> -----Original Message----- > From: Winterlight > This assumes you aren't contemplating a "Media Center and strictly > want to record TV... and we are not talking HD. > > The most important thing here is the CPU, and a Intel P4 or above is > the only one for this job. For encoding the faster the better. AMD > just doesn't do as well with this. For basic recording and editing > out commercials 2GB of RAM, and a quick 72K drive works great.
I would tend to disagree with this statement. I have been running a PVR/DVR on a AMD XP 2500+ (FSB oc'd from 167 to 200 to give XP3200+ performance) with 1 gig RAM for about 3 years, 24/7. In fact, I started with only 500 MB RAM. The caveats are that I am using Hauppauge encoders which have built in mpeg encoding leaving the computer's cpu relatively untouched. I have two USB2 PVRs and a dual channel PVR500 connected to the same computer and can record 4 shows while watching a recorded show without problem. This is for a regular analog cable signal, not HD. I use SageTV (version 5) software to run the PVR. It provides a free online "tv guide" and TIVO like functionality. I am using an inexpensive ATI Radeon 9200 with s-video out to run a television for the monitor. I connect to the PVR system using [EMAIL PROTECTED] for maintenance, etc. Otherwise, a mouse and remote is all I need to control SageTV. A great application for an older system rather than state of the art, IMO. For editing (commercials, etc.), I use an AMD64 3700+ with 1 gig RAM, again it gets the job done without breaking the bank. For Xvid trans-coding, I use an XP3200+ with 500 MB RAM, using AutoGK. Jim Maki [EMAIL PROTECTED]
