[mythtv-users] RFC: backend on-the-fly transcode (BOT)

[Stroller]

On 17 Apr 2007, at 17:13, Yan Seiner wrote:
> ...
> I'm thinking of a on-the-fly transcode that the backend would use to
> reduce the resolution so it's suitable for the frontend.
>
> This would let me use some of my lower-powered FEs to display HD  
> content
> - albeit at a reduced resolution...

I've been thinking about this for a while, myself.

I'm (obviously?) not qualified to code it, tho', and was a bit  
disappointed to read the negative responses posted already. I guess  
Mike's reasoning is sound, tho' - he certainly knows far more about  
Myth than I do.

I prefer the idea of backend on-the-fly transcoding (BOT) to having  
to keep multiple copies of the same program in storage. I'm the son  
of a Scott and a Lancastrian, though, so maybe I'm just a skinflint  
about storage space.  ;)

If, as Mike observes, skipping/jumping/fast-forwarding/rewinding was  
to be a problem then ideally my SD frontend would complain "woah!  
your recorded this in HD... buffering..." whilst the backed starts to  
transcode the HD original to SD size... the frontend would pause a  
coupe of minutes then start - perhaps the SD version of the recording  
could be treated like live TV?

BOT would additionally allow playback of video on devices with all  
sorts of screen-sizes - mobile phones & hand-held gameboys, for  
instance. I actually thought that BOT was a requirement for the  
proposed flash-based player - it's been mentioned that that would  
answer the requests for video playback on the Wii, but I'm not sure  
if a flash video could fill the whole browser window on the Wii,  
enough that an SD video could fit in it.

Stroller.