[mythtv-users] Time to move to an HDMI stick for FEs?

[Xander]

On Sunday, 9 November 2014, 13:49, Joseph Fry <joe at thefrys.com> wrote:
>>> > So I came across this article at Neowin.net regarding a Windows 8 HDMI stick: http://www.neowin.net/news/intel-bay-trail-based-usb-stick-capable-of-running-windows-81-goes-on-sale
>>> >
>>> > In addition to the Windows stick, it mentions that both Microsoft and Mozilla are coming out with ChromeCast-style sticks of their own. I started to wonder... Is it time to throw away the dream of the $99 FE and look to devices like these instead? They would be low power, easy to setup and maintain (well, to plug into the tv), and cheaper than an entire computer.
>>>
>>> The standard response to such queries - which are very common these days - is :
>>> While some of these may be able to play some of the media type, they generally have a number of downsides. The biggest of these is that to work, someone has to write the frontend to run on that platform.
>>> After that, there are often restrictions on decoding (closed libraries, limited stream type support).
>>> And then there are often significant restrictions - eg small memory sizes.
>>>
>>> So yes, for some of them it is probably possible to port the frontend. But it's going to take someone with the skills, knowledge, time, and most importantly desire to do it.
>>>
>>> Not using the Myth Frontend means not getting the Myth user experience.
>>>
>>
>>Your standard response doesn't really work here - the device is an
>>Intel IA processor (ok, it's in the Atom family but will run the x86 code
>>without modification) and has Intel HD graphics (VAAPI)
>>
>>Here is a link to the datasheet for the processor
>>https://www-ssl.intel.com/content/www/us/en/processors/atom/atom-z36xxx-z37xxx-datasheet-vol-1.html
>
>
>
>
>The data sheet for this processor states:
>
>
>- Full HW acceleration for decode of H.264, MPEG2, MVC, VC-1, VP8, MJPEG
>- Full HW acceleration for encode of H.264, MPEG2, MVC 
>The decode I knew about.  The encode is interesting for transcoding and streaming MPEG2 content.  Does ffmpeg have any support for this?
>
>No... the only open source transcoder I have found for VAAPI that I am aware of is gstreamer.... but it's broken at the moment. 



Assuming the Windows version is the standard x86 variety could you not just use the windows version of Myth FE? I imagine the HW decoding stuff would hook into DXVA, which is compiled into the MythWindows builds I do.


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