[mythtv-users] Inexpensive, preassembled, VDPAU-friendly frontends

[Yan Seiner]

R. G. Newbury wrote:
> Brad DerManouelian wrote:
>   
>> On Nov 29, 2008, at 5:05 PM, Yeechang Lee wrote:
>>
>>     
>>> Scott D. Davilla <davilla at 4pi.com> says:
>>>       
>>>> Just an update to testing VDPAU under the atom 330 and a PCI nvidia
>>>> 8400. All I can say is WOW.
>>>>         
>>> I'm a software person, not a hardware person; I can handle installing
>>> drives, RAM, and cards, but beyond that I prefer to buy prebuilt.
>>>
>>> For my next frontend, I'd appreciate suggestions on any preassembled,
>>> inexpensive (let's say under $500) and/or compact Atom- or other
>>> low-power CPU-based boxes that are VDPAU-ready. Most Shuttle PCs are
>>> too expensive except the KPCs, which use Intel video. A netbook might
>>> be ideal, except I don't know of any with DVI output, let alone
>>> onboard Nvidia 8-series video.
>>>       
>> Good luck. I asked that a couple of days ago and got "check the  
>> lists". As far as I could tell in my hours of checking no one has  
>> discussed low power, low cost solutions with a VDPAU-capable GPU.
>>     
>
> The arrival of VDPAU makes a whole bunch of low power hardware, 
> previously discounted  because of being incapable of HD, back into scope.
> I just ran out and grabbed an nvidia 8400GS for my main myth box, but 
> given the low cost (about $45Cdn).
>
> But now, I think will grab a PCI board and resurrect the VIA SP13000 
> motherboard. That board, with 2 hard drives ran just under 50 watts 
> according the the Kill-o-watt. The on-board video chipset, although 
> great for SD was hopeless for HD so it was downgraded to a fileserver. 
> But WOW, it might make a really good mythbox again.
>   
I'd love to see some testing with PCI boards.  I had a system with a 
couple of PCI boards (nVidia Quadro NVS55); the most I could get was 
1280x1024 before losing acceleration - or at least before the framerate 
got really, really bad.  Since the performance would fall off a cliff 
very suddently, I suspect it was due to PCI bandwidth limitations. The 
system would do HD source but I'd have to show it at a reduced resolution.

Another question on VDPAU: is it a part of the xorg driver?  Or is it 
outside the driver?

--Yan