[mythtv-users] Dual processors -- better than single fast processor?

[Bryan Simmons]

I'm using a single AMD Athlon 2100+ ( 1+Ghz) with a pvr-250 for input
and nvidia GeForce4 MX for output (s-video).  This configuration
allows me to:
A.  Watch live tv
B.  Transcode what was just recorded
C.  Use the machine as a general server (web, ftp, etc..)

The only limitation for me seems to be disk access.  I found out, the
hard way, that I can't record video and copy files at the same time. 
For some reason this makes for crappy recording.  I'm using a 250GB
Western Digital IDE Ultra 100 for video storage.  The only thing that
would make me happier with my system would be using SATA instead of
IDE for the disks.

I also added a DVD+/-RW so I wouldn't have to permanently Auto Expire
anything. :)
I guess the lesson here is, get the mpeg encoder ON the tv tuner (I
believe mythtv.org suggests this from the get-go).

On Fri, 16 Jul 2004 17:26:59 -0500, Gregory J. McGee
<gjmcgee at cableone.net> wrote:
> Avermedia M179s are now $39 at Frys.. Closing them out.
> 
> Get 2, and your single proc 1GHz machine will be fine.
> 
> > Message: 9
> > Date: Fri, 16 Jul 2004 13:08:43 -0400 (EDT)
> > From: Cory Papenfuss <papenfuss at juneau.me.vt.edu>
> > Subject: Re: [mythtv-users] Dual processors -- better than single fast
> >         processor?
> > To: Discussion about mythtv <mythtv-users at mythtv.org>
> > Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.4.60.0407161302170.5708 at juneau.me.vt.edu>
> > Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed
> 
> 
> >
> >         I have used mythtv on both a dual celeron 300->450, and a
> > duall PIII
> > 750->1GHz (see a pattern here?... :)  No single process of mythtv can
> > utilize
> > more than one cpu at present, but the nature of what mythtv does lends
> > itself
> > to multiple processes to some degree.  A 1GHz PIII is pushing it for
> > both
> > encoding (MPEG4) and playing at the same time.  The dual worked will
> > in that
> > situation (mythbackend took 90% cpu, mythfrontend + X approx 60-80% of
> > the
> > other).  If you were trying to do something fancy with the encode or
> > really
> > high resolution, you'd be bumping up against a single 1GHz PIII
> > encoding.  I
> > did on mine, and ended up with a 480x480 IIRC.  If you wanted
> > full-tilt 720x480
> > with deinterlacers, denoisers, etc, the 1GHz won't do.
> >
> >         Even with the dual, it tends to boil down to how fast the rest
> > of the
> > system is as well.  There's lots of data flying around (raw YUV over
> > PCI bus
> > being a huge one), so if you don't have things tweaked and good vid
> > card, it's
> > pushing it.  I've since gotten rid of the bttv card from my system
> > (crappy
> > hardware), so I only use the pvr-250.  I highly recommend the MPEG2
> > card, as it
> > gave me better quality in addition to the reduced CPU load.
> >
> > YMMV
> > -Cory
> >
> 
> 
> 
> 


-- 

Regards,

Bryan Simmons
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 What is this "sleep" of which you speak?
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