Recommandation for a graphic card and cpu needed

[fabhoff]

Hi,

after several years using gbpvr with the latest version 1.1.5 that works with a Hauppauge PVR-350 as a hardware decoder device for displaying the recorded videos on a tv, I want to update my system.

I liked the fact very much, that the PVR-350 does not use the cpu very much so the system did not consume very much power and did not produce much noise.

Therefore I am looking for a graphic card which does all the decoding work, so that cpu is almost not involved in the decoding and displaying process.

Could someboy recommend me a graphic card that complies with these wishes? It should not have a fan and I rather like NVIDIA then ATI. It does not have to fit to a specific motherboard, because I would setup a complete new system.

I would like to use the system with four USB-tuner (e.g. Hauppauge HVR 930-C) and three streaming clients like the Hauppauge MVP and the popcorn-hour A-110. What tiype of Intel-CPU would be preferable or which speed should it have?

Thanks for any answers

Fabian

[gEd]

What kind of TV are you using (staying with analogue output or moving over to HDMI output to 720/1080 flat screen?)
Where in the world are you and what TV reception are you planning (analogue/DVB-T/T2, DVB-S/S2, DVB-C)?
standard or high definition tv recordings?

Do you also want to play blue-ray disks?

Recording a digital signal takes very little cpu load as the signal is kind of "streamed to disk". Also, with digital reception, it is possible to record 2 or more programmes from 1 tuner at the same time IF they are on the same mux as one another.

I would say that an intel dual core at ~ 2.5Ghz would be just fine but I am not sure what specific model to recommend for low power/noise (I have a E7200). There are some good articles on CPUs over here

http://www.silentpcreview.com/

this looks interesting http://www.silentpcreview.com/intel-2100t-2400s

I think any recent nvidia/ATI card should work fine. Not sure what passive Nvidia cards are available. Personally, I would probably go for something like this one if I was going to upgrade my system (which I am not...)

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduc...ubcat=1985

[fabhoff]

Right now, I use an analogue TV with a television tube and in the near future I will probably do so.

I recieve analogue and DVB-C signals in Germany for standard recordings. I do not intend to use a blue-ray disk.

[pBS]

make sure to get a card with a svideo out or it's gonna be hard to hook it to a old tube tv....[cards with svideo/composite outs are getting rare,most now have hdmi outs.]
[look for a round plug on card]
both ati and nvidia cards need an adapter for component[red,green,blue] outputs, but many have svideo out without any adapter needed..

[whurlston]

Get an Intel I3 processor with a motherboard will built in video. It is more than powerful enough for today's HTPC duties and can also handle Blurays. That will cover you for the future for a while. Then you can just add a lowend video card with svideo out for your current needs. Once you upgrade to an HDMI TV, you will already have onboard video that should be able to handle your requirements.

[NumberFive]

ATI 5450 HD, very cheap (~£30), has HDMI and H264 support, fanless.

[jcjefferies]

NVidia GeForce 8400, cheap and decodes H264 and supports HDMI

Some recent Intel chipsets come with H264 video acceleration on the motherboard.

The page below gives mode details on video acceleration using different hardware.

http://imouto.my/watching-h264-videos-using-dxva/

[ga_mueller]

+1, regularly on sale around here for $10-20 AR

NVidia GeForce 8400, cheap and decodes H264 and supports HDMI

Some recent Intel chipsets come with H264 video acceleration on the motherboard.

The page below gives mode details on video acceleration using different hardware.

http://imouto.my/watching-h264-videos-using-dxva/