[mythtv-users] Mac Mini Frontend - HDTV Capable?

[Art Morales]

On 4/27/05, Jeff Simpson <llcooljeff at gmail.com> wrote:
> > Then you've apparently not been paying too much attention.  There have
> > been a LOT of people repeating requirements second and third hand that
> > are inflated.  My 1.8ghz AMD *almost* plays 1080i without issue.  My
> > 2.5ghz celeron has zero issues with HD playback.
> 
> Almost doesn't cut it, does it? :-P I once had a 486 that could almost
> play mp3s. It was the saddest excuse for music I'd ever heard as it
> was frantically trying to keep up without having to downsample.
> 
> 2.5ghz is pretty close to what I was suggesting, I don't think I was
> that inflated.
> 
> > > The mac mini operates at 1.2 or 1.4 ghz. Not to say that processor frequency is the
> > > only factor in the speed of a computer, but when it's THAT large a
> > > difference, I can't imagine it can just make up for it with
> > > optimizations.
> >
> > You can't even BEGIN to compare performance based on clock speed when
> > comparing completly different instruction sets.  Regardless all it
> > would take is for their video hardware to support HD size MPEG2
> > acceleration and for Myth to be able to leverage that.
> 
> You can when it works. :-P Yes, they are different instruction sets,
> and yes they are completely different, but you can still compare them.
> It's like comparing engine sizes between cars. Sure you can get 200hp
> out of a 1.8L 4cyl, but it's pretty safe to say that you'll get a lot
> more out of a 6.0, regardless of engine and transmission design, and
> even the type of gasoline. More fuel = more power, it gets to a point
> where efficiency can only do so much. Without hardware acceleration, a
> 3ghz PC can do it, and the 1.4ghz mac can't. End of discussion.
> 

I think the problem is that by definition, the two processor
architectures are not comparable (on Speed alone).   To say that a 1.4
ghz G5 is the same speed that a 1.4 ghz P4 is at best naive.  I'm not
a mac evangelist, but Macs have been plenty fast for a very long time
with slower actual clockspeeds than wintel.  We'll just have to wait
and see till someone takes the time to optimize them.

Art