<HTML><BODY style="word-wrap: break-word; -khtml-nbsp-mode: space; -khtml-line-break: after-white-space; "><DIV><DIV>On Dec 10, 2006, at 11:41 AM, Greg Grotsky wrote:</DIV><BR class="Apple-interchange-newline"><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><DIV><SPAN class="gmail_quote">On 12/9/06, <B class="gmail_sendername">Brad DerManouelian</B> <<A href="mailto:myth@dermanouelian.com">myth@dermanouelian.com</A>> wrote:</SPAN> <BLOCKQUOTE class="gmail_quote" style="PADDING-LEFT: 1ex; MARGIN: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; BORDER-LEFT: #ccc 1px solid">You will see advantages with a dual-core or multiple processor system<BR>since MythTV uses a collection of applications to perform its <BR>functions. For instance, you'll be able to record, watch HD content,<BR>commercial flag as you're watching it, and even transcode some<BR>previously watched program at the same time since each process will<BR>be spread out over the available cores/cpus. If you only have 1 CPU <BR>available, it would be very difficult to do all that simultaneously.<BR>I've noticed my AMD 64 X2 4400+ will use a little more than 100% CPU<BR>(between mythfrontend and X processes) when watching HD resolution<BR>content (without XvMC) so I would get stuttering if I didn't have the <BR>second core.</BLOCKQUOTE> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>While it's true that you will see advantages with an SMP system since myth is a whole bunch of programs, you should be able to do a lot more than that with a AMD64 4400+ X2. On my system, I can watch OTA HD 1920x1080i broadcast streams without XvMC @ ~70-80% cpu (no studdering) and I'm using a AMD64 3200+ single core and an Nvidia GeForce 5700 Ultra, running AMD64 Debian Etch. No problems while doing on-the-fly commercial flagging either. I'm toying with the idea about upgrading to an X2 processor and getting a second pcHDTV card so I can do PIP with two HD streams... that would be sweet.<BR></DIV></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV>I'm running at 1920x1080 resolution which probably accounts for my excessive CPU usage.</DIV><DIV><BR><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><DIV><DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Anyway, don't blame my gains on the 64-bit operating system. I was running 32-bit Debian for the first half of my mythbox's life and there was no change in load.</DIV></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV>I'm also running 64bit but on FC5 and the nvidia 8776 binary drivers. Right now I'm watching an ABC HD program which I think is 720p and using 96% CPU. 1080i content uses over 100% since it's de-interlacing as well.</DIV></BODY></HTML>