p ( so I assume
> it's 16:9). Drivers in xorg-7.0. But.. didn't find any with component
> out, the unichrome drivers have split ( unichrome.sf and openchrome),
> and the mpeg-4 is only for boards with the via c7. Finally it appears
> via really isn't supporting ( assisting) the xorg drivers which don't
> support mpeg-4.


The Unichrome chip is supposed to have support for YPrPb in hardware
according to the S3/VIA datasheets.   I've never tried one, so I don't know
if the drivers expose support for this, or if it can be done with a simple
breakout cable.

At least in theory, the Unichrome looks like a great MythTV chip,  full
MPEG2 hardware decoding, and MPEG4 acceleration.   I'm hoping to find a
Socket939 Unichrome board when I next upgrade my MythTV box, so I can try
the Unichrome, and fall back to an NVidia add-in card if that doesn't work
well.


Sorta stuck. I guess I'm going to do the intel 945g with a
> vga->component breakout box.
> I do realize this is only a intel solution.
>
> Should be a better choice somewhere.



I have been surprised that the Dxr6 / EM8621 video decoder cards haven't
gotten any traction with the MythTV crowd.   It seems to be an ideal card
for an HTPC.   MPEG2, MPEG4, WMV9, and H.264 hardware decoding;  DVI and
YPrPb output;  some level of Linux support from the product developer..

Prior to moving to MythTV, I used a receiver with a hardware decoder in
Windows (MIT MDP-100/120/130), so I'm a big fan of hardware offload.   The
MDP-1x0 could display HD programs with extremely low overhead on the host
machine, and had smooth playback regardless of what the host was doing (as
long as the host can keep up with DMA'ing a trickle of data to the card).
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