[mythtv-users] hdtv file size?

[Jesse Guardiani]

Mike wrote:
> Jesse Guardiani wrote:
>   
>> Steven Adeff wrote:
>>   
>>     
>>>     What is a similar file size from a PCHD3000 or similar? 
>>>
>>>     
>>>       
>> [...]
>>   
>>     
>>>> ~7-8gig/hr with commercials for 1080i
>>>> ~5gig/hr with commercials for 720p
>>>>
>>>> of course, specific bitrates will vary depending on source and network.
>>>>       
>>>>         
>> Wow. 363% increase in file size. I could add two more disks and use 
>> RAID-5 to bump my disk array 300%,
>> but I'd still be losing a good bit of capacity. I wonder when/if 
>> hardware mpeg-4 encoder cards for HDTV will
>> be available?
>>
>> Do those formats burn directly to DVD like the mpeg-2 from the IVTV 
>> cards? Or do they need to be
>> transcoded down in resolution/bitrate/whatever before they're burned?
>>
>>   
>>     
> I believe HDTV is broadcast as compressed MPEG from the get go. So you 
> won't really get anything out of a hardware encoder on a digital signal. 
> All the cards and decoders do is tune to the stream and decrypt QAM or 
> 8VSB. (when I just record..... I get almost no CPU overhead... I get it 
> all when I try to play it back)
>
> Let me put it this way.... If you took your PVR-350's streams and 
> stacked them together to makeup the space filled from say a HD-3000... 
> how many times would its screen fit into the HD screen?
>
> 1hr show from PVR-350 2.2gig (extreme engineering)
> http://dustsmoke.com/images/pvr350.jpg
>
> 1hr show from HD-3000 QAM_256 1080i 6.3 GB (window to the sea)
> http://dustsmoke.com/images/hd3000.jpg
>
> Seems to be about the right size to me...... If anything, its a little 
> better than I'd expect it to be for this particular show.... (of course, 
> Windows Media Player Classic seems to mess up the proportions a bit when 
> capturing screenshots for me.... but this is just to give you an idea....)
>   

So your prediction is that mpeg-4 hardware re-encoders will never exist 
for hdtv? Or at least, not
OTA or QAM HDTV?

I suppose that might make sense, since there'd be some quality loss.

-- 
Jesse Guardiani
Programmer/Sys Admin
jesse at wingnet.net