Mailing List Archive

On Thu, 17 Jul 2003 21:34:35 -0400 (EDT)
"Steven J. Festa" <steve@spidermite.net> wrote:

> I know the PVR 250 has a hardware encoder, but is it worth the money? Is
> going to increase the performance substantially? I currently use the ATI
> TV WONDER VE. If it does increase the performance, can I get away with a
> 500 Mhz processer for a frontend,backend box?

On straight analog Time Warner cable I noticed a much sharper picture
with the PVR 250 over the TV Wonder both watching tv and recording,
plus with standard mpeg2 output (one less format to transcode to svcd)
I would recommend it.

-Jason
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>
> I know the PVR 250 has a hardware encoder, but is it worth the money? Is
> going to increase the performance substantially? I currently use the ATI
> TV WONDER VE. If it does increase the performance, can I get away with a
> 500 Mhz processer for a frontend,backend box?

I have 2 PVR 250's in a P2-350 and a P3-500, 2 in each, 4 total. I would
never
have been able to afford the CPU power to be able to encode 4 shows at 720 x
480
at a time, but the 250's do it with ease. These are backend only machines
and I
don't think you could use a 500 as both fornt and backend unless you are
willing to
reduce the quality somewhat. The stability of the driver for the 250 is not
100%, but
much improved in the last little bit.

Dennis


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I would consider getting a PVR 250, but my cable company is telling it's
customers that it is getting rid of analog cable by the end of the year.
They said something about FCC requirements to switch to digital by
2004. Has anyone else heard the same thing from their cable company?

Thanks,
Brian

>> I know the PVR 250 has a hardware encoder, but is it worth the money? Is
>> going to increase the performance substantially? I currently use the ATI
>> TV WONDER VE. If it does increase the performance, can I get away with a
>> 500 Mhz processer for a frontend,backend box?
>
>On straight analog Time Warner cable I noticed a much sharper picture
>with the PVR 250 over the TV Wonder both watching tv and recording,
>plus with standard mpeg2 output (one less format to transcode to svcd)
>I would recommend it.
>
>-Jason
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>mythtv-users mailing list
>mythtv-users@snowman.net
>http://lists.snowman.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users
>

--
Brian Hayward

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> I would consider getting a PVR 250, but my cable company is telling it's
> customers that it is getting rid of analog cable by the end of the year.
> They said something about FCC requirements to switch to digital by
> 2004.

There is no way cable companies will be removing the composite (or s-video)
out on their cable boxes anytime soon. If your cable company really does
remove all analog signals on the line it would simply mean getting an IR
blaster and not using the 250's tuner.

> Has anyone else heard the same thing from their cable company?

My cable company only tells me when a) it is being acquired b) my rates are
going up.

--
Anduin Withers


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