[mythtv-users] Sigma Designs X-Card

[Dale Weber]

On Tuesday 16 December 2003 10:42 am, Michael Janer wrote:
> Yes you can use both encode and decode at the same time.  What would be the
> point of the card otherwise. Honer

	This is good to know, but I am not sure I would really want to try encoding 
AND decoding at the same time on one card.  This would require a LOT of 
hardware horsepower, and I am not sure the resulting quality would be 
acceptable for either function when done simultaneously.

	There are reasons for wanting both functions on the same card without using 
them at the same time..  I would personally prefer using different cards for 
encoding and decoding, if I wanted to do both at the same time on the same 
system.

	This would put less stress on idividual hardware and their drivers.  Separate 
drivers for each function can be more heavily tweaked without having to worry 
about compromising functionality.

	As in home stereo, separates will generally yield much better quality, albeit 
at a higher cost in most cases.  I'd prefer to have higher quality. :D  I'll 
eventually setup a MythBox with two separate cards - one WinTV-PVR/350 and an 
additional HDTV capabale PVR card.

	If there were Linux drivers for my Sigma Designs X-Card, I'd use it totally 
for decoding and HDTV output only, since it drives an HDTV directly (via 
Y-Pb-R component outputs).

	I can envision a MythBox with three cards, including two WinTV/PVR-250's (or 
one with an HTDV PVR) with a single Sigma X-Card for HDTV output.  I think 
this would be a great combination, allowing recording of two programs while 
watching another program. Alas, there are no Linux drivers for the X-Card, 
and from what I read, Sigma is not a very Linux friendly company. :(

	I will no longer purchase any hardware that will not work with Linux, unless 
there is a project to create Linux drivers for it.

	8-Dale
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