[mythtv-users] Taking the plunge - General questions about setupandPVR250

[Roby Adams]

The Sigma Designs X-Card (not sure about others)  DOES display overlay
graphics on the tv out.  It will not do overlay in a window on the PC.
There is an On Screen Display that is seperate from the mpeg stream that can
display a menu, subtitles, what have you.  It can even display the windows
desktop instead of an video file.  (Sigma said it couldn't been done with
the overlay but a third party developer has already managed to do it without
encoding it as an mpeg).

I really only brought up the X-card because I have one and I am familiar
with the overlay funtionality and mentioned it as an example.  There are
currently no linux drivers or an SDK for that matter so it is not really
worth discussing.

Roby Adams

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Joseph H. Fry" <joe at thefrys.com>
To: "'Discussion about mythtv'" <mythtv-users at snowman.net>
Sent: Wednesday, May 28, 2003 12:39 AM
Subject: [mythtv-users] Taking the plunge - General questions about
setupandPVR250


> It is my understanding that the Sigma cards do not do overlay... they
> merely display an mpeg stream... which means that you would need to
> encode the myth display and the video together to get the display on the
> screen.  I cant imagine that it would be difficult to do so however, and
> considering that the sigma cards are only $100 it would be worth it for
> the developers to look into I'd say.
>
> Can you say "Finally, a use for that damn Pentium 233 sitting in my
> closet"
>
> Actually my local store has stacks of old Dell Pentium Desktops that are
> just about perfect for an entertainment center if only they could handle
> the output!... only $20 and with an integrated nic and no processor
> heatsink needed, and virtually silent PS... God what a dream front end
> that would be!
>
> Joe
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: mythtv-users-bounces at snowman.net
> [mailto:mythtv-users-bounces at snowman.net] On Behalf Of Joseph A. Caputo
> Sent: Tuesday, May 27, 2003 1:48 PM
> To: Discussion about mythtv
> Subject: RE: [mythtv-users] Taking the plunge - General questions about
> setupand PVR250
>
> But how are the overlays formatted?  Can you just set your X display to
> the
> decoder board and have that work, or do you need to format each screen
> as a
> static image?  If the former, no problem; if the latter, this raises the
> same issues as pure MPEG; namely, how to take an interactive X (Qt)
> interface and convert it to static images.  I don't know anything about
> decoders w/overlay, so maybe it's simpler than that, though.
>
> -JAC
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: mythtv-users-bounces at snowman.net
> > [mailto:mythtv-users-bounces at snowman.net]On Behalf Of Roby Adams
> > Sent: Tuesday, May 27, 2003 12:28 PM
> > To: Discussion about mythtv
> > Subject: Re: [mythtv-users] Taking the plunge - General questions
> about
> > setupand PVR250
> >
> >
> > Well you guys are right the PVR-250 does not have outputs and the
> > 350 does.
> > I know that the 350 would not be able to output the myth display
> > IF it does
> > not support overlay on the output.
> >
> > Some decoders do like the Sigma Designs X-card.  It can insert
> overlays on
> > the video out.  Of course that is a decoder board and is not a
> Encoder/PVR
> > card.
>
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