[mythtv-users] Understanding how video cards and X work together

[Scott Harris]

> > 
> > I think where I was confused is that I thought 
> xine/mplayer/ogle would 
> > need to decode the image before sending the raw data out to the 
> > pvr-350.
> 
> Depending on the program you use, it might have to decode.  
> MPlayer supports outputting to the PVR-350 natively, but I 
> don't think that xine and ogle do yet.
> 
> > So, if I had a faster video card (or one that supported xv) 
> it would 
> > be able to decode the data faster, then just dump to the out of the 
> > 350.
> No!  The video cards are not chained!  You would output 
> either to your onboard video (or whatever card replaces it), 
> OR to the PVR-350 card.  Not both.  Your regular video card 
> cannot access the PVR-350 at all. 
> The "faster video card" being able to decode the data does 
> not help the PVR-350 at all.  Nor does the PVR-350's MPEG-2 
> decoding help your regular video card out.
> 
> Having a card that supports Xv would help out with scaling 
> the image, so that it is done in hardware, instead of 
> software.  This is not implemented in the PVR-350 yet (and 
> may not ever be, I don't know), but is implemented in a fair 
> number of recent graphics cards.
> 
> > 

Ah, the light goes on!  Thanks for the reply.
So my only real options are:

1.  Live with the fact that I have a great PVR and just can't play DVDs
with the 350
2.  Get a new video card.

Thanks again Joe and Nick for the replies, very much appreciated.

Scott