[mythtv-users] Chromebox as frontend?

[Gary Buhrmaster]

On Wed, Jul 24, 2013 at 5:02 PM, Rob Jensen <bertaboy at gmail.com> wrote:
> Can someone help me determine if a Celeron Chromebox has enough umph to
> perform as a basic frontend?

AFAIK no one has already declared success with such a system.

VAAPI (required for the HD3000) is not quite as mature as the
nVidia VDPAU drivers.  Some have gotten it to work with MythTV
using the latest and greatest from the Intel site.  Your mileage
will apparently vary.  You may end up spending more time on
the hobby of MythTV(*) getting things to work acceptably than
others.

Note that the HD3000 has a limited set of HW deinterlacing
options currently available under Linux (Bob 2x and one-field)
as I recall.  Depending on lots of issues and potential
opportunities(**), this may, or may not, be an issue
for you.

Note that the ID11 has a lower end nVidia GPU, and
at least some limitations also exist in regards to high
quality de-interlacing at 60Hz, so an ID11 is not a
magic solution either.

Gary

(*) MythTV is a hobby, not a product.  It may be an
  powerful and functional solution, but it does require
  some care and feeding, especially if you use devices
  that have not been well tested with the knowledge
  being passed on to others via the wiki.  Rooted
  Chromeboxen are currently in the undocumented
  category.

(**) If you are going to display to a larger TV, you might(***)
  be able to take advantage of it's better de-interlacing.
  Some people are willing to accept the lower quality
  de-interlacing as a reasonable tradeoff (in size, heat,
  power, price, whatever).  Or, for some people, they
  do not even perceive the artifacts that low quality
  de-interlacing produces.

(***) AFAIK, also unreported as to success with the
  HD3000; used to require custom modelines for
  some GPUs.