Hdtv Dedicated Server - How much power realy needed?

[Dekard]

Just starting to plan my HDTV build and I thought I'd start with a dedicated server since I've already got one running and most of the hardware to upgrade it. For a dedicated server, what would you all say is the minimum level of CPU and motherboard performance for great results?

I'm running my dual pvr150's off a dual 533 box with a 320g hd and 10\100 network. I'm thrilled with the results. I'd love to be able to drop a couple of HD tuners in there once they are ready, but I'm thinking I'll most likely need to upgrade. Would the dual 533's be enough or would I need dual 1 ghz processors? I ask because I've got a fantastic Supermicro dual 1 ghz board around and I'm trying to decide if I need to use dedicate it for Sage or I can do something else with it.

[mayamaniac]

As far as I know, HD streams are in Mpeg2 so there's shouldn't be much if any CPU usage for HDTV recordings. Since it is a dedicated server, you don't use it to watch the shows, so there's no need to upgrade. To watch HDTV, I think you need a 3ghz or dual core machine since its a major decoding job for the CPU. Also, if you use placeshifting or any comskip processing, then forget the 533s. In fact, even the fastest intel or AMD CPU isn't fast enough to do all those processings.

[Dekard]

Your post answers my questions... I knew it was simply taking the mpeg stream from the HD tunner and shuffling it to the hd I just wasn't sure that was all that was done. Looks like I'll be putting the dual 1 ghz board to other uses.

I really, really wish there was a standard way of getting hd content as easily as sd content. The pvr150's are simply the shizzle for this work. What a shame there isn't yet a simple way to do this with HD.

(Anyone know if the transcoding system being used supports multicore? If so it would be possible to do this, but definately at the extreme end of what you could reasonably afford to do.)

[Jesse]

Hi,

I really, really wish there was a standard way of getting hd content as easily as sd content. The pvr150's are simply the shizzle for this work. What a shame there isn't yet a simple way to do this with HD.

If you are talking about OTA HD then it is really pretty easy. I am using two of the VBox USB HD tuners along with a Channel Master 4228 antenna (attic mount to boot) and a Channel Master 7777 amp. Works like a charm.

If your are talking about HD content via cable or sat, then yes, there is no easy way right now. If you are a DTV subscriber then you may be interested in this: http://forums.freytechnologies.com/f...ad.php?t=16615. Not exactly cheap, but if they get it working it should be pretty painless.

I see you are in Atlanta. I am in East Cobb (between Marietta and Roswell) and OTA reception is pretty easy to get here. Good chance it would be easy for you to.

Jesse

[Dekard]

Originally Posted by Jesse

Hi,



If you are talking about OTA HD then it is really pretty easy. I am using two of the VBox USB HD tuners along with a Channel Master 4228 antenna (attic mount to boot) and a Channel Master 7777 amp. Works like a charm.

If your are talking about HD content via cable or sat, then yes, there is no easy way right now. If you are a DTV subscriber then you may be interested in this: http://forums.freytechnologies.com/f...ad.php?t=16615. Not exactly cheap, but if they get it working it should be pretty painless.

I see you are in Atlanta. I am in East Cobb (between Marietta and Roswell) and OTA reception is pretty easy to get here. Good chance it would be easy for you to.

Jesse

I'm an Adelphia cable subscriber and unfortunately from my apartment I can't get a clear signal for satellite. So, thats a no go. Obviously its interesting from a technical standpoint but I don't think its realistic for me right now.

How much did the antenna and amp cost? I could do a ceiling mount but not an attic since I don't have access to mine. What would you think my chances for success are with that kind of setup? By the Way, I'm in Canton, Ga. So, central Cherokee county. I need to check signal strength in my area, OTA HD would be great, even over my SD tv I'd see vastly improved picture quality.

[Dekard]

Whoa... i just googled the antenna... might be a bit bit for my location. perhaps something smaller for me.. i like the amp tho.. definately a good idea.. would a omnidirectional like this work? Or do I need a directional along these lines. Both are amplified and I could definately mount the omni directional one at my place.

[BobPhoenix]

Originally Posted by Jesse

If your are talking about HD content via cable or sat, then yes, there is no easy way right now. If you are a DTV subscriber then you may be interested in this: http://forums.freytechnologies.com/f...ad.php?t=16615. Not exactly cheap, but if they get it working it should be pretty painless.

I believe this will work with the Moto Cable box mod as well.

BobP.

[Jesse]

Hi Dekard,

We're almost neighbors .

You should check out http://www.antennaweb.org/aw/welcome.aspx. After getting your distance and direction you could check out http://www.solidsignal.com/ for more ideas. Most all the towers in Atl. are in more or less one place (IIRC between 150 and 160 deg.) so a directional antenna is a good choice here. Not saying omnidirectional wont work, just saying directional is working great for me.

There is also a ton of info about antennas and such at AVS.

HTH.

Jesse

[Dekard]

Originally Posted by Jesse

Hi Dekard,

We're almost neighbors .

You should check out http://www.antennaweb.org/aw/welcome.aspx. After getting your distance and direction you could check out http://www.solidsignal.com/ for more ideas. Most all the towers in Atl. are in more or less one place (IIRC between 150 and 160 deg.) so a directional antenna is a good choice here. Not saying omnidirectional wont work, just saying directional is working great for me.

There is also a ton of info about antennas and such at AVS.

HTH.

Jesse

I hit Antenna web a bit earlier in the day. Looks like I'm a red or blue zone for all the Atlanta Channels I want to get. So, good news there. I'll pick up the Radio Shack Antenna simply because its the easiest solution. If I can get a few of the channels on it I'll be happy.

Right now I've got an SD tv with no immediate plans to upgrade. I'm holding out for 1080p and I'm not willing to pay the prices they are demanding for reasonabled sized units. Anyway, my point is, this is a HD experiment for me. If I can get a few stations I'll be happy, especially since watching HD content on my 20" widescreen lcd will go MILES towards helping my convince my wife we need to drop some coin on a new tv. I'm looking forward to roughly dvd quality when I watch HD on my SD tv... Analog cable just looks so.. mushy..

Awesome to get this information from you, I thought I was the only sage nut in town. What an awesome system, eh?

[Jesse]

Hi Dekard,

HD should look a bit better than SD on an SDTV, but I know you will see a very big difference between SD and HD on your computer monitor. When I got mine up and running and I tuned an HD program for the first time it was using a monitor rather than our tv. It was like night and day. It wont be hard to talk her into it once she sees the difference. We got our first HD set right before xmas 2005 and my wife is still wowed by it.

And yeah, sage is awesome .

Jesse

[Dekard]

Well crapola... I'm using Sage Linux edition on my server and thats where I needed to add the hd tuner. Problem is there's no HD tuner with driver support for Linux.... GRR...

I've either got to setup a network encoder in my server closet or wait this out... Sigh. I've hadn't had such a love \ hate relationship since I broke up with my last girlfriend.