Minimum Cient for HD programs

[gazoo]

Good input guys. Thanks. I was "tinkering" last night and I realized that my ffdshow on the client was a pretty old version. I updated it and the video stuttering problem is better. Now the audio is not so good. I am using ffdshow for both the video and audio decoder for playback.

This is a little off the subject but it also explains why I am going this route. I got a PCH for Christmas this year but I am having major problems with it. It will sometimes browse the network and sometimes won't. Sometimes the scripts work and sometimes they don't. It freezes up every few minutes. If I touch it, it freezes up. I think I got a bad unit. I am working this with the PCH guys to get a replacement. They are wanting me to try some things before getting me a new unit. I am trying to decide which way to go, PCH or PC client. I noticed that with the PCH I cannot rewind. I prefer the skip forward on the client over the fast foreward on the PCH. I love comskip too. I think I will get the PCH running and keep it but I think the client option is a much better interface.

This test client is helping me to do a side by side comparison. Any tips on ffdshow configuration?

Anybody tried one of these Dell Hybrids as a client? It seems a nice package for around $550.00.

You can build a cheaper client if your are handy rather than purchase. Also, you could purchase a slightly older Dell refurb of some kind and get success.

Regarding codec configuration-
I use AC3Filter that comes in the Klite mega pack codec install along with ffdshow. When you install that pack you can tell the configuration or install to use ac3filter. I use FFDSHOW as a fallback for when the machine can't figure out what to play. So I elevate the merit level of my favored codecs using GSpot and anything else forget about I let ffdshow handle. Also, I use ffdshow to handle xvids.

I use MPC for H.264, either Cyberlink or ATI for mpeg2, and let ffdshow handle flv, generic avi, etc..

ffdshow should also bring a config utility to help you with your codec choices. Some of the codecs that ffdshow was using I didn't like so I set it in the config utility to do nothing for those - then I used the merit values described above.

I'm sure I'm sounding incoherent at this point so I will stop. Sometimes I explain things in such a way that no one else understands..

[Tinker]

Skip forward and back on the PCH work with the arrow keys in the middle in thirty second increments, based on the number of times you hit them.

Martin

Thanks Martin. I will try that.

[Tinker]

You can build a cheaper client if your are handy rather than purchase. Also, you could purchase a slightly older Dell refurb of some kind and get success.

I could do that yes, but I really like the small package of the Hybrid. If I find the money under my pillow tomorrow night (I hope, I hope, I hope), I think that would be a nice setup.

Regarding codec configuration-
I use AC3Filter that comes in the Klite mega pack codec install along with ffdshow. When you install that pack you can tell the configuration or install to use ac3filter. I use FFDSHOW as a fallback for when the machine can't figure out what to play. So I elevate the merit level of my favored codecs using GSpot and anything else forget about I let ffdshow handle. Also, I use ffdshow to handle xvids.

I use MPC for H.264, either Cyberlink or ATI for mpeg2, and let ffdshow handle flv, generic avi, etc..

ffdshow should also bring a config utility to help you with your codec choices. Some of the codecs that ffdshow was using I didn't like so I set it in the config utility to do nothing for those - then I used the merit values described above.

I'm sure I'm sounding incoherent at this point so I will stop. Sometimes I explain things in such a way that no one else understands..

I have the AC3filter on my client. I will play with that one and try to run it through ffdshow and see what I get. Thanks!

[prada115]

So my old 2.4 dell optiplex, SFF will never play HD? I know i'm very limited in graphic cards, with only SFF AGP options.

I have an 512mb Nvidia full size AGP card that play my dvr-ms recordings just fine on another computer (p4 3ghz).

mike

[wtg]

Not necessarily... I have an AMD 2500 with an AGP 7800 GS that plays HD mpg and .ts files, and it even had good playback with an ATI 1600. However, it took a lot of tweaking and just the right decoders, and only does acceptable playback in Overlay or VMR9 FSE modes. Still, playback of a 1080i recording uses less than 30% of the CPU in Overlay mode.

The lower end your machine the more work it's going to take to make it work, and the more dependent you'll be on just the right combination of decoders. And the newer, more highly compressed formats like those of the HD-PVR will likely be beyond the capability of anything less than dual core.