[linux-dvb] Re: Before I buy

[Andrea Venturi <a.venturi@cineca.it>]

Dr. Werner Fink wrote:
> Hmmm ... IMHO a FF card also has the advantage of an idle CPU
> most time which avoids required and therefore noisy fan(s).
> Only a good and passive cooled VGA-Card, with a Mpeg2/Mpeg4
> HW decoder together with TV-out (RGB/S-Video on scart) or for
> the future a DVI-out to support modern TV sets, would be an
> argument.
>
> This because the only good fan is _no_ fan ;^)
that's deeply true!

but the main problem, for us, is that a FF is no good WRT an HDTV feed 
and MPEG4 (when it will come!)!

so we'd like to investigate which VGA cards are available WRT HDTV MPEG2 
 (and MPEG4) on the market with a good linux support (or a foreseeable 
one1)

my best option (WRT low power usage and compactness) is the "unichrome 
pro" core inside the via north bridge like the CN400:

 http://www.via.com.tw/en/products/chipsets/c-series/cn400/

there's a binary via drive for xine (vexp) and an ongoing community project:

  http://unichrome.sourceforge.net/

then there is the high level (and expensive?!) solutions from ati (since 
radeon 9600) and nvidia (since geforce4/mx), but here i'm a bit 
confused! there's too much marketing vaporware (via doesn't not joke 
either in this game..)

anyone would share his advice?

bye

andrea venturi