[mythtv-users] TV tuner cards - low cost recommendations?

[Mitchell Gore]

> Date: Sat, 24 Feb 2007 13:31:56 -0800> From: gull at gull.us> To: mythtv-users at mythtv.org> Subject: Re: [mythtv-users] TV tuner cards - low cost recommendations?> > Rod Smith wrote:> > Your initial system will almost certainly be fast enough to handle a single > > frame grabber (software-encoding) card, although it might struggle to keep up > > with simultaneous recording and playback, and I doubt if it could handle two > > cards at once. (Somebody with more experience with hardware in that range may > > be better able to comment than I.)> > As a point of reference, I found a 2.0 GHz Celeron could just barely> record and play back at the same time using a frame grabber.  It> couldn't really do anything else at the same time, though.> > I elected to go with a hardware MPEG2 card for two reasons:> - My target FE/BE system was a 1 GHz Nehemiah, and it was clear it> wasn't going to be able to handle software encoding.> - I didn't want other processes using the CPU to interfere with encoding.> > I've never regretted spending the extra bucks on a hardware encoder.  My> secondary backend does use a frame grabber, but it's a 3 GHz P4 desktop> that's only occasionally called upon to record when there are scheduling> conflicts.  It can software encode an MPEG4 stream and play it back> simultaneously with about 50% CPU usage, but loading up the CPU too> heavily with other processes will cause stuttering.  I had to disable> SUSE's Zen automatic updater, for example, because it was messing up my> recordings.  The overall video quality on the hardware MPEG2 card also> seems better than on the frame grabber, but that may be luck of the draw.> _______________________________________________> mythtv-users mailing list> mythtv-users at mythtv.org> http://mythtv.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-usersIMHO if you are short on cash save up and get a hardware encoder.  Frame grabbers are cheaper but you get what you pay for.  The quality is much better with hardware, they are easier to install (mainly because of more support/scene support)  I promise you wont ever regret the extra 30-40 you spend for a PVR-150.Good luck,Mitchell
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