[Gllug] Decoding digital video

[Chris Bell]

On Wed 08 Dec, Rev Simon Rumble wrote:
This one time, at band camp, Huw Lynes wrote:

> Hardware MPEG decoders are fairly rare in mainstream PC kit because the CPUs
> are now so stupidly fast. If your box plays DVDs back OK then it's MPEG
> decoding ability is fine. Hauppauge does do a DVB card with an MPEG decoder
> but you have to import it from Germany. And it's expensive.
> 
> I have a feeling that the ATI all-in-wonder line of cards may have MPEG
> decoding capabilities but I may be mis-remembering.

Hollywood Plus cards from Sigma do MPEG decoding.  They're 
well-supported in Linux and both xine and mplayer and work well.  There 
was a project to get this working with vdr as well, so that you could 
use the low-end DVB cards.  They mentioned getting it working, but I'm 
not sure how well (OSD being the main issue).

Importantly, the video-out hardware provides a rock solid, crystal clear 
picture.  Something you won't get from most crappy TV-out cards.

http://www.scan.co.uk/todayonly/ has had these cards for about 17 
quid for the last few days.  (Usual caveats for dealing with online tech 
retailers apply.)

I have one going spare if anyone wants a loaner to test before buying.

-- 
Rev Simon Rumble <simon at rumble.net>
www.rumble.net

The Tourist Engineer
Just because you're on holiday, doesn't mean you're not a geek.
http://engineer.openguides.org/

 "A conservative is a man who believes that nothing should
  be done for the first time."
- Alfred E Wiggam


   Many thanks for the info.

   I have three of those cards, but I do not know whether they work. They
are designed to receive the output of the main video card via a special
cable which I do not have, and do not know the pin connections to replace
them. If your card has a set of cables I would like to borrow it sometime,
compare it with the ones here, and find the pin connections. Are you in the
London area?

-- 
Chris Bell

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