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my PVR project goals and hardware -- see any problems?
http://forum.linhes.org/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=5164		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  scarceas [ Sat Jul 02, 2005 10:34 am ]
Post subject:  my PVR project goals and hardware -- see any problems?
First off, I'm a Linux newb... I've installed Mandrake a couple of times, and fooled around just a bit. Moving on....

Goals:
1. Ability to record whatever I'm watching live
2. Ability to schedule recordings
3. Ability to "time shift"--pause live TV
4. Ability to record video input from a video camera
5. Ability to playback a DVD
6. Store all files in a format that can be played back easily in Windows XP (divx?, mpg4?)
7. Store all files on a Windows 2000 network share

Optional goals:
1. Ability to record a DVD
2. Output audio to a digital receiver
3. Have working remote control
4. Dual (or even triple) boot to a Windows 98 or 2000 installation that is set up to run games on the TV.
5. Wireless keyboard/mouse, possibly with integrated trackball.

Available hardware:
AMD Athlon MP 1900+ - 1.6 GHz, Palomino core, 133 (266) MHz bus
Asus A7N266-c, nForce 415D + MCP-D
256MB PC2700 RAM (single module, 8 chip)
Hauppauge WinTV dbx PCI tuner (fm and remote)
Creative SB Live PCI sound or onboard audio w/digital output
Netgear FA310TX PCI network adapter
Afreey 10X DVD-ROM (works so-so, might need replacing)
Maxtor 60GB DiamondMax 9
350W ATX PSU (330W combined output)
ATX case

You'll notice that no video card is listed. I'm considering a used GF4 Ti4200 for around $50. I'll probably also double the RAM by adding another 8 chip 256MB module (and thus enable dual-channel). The Ti4200 is basically the minimum performance I can accept, for when I boot into 98/2000 for gaming on this system.

I think that ATI has a better deal in the 9600 pro, but apparently it's very difficult to use ATI cards with linux/myth... The Geforce 6600 looks promising, but costs more than I care to spend (and may be overkill since gaming with tv-out is likely going to limit me to 800x600 or at best 1024x768).

I saw someone had trouble with a Netgear FA310TX. I have an adapter that uses a Macronix MX98715AEC chip. Is this supported?

Finally, I thought I should note that instead of running the stock 133x12=1600 MHz, I have tested this system stable @ 160x10=1600MHz. It helps in the gaming, and I was just curious if this might present any problems for the PVR, or if the increased FSB might boost performance in Linux?
Author:  tjc [ Sat Jul 02, 2005 1:41 pm ]
Post subject: 
Quote:
You'll notice that no video card is listed. I'm considering a used GF4 Ti4200 for around $50. I'll probably also double the RAM by adding another 8 chip 256MB module (and thus enable dual-channel). The Ti4200 is basically the minimum performance I can accept, for when I boot into 98/2000 for gaming on this system.

For under $50 you can get a more potent Nvidia card than that... Check out Price Grabber, or New Egg, or MWave, or and use their search functions. The FX5200 based cards are popular, proven, often fanless (important for a quiet system), and widely available fro less than $50.
Author:  Nerdful1 [ Sat Jul 02, 2005 8:43 pm ]
Post subject: 
caveat: the Albatron FX5200 128M I ordered specifically because of it having no fan, the 256M version did. All reviews, mfg, new egg website etc. showed a massive heatsink.
When I got the card from New Egg, it had a real cheap and noisy fan on it. New Egg promised to reimburse me fully, but I kept it till I get a system going, then I'll put it in a gaming box and get a new quiet card later.

P.S. anyone have a dead fx5200 with a heatsink gathering dust?
Author:  tjc [ Sat Jul 02, 2005 9:20 pm ]
Post subject: 
I just got a Rosewill one a while back with no fan. Basically identical to the Apollo "Bloody Monster". Clearly the same maker, since it has identical silk screening and stick on labels, as well as the same layout and components. There are lots of them out there without fans. If in doubt, call customer support before ordering.
Author:  scarceas [ Sun Jul 03, 2005 5:26 am ]
Post subject:  Ti4200 vs FX5200
Well, I'm not trying to argue, or take the thread off topic, but I haven't seen any benchmarks of an FX5200 out running the Ti4200... Now if there is a substantial driver reason or TV-out issue where the 5200 is superior, please let me know...

but as for gaming performance... Ti4200 has a core clock of 250 MHz and 4 pipelines... Peak fillrate of 1,000 Mpixels/s.

The FX5200, I believe, comes in 2 flavors... 250MHz and 325MHz. Even @ 325MHz, it has only 2 pipelines, and thus a peak fillrate of 650 Mpixels/s (and 1/2 the fillrate of a Ti4200 @ 250MHz).

Also, the Ti4200 is capable of 2 textures per pipeline, while the 5200 is capable of only one. So the texture fillrate is an even bigger mismatch... 2000 Mtexels/s vs 500-650 Mtexels/s.

Memory bandwidth? The 5200 runs 6.4 or 10.4 GB/s, which the Ti4200 splits with it's 8GB/s...

So with more fillrate and memory bandwidth than a plain FX5200, the Ti4200 should run circles around it. Even the FX5200 Ultra's superior memory bandwidth doesn't overcome it's fillrate disadvantage.

Benchmarks bear this out with real world results. Don't fall for marketing hype... Just because 5200 > 4200 doesn't mean FX5200 > Ti4200. The Ti4200 was a real gem of a video card. The only reason I didn't own one before was because I have a Ti4400 (my buddy ruined it, or it would be going into this system).

The FX5200 does boast DX9 compliance, though performance is fairly abysmal. The only DX9 title I play often is counter strike source, and it looks fine in dx81 mode (and not too shabby in dx7 mode). The FX5200 might sport better TV-out.

Again, don't mean to be argumentative... The next step up in the nVidia family, at least from benchmarks I've seen, is the FX5600 (which is, IMO, so close in performance that it's not really a step-up) or better. There aren't many of those to be had for $50...

Getting back on topic, is DVD playback and recording easy enough with knoppmyth?

What about getting the Hauppauge remote to work?

Is storing my files on the win2k box going to be problematic?

What file format options will I have available? Is playback under XP (for recorded, not live content) troublesome?

Do you see any potential hardware troublespots, or issues with some of my stated goals?

I've got the MCP-D audio onboard the A7N266-C. Is this superior to the SB Live for digital output? The SB live has a proprietary connector, while the nforce onboard audio has a coaxial spdif interface. But for gaming and possible Linux compability, and since I have a spare one here, I was going to use the SB Live.

Any other setbacks visible?
Author:  Xsecrets [ Sun Jul 03, 2005 10:02 am ]
Post subject: 
I think the biggest part of that answer is going to be how are you outputing to a tv. If you are using svid/composite then there are reports that the 5200 has much better output than the 4mx type cards, though I don't think I've heard any reports on the 4xxxti cards. If you are going to be doing dvi or vga->component then it won't make a difference. And you are correct the 5200 is newer, but not faster.
Author:  Liv2Cod [ Sun Jul 03, 2005 11:47 am ]
Post subject: 
I think dual-booting between Myth and Windows is going to be a real drag. Your HD isn't all that large to begin with, and trying to keep separate partitions for Windoze and Linux with a reasonable amount of storage will quickly exhaust your space.

Storing the files on a Windows shared drive might be a push-up also. Most people set up a separate Myth box and IT becomes the server. With Samba, you can share the file system that holds all the content -- video, mp3s, etc. -- while leaving them on the Myth box.

For storage requriements, figure a DVD costs about 6G if ripped in "perfect" quality (i.e. no compression) or about 2G if a high-quality Xvid file. Television is abou 1G/hour for regular TV or 6-8G/hour for high-def. It adds up. I have three 250G drives in my two-tuner HD box.

I just haven't heard of too many people dual-booting Myth and being happy with it. Also, the KnoppMyth distro is tailored to install in a certain way -- it wants to partition your C: drive (/dev/hda) and take it all. It will be a problem to keep Windoze on it and add KnoppMyth.
Author:  tjc [ Sun Jul 03, 2005 2:02 pm ]
Post subject: 
Xsecrets wrote:
And you are correct the 5200 is newer, but not faster.

What can I say, I'm not a gamer, so what I worry about is what it's 2d output looks and feels like. I'll also plead guilty to charges of not checking out how much overlap there was the older GF4 lines and the newer stuff. Price Grabber also showed at least one FX5500 and one FX5700 for ~$50 when I checked this the other day, but I didn't check to see if the sellers where in good odor. :oops:

I'll second the comments about dual boot. A PVR is supposed to be an appliance server, and it can't do it's job if it's not running the backend. Given the requirements I'd think seriously about setting up two boxes, one as a dedicated backend (at least) and the other as a gaming machine and part time frontend. Alternately, one a dedicated standalone MythTV box and the other a gaming machine.
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