[I tried searching... honest!]

I started to compile a parts list based off of the Dragon spec, the only difference right now is a different case, and considering a faster CPU, but I noticed that it has a DVI out, and I don't think the TV has DVI input, but I'll double check.

Right now my HDTV is now enjoying component input, coming from the AV receiver which uses the component input from the Comcast HDTV cable box. I would love to simply swap the video out from the cable box with the video out from the myth box and simply enjoy.

That means I would want a mythbox with component out, I see that the shop that sells the dragons also offers an adapter,

http://mythic.tv/index.php?manufacturers_id=11&osCsid=c6b37bf8cd2ee30e43989a0ef46cbd96

but reading the howto sounded risky, + it's an extra $105.

So my question is:

Is there a video card that includes component out that would work with knoppmyth?

Would something like this work?
It's basically a fanless card with component out.
http://usa.asus.com/products4.aspx?l1=2&l2=6&l3=139&model=591&modelmenu=1

Are there any driver issues to worry about if using the component out that comes with the card?

Would I run the same risk getting the output wrong and frying my television? Or would it all "just work" because the card is handling the component output.

Can anyone share their experiences that might be useful?
Thanks

Well I'll chime in. First, I pcked up an NVidia 6600GT which has the pseudo-Svideo port that connects with a dongle that provides Component and SVideo, and it does work.... sort of. First off, NVidia's drivers are just garbage. I had experienced all sorts of hell trying to get 480p or 1080i output via Component, only to end up giving up and switching the the Audio Authority box you have linked to. My life has been much happier now. Of course, finding the correct modelines for it was a *****.

I also picked up an ATI card to try with the component cables now that the ATI drivers for the AMD64 have been out for a while.

-Ackster

Cool

There's also one by Key Digital: http://mythic.tv/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=10&products_id=28

Here's their installation guide, much of which also applies to the 9A60: http://mythic.tv/VTCA3%20PowerStrip%20Supplement%20V1.1.pdf

So my bias is obviously that I sell them, so keep that in mind. I don't actually know about the component out capability of that card in Linux, so I can't comment on it.

You can probably fry most monitors/televisions with most video sources if you send them something way out of spec. Imagine sending a 1600x1200@70Hz signal to a VGA (640x480@60Hz) monitor made in 1992 - long-term damage would be inevitable, possibly a total "It's dim, Jed" moment.

My understanding of the VGA->component conversion process is that the modeline is what's most important. Just like a bad modeline can fry a monitor with a VGA or DVI connection, the same is true of component connections, too.

Generally speaking, if you start off with low resolutions (e.g. 480p) you're unlikely to kill your monitor/TV. Then you can progress toward higher resolutions until you reach the display's native resolution.

The reason there are all those caveats and danger warnings is because you can destroy your TV if you send it something horrible. We've sold over 50 9A60s, and nobody's ever reported killing their TV. That doesn't mean it can't be done, of course

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Thanks to both of you for your quick reply and helpful insight.

From what I'm hearing, it seems as though I'll save myself the headache if I get a dedicated device.

If this was a $100 monitor, I wouldn't care, but I'm a little nervous about the possibility of frying the TV, seeing that Best Buy has sooooooo much of my money already.

So while I have your attention....

What's the performance like when pausing live tv, going back and forth, etc at 1080i using the dragon spec? What bottlenecks have you guys at mythic identified that I could spend a little more on that would give the system more breathing room? Video card? RAM? CPU for processing power? Front bus speed? I'll assume the HD speed doesn't matter.

Thanks again... I will make an order as soon, as I have this sorted.

I'm not sure which solution you're referring to as the dedicated device, but just to be clear, you can still blow up your expensive TV set with the wrong modeline on a direct component connection from a video card. The type of cable is not as important as the refresh rate, sync, and resolution of the signal you're sending.


I don't notice any performance issues on 1080i content with the Dragon as spec'ed. If I had, we wouldn't have launched

Things like commercial flagging and transcoding are mostly CPU-dependent, so if you did get a beefier CPU, it'd improve your flagging and transcoding speeds, but the Dragon spec is balanced for low heat and noise. If you beef up the CPU, you'd be using a configuration we haven't tested, and you may have cooling issues we didn't run into.

We put a passive cooler on the Northbridge chipset and remove two case fans and leave a third disconnected. The only fans in it are the 120mm PSU fan and the 90mm throttled CPU fan. And that's good enough to dissipate the heat all our components make, but maybe not good enough for faster RAM, another HDD, a more powerful GPU, etc. If you're building your own, you're free to experiment here, but just be aware of the potential heat issues.

There's definitely no need to go for more power on the video card if you're using the box as a HTPC. It's sufficient to play 1080i without problems, and nobody broadcasts shows in 1080p yet


You're very welcome!

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ackster

You say the nvidia drivers are crap, but can you show me a card/company with better drivers? By the way that is a retorical question, because I know you can't. ATI has just started actually putting a little bit of work into their linux drivers and are still way behind nvidia, and from what I've heard their component output dongle doesn't work in linux at all, where I have heard from some people on this very forum who have the 6600's working with the component dongle.

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Xsecrets

I have a 6600 (Gigabyte Geforce 6600 with a passive heatsink) with a component out dongle that works fine, although it did take a little (a lot of) work to get it rolling in linux. The pictures sharp and I have zero complaints, I just don't want to set it up again. If somebody has a 6600 and wants to see my xorg.conf send me a pm.

I think it's great that nVidia is supporting their component outputs on Linux. I guess I'm just a conservative guy, but I really like the idea of the VGA->Component box like the AA960. I've heard nothing but praise for this approach and it is reliable. At the end of the day, you don't want to discover the latest driver from whomever causes your box to quit working. Hardware (like the AA box) doesn't let you down.

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