Any way to use 6800 decoder?

[PCGUY112887]

I'm stuck with an ATI TV-Wonder PRO (gift) and I know it doesn't have any hardware decoding. I can still watch TV fine, but I can't record with sage. The ATI software is crap, and BTV is way to buggy/slow (takes up way too many resources).

I know my 6800 can do decoding... but is there any way to make it do the decoding so I can record with Sage TV? Or is there any way to trick Sage TV into thinking software decoding is actually hardware so it will let me record?

[korben_dallas]

You could try to use Anders' UNE (universal network encoder) to setup a graph for the ATI AIW. Check this thread here http://www.sagetv.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9767

If the 6800 does not have a video input, there is no way for it to do any kind of capturing/encoding.. and even if it did, it isn't a supported capture device in SageTV. http://www.sagetv.com/requirements.html?sageSub=tv

[salsbst]

I think there's a little confusion between decoding and encoding here. Your 6800 can do decoding, but that is not at issue here.

The video that goes into your capture card is raw (aka not encoded). Something has to encode that video (to MPEG2, for example) before it can be efficiently stored on a hard disk. The supported cards are encoding cards.

You need an encoding capture card. In BTV's defense, the reason it is using too many resources (one of the reasons, at least) is that it is expensive (CPU-wise) to do encoding in software. That is why Frey made the decision to focus on those capture cards that can do the endoding on-board, relieving the CPU and PCI bus from having to deal with all of that data.

My advice: get a PVR 150 card and don't look back.

[edits: many... apparently my grammar is slow to arrive today.]

[PCGUY112887]

I would love to get a new card... but I don't have the $ right now.

I saw the universal network encoder right before I posted this... i'm just having some troubles figuring out how to get it working