[mythtv-users] tv-out quality problems

Steve Adeff adeffs at gmail.com
Mon Oct 24 15:33:30 EDT 2005


On Monday 24 October 2005 15:07, Michael T. Dean wrote:
> Michael Bochynski wrote:
> >On Mon, 2005-10-24 at 13:41 -0400, Michael T. Dean wrote:
> >>Michael Bochynski wrote:
> >>>I want to replace one of those components, by my question is whether
> >>>it makes more sense to get PVR-350 (I don't need dual tuners of 500,
> >>>since I use cable box)  or nice NVIDIA graphics card for better
> >>>support for linux?
> >>
> >>IMHO, the PVR-350 is a waste of money (and I wasted money on one) in
> >>today's world.  It made sense when 720x480 MPEG-2 decoding strained
> >>general-purpose CPU's, but any processor that's worth using in a Myth
> >>box (1GHz or better) will barely notice the effort.  I'm using an NVIDIA
> >>card (and not using the TV out on my PVR-350) because it has so many
> >>advantages:
> >>    - OpenGL support
> >>    - Choice of resolution, overscan, etc. (allows you to choose the
> >>best combination of scaling, size, position, etc. for your needs)
> >>    - Choice of outputs (i.e. built-in TV out, using VGA to a VGA to
> >>NTSC/PAL converter, using VGA/DVI to a monitor/digital TV, etc.)
> >>    - If you get a 5200 or better, ability to support HDTV when you
> >>decide to switch
> >>    - Is not a single-purpose device, so it continues to be useful even
> >>if you stop using Myth.  (OK, I don't think it's possible for someone to
> >>stop using Myth once they've started, but it's the principal of the
> >> matter.)
> >>
> >>And only one disadvantage:
> >>    - Does not provide the placebo effect for users, so video quality is
> >>significantly worse.  ;)  (Which actually means you must learn how to
> >>configure it for good video quality.  With a PVR-350, you just need to
> >>learn how to configure it and you get good quality--the PVR-350 is an
> >>all or nothing configuration because it doesn't give you the options
> >>that I mentioned as a benefit above, so you can't configure it for
> >>poor-quality output.)
> >>
> >>OK, so the NVIDIA proprietary drivers are the real disadvantage, but
> >>they're much better than the ATI drivers, so if you've got to pick one,
> >>NVIDIA's the way to go.
> >
> >Thanks for suggestions. before spending any money I will play around
> >with settings.
> >
> >However, honestly, the advantages of NVIDIA card you presented are not
> >overwhelming. The MythTV box will be used for MythTV only, nothing else,
> >hence OpenGL does not matter, am I right?
>
> OpenGL is currently used by MythMusic (Goom!!!! among other
> visualizations), and many games that are played using MythGame.  Then,
> there's OpenGL vsync for smooth frame delivery.
>
> Also, MythUI--which will probably show up in 0.20--will use OpenGL as
> the painting backend by default and will be the best reason to have
> hardware-based OpenGL acceleration support.
>
> >I don't even have, and don't
> >plan to have, a regular monitor/LCD at home which I could use :) Signal
> >(MythTV) goes to TV out only.
> >
> >Right now I output TV to my receiver and then to TV. While HDTV is a
> >nice-to-have, i do not expect to have it in the next 6 - 12 month, while
> >I will watch TV in the next 6 - 12 months :) Hence having DVI, HDTV and
> >so on is not the highest priority. I will probably want to add it,
>
> Yeah, me too.  But then again, plans change.  I just bought an
> HDTV--something I've been saying I wouldn't do...  But, it's your
> decision to make--I was just trying to answer your question, "whether it
> makes more sense to get PVR-350 (I don't need dual tuners of 500, since
> I use cable box)  or nice NVIDIA graphics card for better support for
> linux?"
>
> I'm just thinking that if you're truly concerned with the pursuit of
> video perfection, you'll eventually find that NTSC/PAL--not your
> video/capture card--is the weak link in the chain.  :)
>
> >I am going solely after the  picture (TV) quality. I do not mind
> >proprietary drivers, since I hope I have my compile-from-source times
> >behind me, starting with the (very) early Linux times. I know, however,
> >that ATI (proprietary) drivers are worse than NVIDIA ones. BTW, which
> >NVIIDA card is worth looking at? I don't want to end up with card which
> >is not supported under Linux at all.
>
> Like I said, the PVR-350 will provide that placebo effect that makes you
> believe for sure that you have the best possible picture quality.  ;)
>
> Mike
>
> Totally OT rant:  I've got to admit that having received this message
> from you, I'm extremely disappointed with Evolution.  I know it's trying
> to be the Outlook replacement, but do they really want to make it as
> awful as Outlook?  It actually puts a one-celled table containing
> another one-celled table containing your entire message (and, therefore,
> the entire body of the HTML page) in the HTML version of your multipart
> message.  And, it does the same HTML-obfuscation that MS FrontPage
> does--i.e. opening and closing font tags all over (although FrontPage
> goes much farther than Evolution with the obfuscation).  And, I won't
> even mention the deprecated HTML 4.01 instead of xHTML (or even
> xHTML-like HTML)...
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KMail.

Steve


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