Dedicated transcoding hardware?

[newTOnpvr]

This might be a dumb question...I am running Next PVR on an HP proliant n40l. I've run handbrake to convert the TS files to something more manageable from a size and format perspective. As expected, it pegs the 2 cores to 100%. I'm a little bit concerned about the heat, etc.

Short of building another machine dedicated to transcoding, is there a product that I can use in conjuction with NPVR and my HD Homerun (over the air version) to reduce load on the processors?

Thanks for any help!

[bgowland]

I'm not aware of any transcoding hardware (I'd be interested if anyone knows differently though).

What format are you transcoding to? If you don't need quick results then see if handbrake has a "low impact" option which runs using lower CPU priority or perhaps investigate other software to do it.

[mvallevand]

The problem here is the choice of server especially since NextPVR isn't that demanding. When transcoding is required you are better of with a modern CPU that allows h/w transcoding on the APU. I use QuickSync on an Ivy Bridge and it can be quite amazing.

Martin

[newTOnpvr]

It is definitely a fair point. This box is a little underpowered for heavy duty transcoding but I was hoping to get away with one server (famous last words, I guess).

[gEd]

My 2c is that transcoding is a lot of effort/slow/hot/noisy/lower picture quality and hard disk space is cheaper than ever.
So unless you really need to transcode into a different format (e.g. for a mobile device), just get a 2/4TB hard disk instead and forget about transcoding (would be my advice).

As Martin said, the new Ivy Bridge cpus' look very interesting with QS so great to use if you have it already but not worth spending mega $$ on just to save disk space..

and welcome to the forums btw! (what will you do when you are not new to pvr any more???)

[Reddwarf]

The ATI Radeon graphic cards comes with a video conversion utility that claims to use the GPU for converting, but I'v never tested it. Might be worth looking at thou.

[gEd]

The ATI Radeon graphic cards comes with a video conversion utility that claims to use the GPU for converting, but I'v never tested it. Might be worth looking at thou.

there are only 2 problems in my experience with the ATI Encoder. 1. it doesn't use the GPU, least not on my 4650 which was supposed to be supported and 2. it doesn't actually do a very good conversion with little control over settings.

[Reddwarf]

there are only 2 problems in my experience with the ATI Encoder. 1. it doesn't use the GPU, least not on my 4650 which was supposed to be supported and 2. it doesn't actually do a very good conversion with little control over settings.

But if one could get hands on the API maybe someone could write a plugin that uses the gpu for transcoding?

[newTOnpvr]

Thanks for all the info! Drive space is cheap, I do have some big drives.

As far as what I'll do when I'm no longer new to NPVR, I'll worry about that when it comes

[ga_mueller]

the new Ivy Bridge cpus' look very interesting with QS so great to use if you have it already

That's for sure. Rebuilt my wife's comp recently with an i5 Ivy Bridge (in the states CPU can be had for ~$150, so not so expensive). With a QS transcoding app, transcoding time was ~10x faster than Handbrake on the same system... a 2hr movie complete in around 15min. But as I don't worry about disk space. so it's of more of a technical, rather than practical interest.