[mythtv-users] using hauppauge pvr-x50 + pcHDTV3000

[Adam Hirsch]

Ron Garrison (ron.garrison at gmail.com) wrote:

> My understanding is that the hardware encoder is used to encode the PVR-350
> NTSC/PAL digitized signal into mpeg2 and has nothing to do with the
> PCHDTV-3000 and vice-versa.  The PCHDTV-3000 will deliver already encoded
> data.  This is all done at the driver level I believe so MythTV should take
> advantage of the hardware encoder.

That's the part I'm fuzzy on -- the HD receiver card is getting an analog
signal via antenna or S-video, which it then needs to digitize, somehow.
The question at hand is whether it can utilize the hardware MPEG encoder
already present on the pvr-x50, or whether it'll need to use the main CPU
to do so.  (The crux of the question is whether I'll need a faster CPU than
my Athlon-64 3000+ if/when I move to HD.)

> Now - about the PCHDTV3000.  You cannot buy them new anymore (I don't
> believe), and if you have any thoughts of grabbing HD content off of cable
> using QAM256, you will want something other than the PCHDTV3000 - it just
> doesn't deal with QAM256 very well.  I'm using an Air2PC-5000 and I suspect
> that the new PCHDTV-5500 will work as well.

Ah, good point.  Hadn't checked pchdtv's site recently; looks like the 5500
is their current model.

Adam

-- 
Take long walks in stormy weather or through deep snow in       <adam hirsch>
the fields and woods, if you would keep your spirits up.        <adam at baz.org>
Deal with brute nature.  Be cold and hungry and weary.  -Thoreau