[mythtv-users] non-OTA HDTV encoding

[R. G. Newbury]

Joe Votour wrote:
> --- Jesse Guardiani <jesse at wingnet.net> wrote:
>
>   
>> Hello,
>>
>> I was doing some research for the XvMC wiki page and
>>
>> reading the Unichrome CN400's description here:
>>    
>>
>>     
> http://wiki.openchrome.org/tikiwiki/tiki-index.php?page=Supported+hardware+and+caveats
>   
>> When I noticed the mention of this:
>>     "but support is not complete for the vt1625 HDTV
>>
>>     encoder present on some Commel motherboards."
>>
>> This seems to be a press release regarding the chip:
>>     http://www.physorg.com/news477.html
>>
>> Would this hardware allow one to encode HDTV ->
>> mpeg2 
>> just like a PVR x50 allows one to encode SDTV?
>>
>> Would this eliminate the dependency on OTA HDTV in 
>> MythTV? Would it allow you to record from HDTV
>> outputs 
>> on Dish and Cable boxes in the US?
>>
>>
>> -- 
>> Jesse Guardiani
>> Programmer/Sys Admin
>> jesse at wingnet.net
>> _______________________________________________
>> mythtv-users mailing list
>> mythtv-users at mythtv.org
>>
>>     
> After looking over the press release, I get the
> impression that the VT1625 is a chip that takes data
> from another chip (i.e. MPEG2 decoder) and decodes it
> to an output format (i.e. TV-out, component out or
> VGA).
>
> So, no, I don't think that you'll be able to capture
> data from the component outputs of your satellite 
> boxes and encode them into MythTV that way, at least
> not with this chip.  It would be nice, but I can't see
> the U.S. entertainment industry fighting such a
> measure.
>   
Elsewhere on the VIA site, it is made clear that the VT1623 and VT1625 
chipsets are output encoders. The VT1623 is part of one of the 'bridge' 
chips on my SP13000 and outputs video through the VGA port and the 
S-video port.

So you would take input as a mpeg2 stream from a PVR500, for example or 
as mpeg4 from an HD3000 and pass it to your HD TV using the VT1623/5. At 
present you can only get (apparently) 1024x1024 output on the VT1623 to 
S-video (more through VGA: I've had it here on 1280x1024).
At the moment, the only VIA board with the VT1625 is a NANO-ITX board 
and it has only a MINI-PCI slot...
Anyone know if someone makes an HD card which would fit in a mini-pci slot?
Or if anyone makes a mini-pci to pci adapter???

I haven't been too interested in upgrading to HD levels. There's lots of 
SD stuff to watch. But yesterday afternoon I was walking through a 
shopping mall, and passed a Sony Store   (otherwise known as 'toys for 
boys'!) and there in the window was the Olympic women's hockey final on 
a 42" HDTV in full 1980x1080 resolution.
Luckily, they keep paper towels handy to wipe the noseprints off the 
glass....And I only got one drool spot on my tie...

I think I'm interested in HD now...



Geoff






-- 
       R. Geoffrey Newbury			
     Barrister and Solicitor
 Suite 106, 150 Lakeshore Road West
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  905-271-9600  Fax 905-271-1638
       newbury at mandamus.org