[ale] MythTV InstallFest

[James Sumners]

Copying this back to the list.

On Fri, Apr 24, 2009 at 5:47 PM, James Sumners <james.sumners at gmail.com> wrote:
> On Fri, Apr 24, 2009 at 3:36 PM,  <HouseholdWords at gmail.com> wrote:
>> It is the promise of VDPAU that I like -- I envision small, silent, and
>> affordable frontend machines running High Def.
>
> I just want to utilize my video card more. The xvideo extension is
> nice, but it doesn't do a damn thing for x264 content (which is all I
> watch). So I rely on my CPU to decode everything. It would be much
> more efficient to use the video card.
>
>>> Speaking of Arch. If this is a distro you are keen on having available
>>> at the festival, I will update my -fixes packages for amd64 and build
>>> some for x86.
>>
>> I'm impressed. Just thinking about doing the above causes me wince and to go
>> bit more bald. But it sounds like just the stuff for those brilliant few
>> that "like pain."
>> What a great system for demonstration.
>
> Building packages for Arch is actually quite easy. It just takes time
> to build all of those packages for MythTV. Plus, I haven't setup a VM
> to build i686 packages yet.
>
>>> Video = nVidia GeForce 8500GT (uses passive cooling)
>>
>> Sounds like the perfect card -- silence is golden. The only thing that I
>> would prefer to it would be a motherboard that uses the higher-end nVidia
>> video chips
>
> There are two problems with it. 1) I can't decode any HD content with
> it because I can't use VDPAU (no software support). 2) If enable the
> OpenGL renderer for the MythTV GUI, the card will overheat in a day or
> two. It isn't meant to work so hard all the time.
>
>>> Tuner = pcHDTV 5500
>>
>> I had trouble with pcHDTV 5000, though I know it served many people very
>> well. How's the 5500? For the last InstallFest I ordered 10 pcHDTV 5000
>> cards to have on hand for installs. I might do the same again -- this time
>> with the 5500? Do you know if the 5500 requires that it's firmware be loaded
>> at every boot? I think this is what caused me trouble with the 5000.
>
> Actually, I'm not really using the 5500 right now. When I first built
> the box I was recording some OTA content, but it was too unreliable
> (too many trees in the way). So now I get my content from other
> places. However, when I was using the 5500 I had no problems with it.
> It was an excellent tuner. It is directly supported in the kernel's
> v4l drivers[1].
>
> [1] -- http://tinyurl.com/dz56jm
>
>> Meh, With a beautiful case like the SilverStone, I imagine that you keep the
>> system near the TV. In that environment, ya gotta go with the silent fanless
>> gizmo whenever you can.
>
> Which is the exact reason I'm torn. I replaced the case fans with some
> _extremely_ quiet fans[2] when one of the factory fans started making
> a horrendous noise. So I have a few decibels to play with (the new
> fans are much quieter). And I can reduce the fan speed on the new
> video card. But I'm also concerned about power draw. It's a dilemma.
>
> [2] -- http://tinyurl.com/ytnrpa
>
>
>
> --
> James Sumners
> http://james.roomfullofmirrors.com/
>
> "All governments suffer a recurring problem: Power attracts
> pathological personalities. It is not that power corrupts but that it
> is magnetic to the corruptible. Such people have a tendency to become
> drunk on violence, a condition to which they are quickly addicted."
>
> Missionaria Protectiva, Text QIV (decto)
> CH:D 59
>



-- 
James Sumners
http://james.roomfullofmirrors.com/

"All governments suffer a recurring problem: Power attracts
pathological personalities. It is not that power corrupts but that it
is magnetic to the corruptible. Such people have a tendency to become
drunk on violence, a condition to which they are quickly addicted."

Missionaria Protectiva, Text QIV (decto)
CH:D 59