On 12/8/05, Todd Ignasiak <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > For more info on the S3 graphics, check out the OpenChrome project and > mailing lists. They have a lot of info on the various chips and the subtle > differences in features/support. > > I think the easiest (maybe only) way to go is to get a motherboard with > Unichrome video. > > Also, I think S3 Graphics is owned by VIA, aren't they? Are they at risk > for going under? > > > On 12/8/05, Bob < [EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Todd Ignasiak wrote: > > > I looked into these a while back, and I was unable to find any > > > standalone video cards available for purchase. With the video > > > processing capabilities they have, the S3 products would make ideal > > > HTPC video cards. > > > > > > As you mentioned, the Unichrome is available integrated into many > > > motherboards. S3 also announced a couple new models recently, the > > > S25 and S27. > > > > I belive these are PCI Express models > > http://www.s3graphics.com/en/products/index.jsp but I'm > sure someone > > could put them on an AGP card with a converter like some of the Nvidia > > cards, I think it's the 6600s that are natively PCI-E but have AGP > > versions available through the magic of a little chip. > > > > > If you can find one, there are still a few questions.. Does the > > > driver from the unichrom project support these chips? Do the > > > standalone cards have the same MPEG decoder capabilities as the > > > unichrome? > > > > Don't know but I'd have thought their'll be plenty of similarities > > though one big difference is going to be in memory handling, I'm pretty > > sure the on-board unichrome GPU uses some of the system RAM but an > > expansion card model won't. As for the MPEG stuff, the specs claim > > acceleration and given the man hours involved in developing such a > > feature it's probably the same~ish but I'm speculating. > > > > > I currently use an Nvidia FX5200 (it's fanless, and supports XvMC > > > MPEG2 acceleration). But, I would like to replace it with a card > > > that has open source drivers.. if something is out there. > > > > Me too, lets hope a the turnover provided by the VIA boards is enough to > > stop S3 going under (as everyone on /. seems to think it will) until a > > major card fab puts the chips on something we can buy and thus promote > > better support for open source software from hardware manufacturers. > > > > -- > > tveeprom: Hauppauge: model = 34132, rev = J158, > > tveeprom: tuner = Philips FM1236 MK3 (idx = 58, type = 4) > > tveeprom: audio_processor = MSP3416 (type = 14) > > (new type Model 401) > > model name : mobile AMD Athlon(tm) XP Processor > > cpu MHz : 2277.214 > > cache size : 512 KB > > (Plenty o' grunt on an ECS k7s5a MB) > > Knoppmyth R5A16 (unmodified) > > http://mysettopbox.tv/CHANGELOG.txt > > MythTV 0.18.1 > > _______________________________________________
As for 'not wanting to get a new motherboard' I wouldn't worry too much (depending on why you are concerned ;) ). I have found a couple of outlets where you can grab motherboards with the chipsets that support unichrome on them for ~20-30 bucks (that's less than the cost of an Nvidia standalone) that also have a few other niceties integrated. I know, most of us are probably anti-integrated, but it really isn't so bad for 25 bucks ;) Go hunting for a board to suite your needs before ruling it out, you may be happy with your find. Chad _______________________________________________ mythtv-users mailing list [email protected] http://mythtv.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users
