[mythtv-users] Will a PcChips M789CLU C3 2000+ with WinPVR card suffice?

[Gert van der Knokke]

Francesco Peeters wrote:
> Hello all,
>
>
> I've been searching the web for info, but due to mixed, sometimes
> conflicting, information I have decided to ask on the list as well...
>
> I want to build a small, silent MythTV machine for the living room to
> partially (?) replace the home theatre set we have in use now...
>
> A friend pointed me to the PcChips M789CLU C3 2000+ MoBo, which has built
> in everything, but runs on a VIA C3 at 900MHz.
>
>   
Hello,

I'm running two of these boards as lightweight frontends (no HDTV)

Pros:
Picture quality is very good, there is some slight jerking with fast 
pans but otherwise it is using the hardware mpeg  decoding feature of 
the CLE chipset very well even with 'Bob' de-interlace.
Both of these boards (one is a bit newer with 6 channel audio, which 
introduces another small problem with the volume setting) are displaying 
1024x768 with about 40 to 50% CPU load.
(Analog) Sound quality is good, no background noises.
It plays back AVI(DivX) files without problems.
It consumes very little power.
When not using the PCI slots (see 'Cons') you can build a very low 
profile box with these boards.

Cons:
No GL acceleration, MythMusic with a full screen visualization looks 
awful with screen updates about once a second.
Don't think of putting anything in the PCI slots, certainly no PVR cards 
or IDE cards.. The chipset has a nasty bug with DMA transfers colliding 
with the built in network card. (I tried all the options to improve but 
the system kept locking hard) As both these machines are used as 
frontends I don't use the PCI slots so the bug doesn't bite..
CPU is very slow, compiling is no fun.
The 6 channel audio version has no 'master' volume control, instead you 
need to create a separate program to adjust the DXS controls which means 
to OSD volume indicator is useless. (not a big deal to me)


Gert