Is this enough CPU?

[tsitalon1]

Hey guys,

I know the HD extenders are coming soon. However, my bedroom has an older tv...so I am using a SD MVP. Currently my Sage server is an AMD 3000+ single core cpu. The MVP does great with SD content, but as we all know if you try to watch HD content it has to be transcoded. There lies the problem.. a single core 3000+ CPU is not powerful enough. My CPU time pegs 100% and I get nothing on the MVP.

So, I don't feel like building another server. I love sage but cringe at the thought of configuring one from scratch again I have a socket 939 board and it looks like the most powerful dual core CPU I can get is a AMD Athlon 64 X2 4200+ Manchester 2.2GHz. btw...forgot to mention... 2gb ram.

Do you guys think it would be enough to transcode HD to the MVP?

[BFisher]

Something to remember, the HD MVP is almost here... using this should take transcoding HD to SD needs off your servers CPU.

[tsitalon1]

But I thought they could ONLY output HD...If I only have a SD tv...will it work?

[BFisher]

I would bet it won't... or if it does, you will still have to transcode at the server. The MVP wont have enough horsepower to transcode.

[Apap]

I upgraded from a socket 939 3200+ single core to a 4200+ X2 and can transcode HD content to 2 MVPs simultaneously while watching live HD from the server. Anything more than that will start to choke the system.

I think you should be fine with just one MVP and still have plenty of headroom to run comskip as well if you want to.

[sainswor99]

Originally Posted by BFisher

I would bet it won't... or if it does, you will still have to transcode at the server. The MVP wont have enough horsepower to transcode.

Actually, it looks like it'll support SD without trouble.

Originally Posted by Narflex

Here's a few more answers for you:

Q: Can it be used for SD content?

Yes. It has S-Video, Composite and Component outputs

Q: Does it have Component outputs?

Yes

Q: Does HDMI also transmit audio?

Yes it does. We'll post more information on HDMI audio formats later; but there will be compressed and uncompressed audio support over HDMI.

Stu

[Opus4]

sainswor99 already posted what I would have referenced regarding SD output from the HD extender, but there is one small detail regarding terminology:

Originally Posted by BFisher

...the HD MVP is almost here...

It is an HD extender, not an HD MVP. "MVP" is shorthand for the name of Hauppauge's MediaMVP product, which obviously is being used by SageTV as an SD media extender. The HD media extender is a completely different product. (Like I said: a minor detail. But it might be confusing to someone to equate it with an MVP.)

- Andy

[CarlR]

Originally Posted by Apap

I upgraded from a socket 939 3200+ single core to a 4200+ X2 and can transcode HD content to 2 MVPs simultaneously while watching live HD from the server. Anything more than that will start to choke the system.

I think you should be fine with just one MVP and still have plenty of headroom to run comskip as well if you want to.

Are you running standard quality or high quality on the MVP?

[Apap]

Originally Posted by CarlR

Are you running standard quality or high quality on the MVP?

Standard quality. The picture quality was so good at this setting that I haven't even tried high quality yet.

[autoboy]

Wait for the HD extender. It will handle SD and HD just fine over a Svideo connection. Your server is fine and the HD extender is more future proof than a 939 cpu upgrade.

One thing I found, is that upgrading to AM2 can be really easy if you stick to the same chipset. I use the Nvidia 6100 / 6150 boards and I can swap them around without having to reinstall anything. If you can, an AM2 board and a X2 3600+ or higher would be a worthwhile upgrade to your server.