[trekkie00]

I was looking at the Hauppauge WinTV-PVR-150 and considering putting it in a old computer running MythTV. From what I can see on the web site it should work; however, I'm a bit concerned about speed, compatability, and quality.

I have two older computers, both of which have the same memory, but one has a graphics card and the other has a twice as fast processor. I can't switch either the graphics or processors (wrong slot, only one has AGP), but can switch everything else.

Specs for systems:
Pentium 3 @ 866
256mb SDRAM
40gig+120gig HDD (both HDD spaces filled)
~130 watt PSU
DVD burner and CD burner

Pentium 3 @ 450
256mb SDRAM
12gig HDD (but there is an open slot for another one)
Sound card (unsure what type)
Video card (64mb GeForce 4 MX440)
~200 watt PSU
DVD reader and CD burner

I'd assume the 866 would offer better performance, but I wonder if the small power supply will be overloaded - it seems to work now, but I think it struggles with the two disc and HDDs. The 450 might have better sound quality and the separate graphics can only help, but I wonder if the low speed could cause poor quality.

I'm also a bit confused with the description. According to the site, it says that with a card with hardware-based Mpeg encoding uses less system resources. It goes on to say that a Celeron 450 uses 2% CPU for encoding using one of these cards. Then, for decoding, it says it uses 80% resources. Would this mean that to watch TV on the computer, it would take 82% system resources? If not, then what does that mean? Would there be a significant difference in performance between a Celeron and Pentium 3 in this?

Finally, just a few more questions:

1) Has anyone here used his TV tuner, and how well does it work?
2) Has anyone here used MythTV, and how well does that work?
3) Has anyone here used this TV tuner in MythTV, and how well do they work together?

Thanks for your help.

[FlashDude]

Processor speed is really the key with myth not the video card.

Did you read the guide?
http://www.mythtv.org/docs/mythtv-HOWTO-3.html

* A PIII/733MHz system can encode one video stream using the MPEG-4 codec using 480x480 capture resolution. This does not allow for live TV watching, but does allow for encoding video and then watching it later.
* A developer states that his AMD1800+ system can almost encode two MPEG-4 video streams and watch one program simultaneously.
* A PIII/800MHz system with 512MB RAM can encode one video stream using the RTjpeg codec with 480x480 capture resolution and play it back simultaneously, thereby allowing live TV watching.
* A dual Celeron/450MHz is able to view a 480x480 MPEG-4/3300kbps file created on a different system with 30% CPU usage.
* A P4 2.4GHz machine can encode two 3300Kbps 480x480 MPEG-4 files and simultaneously serve content to a remote frontend.

[trekkie00]

Yes, I did read it. But the tuner card is one of their examples of a hardware-based MPEG decoder, which means the requirements are much less.

As a general guideline, plan on 1GHz per encoder if you are doing software-based encoding, less if you are using a hardware-based encoder.
...
The second mode of operation is where MythTV is paired with a hardware-based video encoder, such as a Matrox G200 or a Hauppauge WinTV-PVR-150/250/350/500. In this mode, because the video encoding is being done by a dedicated video processor, the host CPU requirements are quite low.

and:

While inexpensive video-capture cards simply capture raw frames, leaving encoding to software, some higher-end cards incorporate hardware-based encoding. Using either a G200 MJPEG encoder card, or a MPEG-2 encoder card supported by the IvyTV project http://ivtvdriver.org such as the Hauppauge PVR-150/250/350/500, Avermedia M179, Hauppauge "Freestyle" or Yuan M600 cards will allow you to use dedicated hardware encoders rather than your CPU. (The PVR-350 can simultaneously be used as an output device.) Using the on-board MPEG-2 encoder greatly reduces the CPU requirements for encoding.

NOTE: Motherboards with the Via chipset are notoriously bad with DMA and have caused numerous issues with ivtv, including hard locks. See the ivtv website http://ivtvdriver.org for the latest information on what works and what doesn't.

Here are some data points for encoding:

* A Celeron 450 uses 2% CPU for encoding a 480x480 16Mbps MPEG-2 stream.

Here are some data points for decoding:

* An Athlon 1800XP can decode a 720x480 8Mbps MPEG-2 file using 10% CPU
* An Athlon 1GHz can decode a 720x480 16Mbps MPEG-2 file using 30-50% CPU, can decode a 480x480 16Mbps MPEG-2 using 30% CPU and approximately 30% for Live TV at 416x480.
* A P3-550 can decode a 480x480 16Mbps MPEG-2 file with 55% CPU.
* A Celeron 450 (no SSE) can decode a 480x480 16Mbps MPEG-2 file with 80% CPU.

[Greg]

Just make sure your video card has TV Out. You could always buy a cheap PCI video card if you want the faster CPU.