Compare to windows / DVD Burning / nVidia PureVideo / etc

[bradlewa]

Hi guys, I am interested in the Linux version of Sage, but have a few questions before I pony up the money. I've used the Windows version before, and am wondering how the Linux version compares? Are all the basic features there?

More specifically, can you use add-ons with the Linux version? Can you burn shows to DVD from within the program (like MythTV can)?

Does anyone know if the nVidia PureVideo Decoder is supported in Linux? Because it drastically enhances the playback of video on Windows, so if it's not available on Linux, I'm wondering if there is an alternative that will make video "watchable" on my TV (seriously, the only way it was watchable in the windows version is with the nvidia decoder).

Thanks for you help.

Bill

[FidgetyRat]

i keep getting the temptation to switch off of the windows box as well (been a linux guy for a long time but the support for PVRs was AWFUL especially a few years ago)


Basically, its features such as purevideo that prevent me from switching over.


However, with proper tuning (XPLitePro), lack of any spyware/virus scanners, good backups and some ghost updates here and there, windows will actually run for months with no problems, so I don't feel too bad.

Especially with the ease of getting hardware to work as it should.


Just don't ever open a web browser

[stanger89]

Originally Posted by bradlewa

Does anyone know if the nVidia PureVideo Decoder is supported in Linux? Because it drastically enhances the playback of video on Windows,

There is no linux version of the PureVideo decoder, likewise hardware accelleration (where the PureVideo "magic" happens) is rudimentary at best on linux.

so if it's not available on Linux, I'm wondering if there is an alternative that will make video "watchable" on my TV (seriously, the only way it was watchable in the windows version is with the nvidia decoder).

I think you're likely to be disappointed then with the results. I haven't tried linux in a while, but I check from time to time, and from what I understand being available on linux, video wise, it's got a long way to go to catch up to windows.

[harrijay]

The closest thing that I am aware of to Nvidia's Purevideo is XVMC on linux. This does all of the same things and offers some great improvements over normal playing. I was running this on Mythtv and it works quite well I am just wondering if there is any chance of this coming to Sage since all you needs is a library installed and some configuration.

[stanger89]

Originally Posted by harrijay

The closest thing that I am aware of to Nvidia's Purevideo is XVMC on linux. This does all of the same things and offers some great improvements over normal playing.

Are you sure about that? I thought that nVidia said it didn't offer any of the cool "PureVideo" stuff (deinterlacing, IVTC, bad edit correction) on Linux.

[harrijay]

XVMC just allows you to offload some of the work to decode MPEG2 onto the GPU. It doesn't do all of the cool stuff that Purevideo does but at least it does something and it is free best of all . From what I understand Sage does use a modified mplayer to do its video display and mplayer can handle XVMC so this sounds like it is possible. here is the wiki on XVMC http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XvMC

[bradlewa]

Thanks for the responses.

I was still wondering if DVD Burning is possible in the linux version. It looks like the Windows version is dependent on a couple of Windows programs to work, so my guess is that it wouldn't be compatible in Linux. Has anyone found some other way to integrate DVD burning into the Linux version?